Valve’s latest Steam Deck trailer is causing a stir on social media after the icon for Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu was spotted on the console.
In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment touting Steam Deck’s more stable offline mode, a series of artwork and icons can be seen on the device including art for titles like Hades and Tunic, and, as spotted by Nibel, the logo for Yuzu.
For those unfamiliar with the name, Yuzu is billed as an experimental open-source emulator for Nintendo Switch that was, according to its creators, written in C++ with portability in mind.
We expect the inclusion of Yuzu in official Steam Deck promotional material is making waves for a couple of reasons, with onlookers either feverishly dreaming of playing Switch titles on Valve’s handheld, or wondering what might happen when Nintendo’s famously litigious legal department catches wind of the little snippet.
The Switch maker has been incredibly proactive in recent years when it comes to seeking out and destroying ROM sites and emulators that allow people to access its software illegally.
For instance, in 2021 the company won an injunction against the operator of ROM site RomUniverse, who was ordered to “permanently destroy” pirated Nintendo software and hand over $2.1 million in damages.
Prior to that, Nintendo won a legal battle against the owners of ROM websites LoveROMS and LoveRetro, who admitted to indirectly and direct copyright and trademark infringement and agreed to pay the Japanese company a hefty $12.23 million judgement.
Ultimately, it’s pretty odd to see an emulator spotlighted (albeit very briefly) in promotional material created by Valve, and it’ll be interested to see what, if anything, comes of this.
The trailer itself was released to announce that Steam Deck can now be purchased without the need for a reservation thanks to increased production rates. That means if you order a console right now, you’ll no longer need to wait in line for it to ship.
Update: An updated version of the trailer has been released that removed the Yuzu logo and replaced with the cover art for Portal 2.