Ukrainian Soldiers Turn Steam Deck From Handheld Gaming Device To Weapon In Battle With Russia

A video game platform that allows consumers to play popular games like “Counter Strike: Global Offensive,” “Dota 2,” “Apex Legends,” “Destiny 2” and “Grand Theft Auto V” has a new use case, and it involves the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

What Happened: Since its inception in 2003 by Valve, Steam has established itself as a leading platform for gamers to enjoy PC games. The launch of the Steam Deck gaming handheld and the integration inside Tesla vehicles have helped increase attention to Steam.

Steam could see even more attention with major video game outlets like PCGamer, IGN and Kotaku sharing stories on how the Steam Deck is being used to control a machine gun in Ukraine.

Ukrainian soldiers are using Steam Decks as remote controls to operate a machine gun turret, according to a report from Vice.

The high-powered weapon called the Sabre was built using money raised from a crowdfunding effort by the country, according to the report. The weapon is controlled by the handheld gaming platform.

Vice cites Ukrainian news outlet TPO Media, which shared the Sabre on its Facebook page with an update, including photos and videos.

One of the keys to the Sabre is its ability to have Ukrainian soldiers fight their enemy from a long distance, a reported 1,600 feet. The weapon can also use a range of calibers, including those used in AK-47S and anti-tank weapons.

The introduction of the Steam Deck in 2022 by Valve may have helped the soldiers of Ukraine, who have been operating the Sabre since 2014. Prior to the large outpouring of support from countries to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia in 2022, the country launched crowdfunding campaigns after Russia invaded the country in 2014.

A crowdfunding campaign was launched for the Sabre in 2015 that raised over $12,000.

The longer distance for the weapon thanks to the Steam Deck could see it being used at locations where a soldier wants to avoid direct fire from the enemy, and could also be used in fighting off enemy drones.

Related Link: 5 Things You Might Not Know About Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Of Ukraine

Why It’s Important: The new videos of the steam deck-powered machine gun in Ukraine come as the war with Russia passed its one-year anniversary in February.

On Feb. 23, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine. The move came after weeks of speculation and escalating tension in the region.

As the war wages on, new reports out this week from Russia indicate that Putin was targeted in an assassination attempt, something that Ukraine has denied.

The United States and other countries have supported Ukraine in their effort against Russia with money, military supplies, and by enacting tariffs on Russia.

Ukraine has also used crowdfunding campaigns and has seen success in raising funds from cryptocurrency donations from people around the world. The Steam Deck machine gun could see a wave of support to help the country fund its innovative weapons to fight Russia.

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