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[Tams]

Hopium Copium.

 

[rodrigolfp]

who said a anything about consoles, Einstein?

"console(platform warring) is good and alive"

 

[simpatico]

Will win? wtf Valve already won.

 

[Lord Malachite]

I don't think you understand what the article is about, so I will help you. Valve skillfully managed with SteamOS to chart the development of a new product category - PC handheld gaming. All the manufacturers will now be making devices with optional SteamOS instead of Windows, because the latter is dipshit when it comes to gaming. Basically you use Windows because you have no choice. Right now the only reason to use it on a handheld is some super niche compatibility issues, extensive modding or a number of games that require kernel-access anti-cheat systems (which can also be done on SteamOS, but coding is hard).
The interesting part of this (not mentioned in the article) is the possibility that SteamOS expansion in the PC handhelds will start to slowly drive upwards the number of laptops running SteamOS instead of Windows. And here Microsoft should start to be really concerned.

I'm still not getting the relevance of this revelation. It still boils down to Valve being the leader in the traditional PC space and is now creating and taking over this "handheld PC market". Okay, that's good on them. I still don't see anything other than a lot of sycophantic cheerleading for Valve. Which carries about as much weight as console warriors in my book.

Valve is a major force in the gaming space. They've never been in danger of losing their grip on PC. Now they've opened a new market to further cement their juggernaut access.

As for Microsoft being concerned, I really don't see it. Handheld PC is still very much a niche and skewed hard towards gaming rather than productivity. Microsoft is all about productivity, with its software suites that complement Windows--none of which you can use without Windows. So sure, for those that want a handheld PC for a gaming device on the go, Microsoft may potentially lose customers in that space to SteamOS. I don't think this is a major concern for them though. Microsoft's bread and butter is corporate licensing. Major corporations that run on Windows and other MS software suites that are paying huge licensing costs directly into MS' coffers. They make more money through servers. The average person sitting at a PC of any kind with their one home license for Windows and maybe a super basic version of Office at a steep discount does not play a huge part in their bottom line, and potentially losing a small segment of those users will be negligible to them.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

"console(platform warring) is good and alive"

. are the parentheses invisibles?

the article is talking about valve winning.

Literally no one is rooting for any other PC storefront. Even Xbox fans wet dream of Steam being on a hypothetical Xbox handheld.

there is no "war"(competition) for valve/steam to win.

if you buy PC handheld; either with windows or steam os, you will use Steam as the default store front.

 

[Vaquilla]

Yes. Nintendo carved out a market for (larger) handhelds that no one really thought existed, after Vitas failure and 3DS selling half of its predecessor.
Interestingly, 3DS was observed like a decent success compared to Vita.
But in fact, both sold 60-75 million less than their predecessor, in absolute numbers.
So the handheld market suddenly sold 150 million fewer units, due to smartphones.
Both makers lost a similar amount of market share, Nintendo just had a much larger share to begin with.

As such, Sony focused on their home consoles and abandoned handhelds.
Nintendo found a market in the middle, where there were no competitors.
The Switch 2 will be a much harder sell it seems, because now many mighty competitors want a share of that market.

Steam Deck et al are no threat or even real competition to Switch 2, at all.

Steam Deck has sold a tiny, tiny fraction of the Switch. They are very different devices, one a niche enthusiast device, the other a mainstream mass market product.

 

[TheRaidenPT]

Steam Deck 2 APU... FP8.. FSR4.

Look at where they are taking the APUs over there at AMD.. You'll know why it's taking it's sweet time, Valve doesn't want a 'refresh' that's what the OLED was.

I had a recent discussion with AMD guys and gotta say I'm quite impressed by the roadmap for 2026 and beyond (UDNA and onwards for custom-semi clients like Sony and etc)

 

[Futaleufu]

Does PCGamer know that the Deck is still a top 10 seller on Steam charts?

 

[Parazels]

Steam Deck et al are no threat or even real competition to Switch 2, at all.

Steam Deck has sold a tiny, tiny fraction of the Switch. They are very different devices, one a niche enthusiast device, the other a mainstream mass market product.

I'd rather compare Switch 2 and Steam OS in the upcoming race. I see no barriers for the Steam OS to drastically expand its presence on the market.

 

[Vaquilla]

I'd rather compare Switch 2 and Steam OS in the upcoming race. I see no barriers for the Steam OS to drastically extend its presence on the market.

And OS and a device are two separate things, that's a very apples and oranges comparison.

 

[Parazels]

And OS and a device are two separate things, that's a very apples and oranges comparison.

That's exactly iPhone vs Android. And the latter is not a niche platform.

 

[Vaquilla]

That's exactly iPhone vs Android. And the latter is not a niche platform.

Not the same thing at all. Nintendo is not selling their OS. Hardware and software are two entirely different things.
Steam is no threat to Switch 2. Switch 2 will sink or swim on its own merits, Steam Deck and other PC handhelds will be a non-factor.

 

[Parazels]

Not the same thing at all. Nintendo is not selling their OS. Hardware and software are two entirely different things.
Steam is no threat to Switch 2. Switch 2 will sink or swim on its own merits, Steam Deck and other PC handhelds will be a non-factor.

I believe, Switch 2 will be ok. But Steam handhelds will become significantly more popular, nevertheless.

 

[Vaquilla]

I believe Switch 2 will be ok. But Steam handhelds will become significantly more popular, nevertheless.

They probably will, yes, which is a good thing as it gives us as consumers more choice.
The way I see it, there's plenty of room for both to succeed.

 

[DanielG165]

I can see Valve continuing what they’re doing with the upcoming Legion Go S, and simply put their OS on new PC handhelds; that alone will be enough for enthusiasts to purchase them. They indeed don’t really have to release a Steam Deck successor at the moment, and they themselves have said as such. Until a big advancement that Valve sees genuine potential in happens, I personally don’t see us getting a Deck 2 for a while longer.