Valve working on a console to compete with PS and Xbox

https://twistedvoxel.com/valve-planning-steam-console-to-compete-with-playstation-xbox/

Valve is reading the room and possibly realizing that the console business is as vulnerable as ever.... Especially with third party publishing partners Sony and Microsoft making Valves own steam service so attractively robust with games. They've had wonderful success with the "hardware of generation" Steam Deck and so maybe they're figuring why not have an offering... The moment it's launched it will have a bigger library than ps5 and series X combined. It will also likely feature free online.

This rumor pops up from time to time... Are you ready for a steam console? Why? Do u think it's not gonna do well? Why not?

Interested in seeing what they might have to offer.

Me too.... If Microsoft is looking at life from a publisher perspective and the hardware is just an add on for gamepass or gamers wanting to be in similar ecosystems, why not valve?

I'm skeptical. Although less skeptical than I am of that rumor of them working with Xbox. That makes no business sense...There's some pretty big bullet points Valve would need to hit in order to succeed with a console

- Valve would need to subsidize the hardware. They didn't do this with the Steam Deck, and they were $400-$650 for modest specs. Even for a handheld. The problem is even modest PC hardware can easily cross $1,000. I'm building a small form-factor PC for family members right now that's $1500 and very mid-range for a gaming PC.

- They would really need to nail the UI for use with a controller on a TV. Console gamers are VERY picky about their "ease of use." Anyone with a gaming PC might scoff at that because PCs are very user friendly these days. But console folks have proven to be quick firm with their stance on the ease of use.

- The Steam store would need a TON of work.

- And as much as I would want a modular console, the majority of folks would not want to be paralyzed with options and upgrades.

And we gotta stop with the "console business is as vulnerable as ever" talk. 2 out of the 3 have had incredibly successful generations. The 3rd company isn't doing a good job of carrying their weight is all...


Edit: I just saw the RX 9070 stuff. That GPU will cost $500+ alone. Making bullet point 1 more important. A box with that GPU could easily cost $1200 if not subsidized by Valve.

Always room for one more.

@TheEroica: Agreed. Other then Sega I can’t really think of another company that would interest me if they were to enter the console market.

Basing this rumour on the fact that Valve contribute to Radeon drivers for Linux is completely bogus anyway. Valve contribute to all Radeon drivers on Linux. They have been doing it basically since they went open sources yonks ago. So that means nothing as a source.

But setting that aside: why? What value would a valve console offer? The deck was a great idea because people can't really make something like a deck. There were others making Pc handhelds before hand but they relied on windows (which does have better games support but is a pretty poor user experience on such devices) and primarily intel mobile chips (which were always too CPU heavy and GPU light for a gaming handheld). So there was that big opportunity to take their learnings from the original steam machine and apply it to a different form factor...and it worked.

But a new steam machine.....why? I'm not against it or anything: don't get me wrong. But what would it offer? Unless it's something really low end, perhaps, where OEMs, system integrators and self builders just couldn't match it. Something small and low powered for 250-300 bucks. Just to keep the cost of entry as low as possible....maybe.

Deckard headset and the new Steam controller though....those could be very cool.

Brilliant!

With PlayStation games currently flopping on PC I expect they will go fully exclusive again if this happens.

With the exception of live service.

No, I'm not very interested. Reason why is because I have a PC and intend to keep it that way. More systems to play the same games on would be unnecessary.

It would be nice to have more competition in the console space and in the gaming OS space on the PC side, and it would be nice to make PC gaming more accessible. So I hope the rumors are true.

@osan0: I agree basing the rumors on contributing to drivers doesn't make much sense.

Also Valve said they were not working on a console.

But I was told Steam was partnering with Microsoft on the next Xbox 🤔

The fall of Valve if true.

Think so? Which part triggers that for you? The investment in console gaming or the "compete with Sony and ms" part?

It would be shift in philosophy. PC is an open platform, consoles are not. The idea of Valve moving to a closed platform is not a good thing. It also makes no sense when they have a monopoly in PC gaming and they don't have to worry about the expense of hardware while get royalties like consoles.

@TheEroica: I'll believe it when I see it.

And to borrow from those that say, quite correctly, games on game pass arent free since I do have to pay a monthly fee for gamepass; online on a valve made console wont be free unless they convince my ISP to stop billing me.

I guess TC missed the part where Valve already tried that…

If they made it, I don't think it would end up being closed.

When Valve made the Steam Deck it was open, let you even wipe all the Valve software from it if you want and still supported it if you did so. They even allowed you to fix it, sold official parts for people, and gave out the CAD files.

MS made the Surface which is much more closed, and it wasn't the fall of MS.

You misunderstood what I meant by fall. Not fall as in failure, but fall as in shifting away from its current identity. The Steam Deck is not a console but a handheld PC. A console would be a shift to a closed platform. If Valve is just making non-handhelds Steam Deck then there is no issue or deviation.

@Pedro: Oh I see. Yeah I don't see them doing that, I figure it would be along the lines of Steam Deck, if they make anything at all along those lines.

I think it's kind of inevitable - it would be a nice accessibility option for certain audiences, to bring the Steam storefront in a console format and without the hassle of PC building. It would just be convenient.

I wouldn't buy one though and wouldn't forecast it as being a serious Xbox or PS competitor.

Well, can't say I understand why they'd bother, but Valve makes excellent products (even if they aren't always popular) so this is a win for any interested consumers.

I'm really curious what the price point is going to be as they have managed to make the Steam Deck fairly affordable given what it is capable of. Curious if they can make a 4K-capable machine that will play your Steam library for $750.

Only if they go public, in my opinion.

For now, I'm viewing this as "Steam Machine Part 2" or "Steam Deck but not Portable".

I have faith in Valve as long as they aren't traded on Wall Street.

Meh😒

I think they have the proper os, interface and library to do it.

It would have to be more like an "easy to use, living room pc" than an actual console.

Basically a PC with the "plug and play" feeling of a console

There would be no generations, no restrictions in which software you can to install, and no restrictions for third party hardware.

Also third party manufacturers would be allowed to make competing consoles with the steam software.

So basically what Xbox wants to become.

@osan0: let's be honest, it would just be an easy to use, plug and play living room pc.

I highly doubt it, I mean they can't even make a portable device that allows gamers to play all their games on it, Valve are too dumb to figure out console gaming.

They should stick to their monopoly on PC, where all the gullible gamers are.

I don't really see it if I'm honest, Steam being accessible on consoles I could see potential in that but Steam deciding to suddenly be in the console hardware business I see less likely.

So basically Valve wants to become a monopoly in TV-based gaming in addition to PC gaming?

That is way too much power for a single company to have. So are any anti-monopoly regulators going to force Valve to split into two seperate companies?

NextBox MonsterBox or bust!! lol :P

It would be cool if they tried again, but honestly I wouldn't want one. Why would a PC gamer who already has access to PS and Xbox games in addition to 20 years worth of BC games want to restrict themselves to a console when they already have something better? Especially when you can link your PC directly to a TV with and use Big Picture for the "console" experience already? The target market would be Console gamers who want a basic plug and play unit, and then you would have the line blurred on what the Steam console can do vs. just having a PC, because it wouldn't be a simple black or white like a console.

"partnering" is a strong word.. the rumor is that the next-gen Xbox will basically be a PC in the form-factor of a console.. i'm sure it's way more complicated than that from a technical standpoint, but that's the idea..

and if it's basically an Xbox-branded PC, there's no reason why Steam (or any other PC storefront) wouldn't be available.. that said, if the rumors are true, Valve can certainly make that process easier and they are on board (which is where the "partnering" term came from)..

Steam is already available on every handheld PC made by Steam Deck competitors (Asus, Lenovo, etc) so there is already precedence.. the real question is why wouldn't Valve want their Storefront available on more hardware (to include Xbox hardware)?.. it makes obvious business sense to put your Store in front of more customers..

On-Topic:

It's possible and i'd welcome it.. competition is good for consumers.. options are good.. Valve already makes propriety gaming hardware with the Steam Deck.. moving from handheld PC hardware to home PC hardware isn't that big of a leap in logic..

Considering MS just lost the console wars someone else needs to step up. I think Valve would do well if they can make a mid range box under $600

Day one or sold out. I'm betting there is a niche if not a market for a Valve console. It might be the console I get over PS5 or XBOX.

The problem is that there would be 10,000 other competitions and we already had Steam Machines.. however, if they can find a way to bring it all together and offer a console like experience I'd be interested.

Well that’s the end of that

Would be nice, but there you have it

Shucks. Trolled me pretty good, thare.

Baffling. They attempted exactly that once and failed miserably. Why would they do it again? They'd be as dumb as the people who believe this to be true.