Half-Life 3 means I need a new computer

When Valve announced Half-Life: Alyx in late 2019, it set off a mad scramble for new technology. I had a laptop, but in order to play the long-awaited quasi-sequel to Half-Life 2, I needed a virtual reality headset.

So I asked for an Oculus Quest for Christmas and planned to connect it to my laptop with the Link Cable. Unfortunately, I was unable to get this setup to work. I also couldn't find any solutions to the problems I was having online and made a lot of trips to Best Buy to get it fixed. Fortunately, Valve offered reviewers the opportunity to play the game with an Index VR headset, which solved this problem.

Gordon Freeman carrying a crowbar with the bridge from Half-Life 2 in the background.

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But when the Index arrived, I realized that I needed a mini HDMI port to use it. My laptop didn't have one. So in the short time between the arrival of the VR kit and the date of my review, I had to scramble to get a replacement laptop that could work with the Index.

Mind you this was during the first week of the Covid lockdown.

I finally put everything together, played through Alyx and had a great time. But as rumors spread that the announcement of the fabled Half-Life 3 is finally on the horizon, I can't help but have flashbacks to the stress of preparing for Alyx. When Sony announces a new game that I enjoy playing, I think, “Great, great game that I can play on my PS5.” When Valve announces a new game that I'm excited to play, it makes me wonder if I actually have all the hardware that I need to get the most out of it.

That's because Valve, unlike all other triple-A developers, makes games primarily for PC. It may bring its games to other platforms, but it's been nearly five years since Half-Life: Alyx launched, and while PlayStation has a perfectly viable VR platform, Alyx remains a PC exclusive. So I can't wait to finally play Half-Life 3 on PS5, because it probably won't ever come.

Being a PC-first developer means Valve knows how to take advantage of the PC as a platform. Alyx looked really good, and since she won't be limited by a VR headset display (and since half a decade has passed), Half-Life 3 will look even better. But my computer couldn't even run Alyx on maximum settings. What the hell am I supposed to do now? Once again, a Half-Life game (which is still hypothetical at this point) makes me consider a thousand dollar plus purchase just to play it.

Honestly, I should be able to trade my old laptop for a new laptop like an iPhone. That would instantly solve my whole problem.

Is Steam Deck the solution?

Of course I could get a Steam Deck for a fraction of the cost of building a PC or buying a new gaming laptop. But should I really be playing the new big Half-Life game on a handheld? I like to ride or die with portable games, but there are some games that require playing on a bigger screen. Playing Half-Life 3 can be the gaming equivalent of having to make important purchases on your computer instead of your phone.

Then again, this game doesn't officially exist yet. G-Man can tease all he wants, and dataminers can datamine, but until we see concrete proof that Half-Life 3 will launch soon, I don't really have anything to worry about. Of course, when that announcement happens, I will immediately be very worried. Hopefully I'll have time to figure it out.