Forget gaming on your Steam Deck, it's being used to control a Mars rover prototype instead
The aerospace firm is using the Deck to control a prototype Mars rover throughout its development and testing process.The ExoMars rover, a device that will be autonomous when it reaches the Red Planet, is being developed in the UK by Airbus. The rover and its Steam Deck companion made an appearance in a video shared by YouTube personality Tom Scott following a visit to Airbus' facility. And while ExoMars is being tested on Earth, it's hoped that it will eventually be capable of controlling itself when it rolls out onto the Martian terrain.For now, engineers need a way to control the rover during its development and testing in a Mars-like environment.
- ▪The aerospace firm is using the Deck to control a prototype Mars rover throughout its development and testing process.The ExoMars rover, a device that will be autonomous when it reaches the Red Planet, is being developed in the UK by Airbus
- ▪The rover and its Steam Deck companion made an appearance in a video shared by YouTube personality Tom Scott following a visit to Airbus' facility.
- ▪And while ExoMars is being tested on Earth, it's hoped that it will eventually be capable of controlling itself when it rolls out onto the Martian terrain.For now, engineers need a way to control the rover during its development and testing
2 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 22 hours. All of the coverage we found sits in one bucket: centre. That one-sidedness is itself worth noticing.
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| Original publisher | Tom's Hardware |
| Canonical URL | https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/handheld-gaming/airbus-turned-the-steam-deck-into-a-controller-for-a-prototype-mars-rover-valve-handheld-pc-gives-engineers-command-of-the-exomars-platform-during-testing |
| Publication time | Wed, 23 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-23T10:04:30.947Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-23T10:04:30.947Z |
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| Cluster | yOPNT1WzZbOj · 2 stories |
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| Publisher visit | Yes — open original |
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| Commercial reuse | May the content be reused commercially? | Not permitted |
Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Video Games Console Gaming Handheld Gaming Airbus turned the Steam Deck into a controller for a prototype Mars rover — Valve handheld PC gives engineers command of the ExoMars platform during testing News By Oliver Haslam Published 23 September 2026 Engineers have turned Valve's handheld PC into the fanciest remote control ever When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Valve's Steam Deck portable PC, the same one you might play your favorite games on, isn't just for fun, as Airbus has just proven.
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