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[FunkMiller]

They've never tried to enter the console market. They just want many options for Steam users to consume their games on. While that includes trying to make it easier for newbies w/ stuff like Steam OS or Steam Deck being a console-like UX, that doesn't make Steam Machines or Steam Deck a "console." Everything they do is intended to have competitors from 3rd party manufacturers, supported by Valve themselves w/ software.

I remain pretty convinced that a Valve made machine that is designed to sit under the TV, with potential upgradeable parts, would be a hugely popular piece of hardware - whatever anyone wants to call it. It would also most certainly eat into Sony's dominance. It's what Xbox probably should have been, really.

 

[Kacho]

In the time that Valve has sold like 3-5 million Steam Decks max, Nintendo sold 15 million Switch consoles. Nintendo also knows that they will lose people who want power or whatever as long as they are selling 10 year old tablet hardware. It’s a calculation they are comfortable with.

I think being dismissive of Valve is a bad idea. Generally speaking, Nintendo has far less to worry about because of their first party content, but they are no doubt paying close attention to what the competition is doing and finding ways to mitigate potential losses over the long and short term. Sony should be doing the same with Valve likely entering their space. Steam continues to grow quickly and Valve is providing their audience with more options. This is not the time to be resting on their laurels.

 

[Kacho]

It's what Xbox probably should have been, really.

Xbox is trying to retroactively become that with disastrous results so far

 

[diffusionx]

I think being dismissive of Valve is a bad idea. Generally speaking, Nintendo has far less to worry about because of their first party content, but they are no doubt paying close attention to what the competition is doing and finding ways to mitigate potential losses over the long and short term. Sony should be doing the same with Valve likely entering their space. Steam continues to grow quickly and Valve is providing their audience with more options. This is not the time to be resting on their laurels.

I’m not being dismissive. the vast majority of steam users don’t have a deck and won’t get a steam console. They are niche devices for a small subset of the audience and that isn’t going to change.

The issue here is that a forum like this, steam console or steam deck has an appeal that it simply doesn’t for the vast majority of people - even the vast majority of pc users, let alone console. It leads to people thinking stuff like the deck or rog ally are far more impactful than they really are.

 

[IntentionalPun]

I remain pretty convinced that a Valve made machine that is designed to sit under the TV, with potential upgradeable parts, would be a hugely popular piece of hardware - whatever anyone wants to call it. It would also most certainly eat into Sony's dominance. It's what Xbox probably should have been, really.

Not sure Valve would ever take the risk to try to produce any device meant for mass-market consumption. They have made no moves to suggest they are trying to compete with the big boys on that type of thing. They haven't expanded their hardware teams enough, and run a pretty small shop for sourcing parts and the like.

If they did? With a bunch of marketing that isn't just a few previews on nerd sites and stuff showing up in the Steam UI?

I think it would do Ok but I mostly think it would just be existing PC gamers buying it, or people who wouldn't really ditch consoles if they bought it. I am not one who believes there is this large presence of console players just waiting for a slightly more console like experience to jump into PC gaming.

But who knows? Don't think we ever will. Anything Valve does is gonna be lucky to produce 1 million hardware units in a year lol

 

[BennyBlanco]

Do you think someone is sitting there constructing consoles by hand? They can outsource console production at any point if they felt it was necessary.

Yeah, no shit. If they wanted a mainstream product they would have to advertise the hell out of it, strike a good with AMD and whoever else for manufacturing, get in retail stores, distribute it across the world, then troubleshoot for everything. Again they have like 400 employees, and would need to expand their operation like crazy if they wanted to be a console maker. I don’t see it happening and I dunno why they would even want to.

 

[Geometric-Crusher]

They've never tried to enter the console market. They just want many options for Steam users to consume their games on. While that includes trying to make it easier for newbies w/ stuff like Steam OS or Steam Deck being a console-like UX, that doesn't make Steam Machines or Steam Deck a "console." Everything they do is intended to have competitors from 3rd party manufacturers, supported by Valve themselves w/ software.

"We are telling all of our vendors that this is not a PC," Tuan Nguyen, iBuyPower director of product and marketing, said during a demo at CES. "Valve doesn't like to admit that they are really competing with the consoles, but they are."


and they failed - emphasis mine.

 

[IntentionalPun]

"We are telling all of our vendors that this is not a PC," Tuan Nguyen, iBuyPower director of product and marketing, said during a demo at CES. "Valve doesn't like to admit that they are really competing with the consoles, but they are."

And how did that work out for iBuyPower? lol

Not sure how you actually feel about that quote, but a semi-shitty PC builder web sites marketing guy a decade ago isn't exactly some amazing source lol

 

[Humdinger]

As a longtime console peasant, I'd be interested. I wouldn't mind paying a few hundred more for Steam in a console-like package. I agree with the fellow on the right, who said Valve doesn't need to take over the market (i.e., beat Sony) in order for it to be a success, just as the Steam Deck didn't need to beat The Switch in order to be a success. They just need to sell enough to make it worth their while. The fact that this is round two gives me some hope that they've learned what they need to learn.

We'll see. I imagine it's several years away.

 

[March Climber]

I’m not being dismissive. the vast majority of steam users don’t have a deck and won’t get a steam console. They are niche devices for a small subset of the audience and that isn’t going to change.

The issue here is that a forum like this, steam console or steam deck has an appeal that it simply doesn’t for the vast majority of people - even the vast majority of pc users, let alone console. It leads to people thinking stuff like the deck or rog ally are far more impactful than they really are.

Kacho is pointing out that the potential is there, and quite a few people are either blinded by this or could potentially be blindsided by it, because they are still thinking of all of these companies and strategies like we’re still in 2014. It’s clear that the lines are starting to blur though.

The same way some here don’t want a Sony or Nintendo monopoly on the console market is the same way I wouldn’t want a Steam domination of both markets. I am not saying a new wave of Steam machines is a bad idea, but it should be more obvious to people what Valve are potentially trying to do rather than just saying ‘no this is for a niche market, good old Valve would never do that’.

 

[Bridges]

If the price were right I'd grab it. I have too many Steam games and a computer that I don't have the willpower to upgrade.

I'd love to be wrong but I don't see a Steam console being able to compete on price with the big three.

 

[V1LÆM]

Everyone thinking only Xbox would need to worry. Sony won’t want Valve coming in. It would be good for the consumer but apparently people just want to see their favourite company “win”.