Valve’s Steam Deck used in Airbus ExoMars rover tests in the UK
In brief
- IGN says Airbus in the UK used a Steam Deck to test an ExoMars rover prototype in a simulated Mars environment.
- In Tom Scott’s video, he’s handed a Steam Deck with custom software to control a prototype rover in real time.
- The source also mentions an older example of Disney staff reportedly using a Steam Deck for droids in Galaxy’s Edge.
What happened
IGN says Airbus in Stevenage, United Kingdom, used a Steam Deck during tests related to the ExoMars rover Rosalind Franklin. According to the article, this took place in a simulated Mars environment, where the handheld was used as a local control device for a prototype rover. The context in the source is that this is test work rather than a consumer setup, and that the rover still needs to be controlled locally at this stage.
In the video IGN refers to, Tom Scott is handed a Steam Deck running a custom program. That lets him control another prototype rover in real time using the handheld’s built-in controls. The article does not say which software package is running and only notes that it is custom software. The source also does not say whether the Steam Deck directly drives the rover hardware or acts as an interface to another system.
The video description lines up with the IGN context: it says the Steam Deck is now four years old and mentions it alongside a non-gaming use case at Airbus in the UK. In this story, that makes the handheld notable as a flexible control device in a technical test setup. IGN also mentions an older example in which Disney operators reportedly used a Steam Deck to control droids in Galaxy’s Edge, though that detail is not independently confirmed in the materials provided.
Timeline
2022: the Steam Deck launches; IGN refers to the device as being four years old.
A few years later: according to IGN, Disney operators use a Steam Deck for droids in Galaxy’s Edge.
2025-03: Airbus says it is involved in ExoMars work in Stevenage, UK, on lander platform systems for the Rosalind Franklin rover.
2026-09-21: IGN publishes its article about a Steam Deck being used in ExoMars rover tests.
Around the same time: Tom Scott publishes the video showing a Steam Deck with custom software used to control a prototype rover in real time.
Background
ExoMars is the European Mars program centered on the Rosalind Franklin rover, which is being built by Airbus in Stevenage, UK. In March 2025, Airbus said it had been selected by ESA and Thales Alenia Space to build key parts for the lander platform that will safely deliver the rover to the Martian surface. Airbus materials also say the rover is Europe’s first rover to the Red Planet and that the vehicle is being built in Stevenage.
The available sources make clear that the Steam Deck is not being described here as a gaming handheld, but as a flexible control device in a test setup. The IGN text ties its use to a simulated Mars environment and to locally controlling a prototype rover. Tom Scott’s video description also explicitly notes the Steam Deck being used alongside its usual gaming role, underlining the non-gaming application.
Several technical details remain unclear. The sources do not name the software on the Steam Deck, do not specify the rover hardware, and do not describe the exact control chain between the handheld and the prototype. It is also not confirmed how much of the test workflow depends on the Steam Deck versus standard laptop or lab equipment. The Disney reference in IGN also remains a secondary example without independent support in the provided materials.
Sources
- IGN: "The Steam Deck Is Being Used to Test Mars Rovers"
- Tom Scott / YouTube: "This Mars rover's cool. But have you seen its wheels?"
- Airbus: information about the ExoMars mission and the rover in Stevenage