The Steam Deck Is Powering Ukraine's Drones - Here's How

The Steam Deck has some surprisingly interesting use cases outside of gaming that you wouldn't expect from Valve's proprietary handheld. One example is how the Steam Deck is being used as a handheld remote controller for Ukraine's drones. While the Steam Deck isn't powering the drones directly, Ukrainian soldiers are using it as a low-cost, battery-efficient portable controller to operate ground turrets. 

The name of this built-in system is Sablya (or Sable), according to images posted by the Ukrainian news company TPO Media in 2023. The account also shared details on how this all works, revealing that the remote-controlled turrets can be operated at least half a kilometer (500m) away and can also be mounted on vehicles. It's not a conventional use of the Steam Deck, but given the open-sourced nature of the platform, there's not much Valve can do about it either. However, it certainly does show how capable the Steam Deck is as a remote Linux computer to run non-Steam games, even if the overall application is a bit riskier than leisure gaming.

A breakdown by Liam Dawe on GamingOnLinux shared that "[Sable] coordination is done via a remote control, camera, and monitor." Other sources also mention that the military leveraged the Steam Deck's Linux platform to install Linux-compatible custom software for the technology to work. Then, once the drone is deployed at the location of interest, the Steam Deck displays real-time visual feedback from the turret directly on its screen.

Leveraging this type of technology is important because it promotes the operator's safety from open gunfire and isn't too expensive to install or operate. Plus, the entire setup is also flexible, as noted by TPO Media, since it can be operated in stationary positions or while installed on a moving vehicle. An obvious example using this setup would be for eliminating low-flying enemy drones deployed by Russia.

Interestingly, this isn't the only use case for the Steam Deck when it comes to handling Ukrainian drones. The platform itself has been adapted to help Ukraine gain more drone experience through simulation. A Ukrainian developer, Sim Tech Solutions, released an FPS game, Ukrainian Fight Drone Simulator (UFDS). According to the Steam entry page for UFDS, its primary goal is to be "a public version of a leading ultra-realistic FPV drone trainer, built on lessons from the Ukrainian frontline." Potentially, this game could be another way to help recruits gain more experience safely.