Airbus is using a Steam Deck to drive its Mars rover prototype
Airbus engineers in Stevenage, UK are using a Steam Deck to manually drive the ExoMars rover prototype around a simulated Martian landscape. Custom software loaded onto the handheld gives engineers real-time control via the analog sticks, triggers, and buttons — the same inputs you'd use in a racing game. For a device that retails for under £400, it's an unlikely piece of aerospace test equipment.
Why a gaming handheld
The Steam Deck runs SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system that lets you install virtually any software without manufacturer restrictions. That open architecture is the key reason Airbus chose it. Traditional aerospace control systems tend to be proprietary and vendor-locked; the Steam Deck sidesteps all of that. Valve has previously said it doesn't limit what people do with its hardware — and this is a direct consequence of that philosophy.
YouTuber Tom Scott visited the Stevenage facility and filmed the setup in action, showing engineers steering the rover across a dusty test bed that mimics Mars terrain. Airbus hasn't disclosed which software framework runs on the device.
Ground tests only
On Mars, the rover won't be steered by anyone. Signal delay between Earth and Mars makes real-time control impossible, so the actual vehicle will navigate autonomously using onboard 3D cameras. The Steam Deck is strictly for the ground-testing phase, where engineers need direct, low-latency control to verify the rover's movements before it ever leaves the planet.
Beyond gaming
This isn't the first time the Steam Deck has turned up in an unexpected role. Disney reportedly uses them to operate droids at its Galaxy's Edge theme park attraction — another case where open, affordable hardware outcompetes a purpose-built alternative.
It also fits a broader pattern for Valve. Steam Deck 2 is still coming — but a RAM crisis is making it harder to keep affordable, though a global RAM shortage is making it harder to keep prices down. The current model's longevity in unusual applications — from rover testing to theme park robots — suggests Valve's open-platform bet has paid off well beyond the games market. If you're curious about the company's longer-term hardware ambitions, Valve says Steam Machine sales don't matter — and Half-Life 3 was never part of the plan in a rare public statement.
The ExoMars rover is a European Space Agency programme with Airbus as prime contractor. A launch date in the 2030s is currently being targeted.
