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Valve is running Apple's playbook in reverse

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Re: Valve is running Apple's playbook in reverse

#111

Post by happymellon »

PeterHolzwarth wrote: post #9

It will be interesting to see if they can answer a question better now than with the original Steam Machines ten years ago: what problem do consumers have that Steam Machines solve? Their original answer was a resounding "nothing" - Steam Machines solved a problem for Valve (fear of an impending "Windows Store" being added by Microsoft that would steal the battlefield from Valve), but very little for the customer. I…

> are there sufficient problems that the average game-player at home has that are better answered by a Steam Machine than a Windows 11 box?

Absolutely. The UI on Windows 11 is not designed for couch gaming, and Microsoft licencing rules mean that you are not allowed to hide Windows.

Re: Valve is running Apple's playbook in reverse

#112

Post by bigstrat2003 »

CharlesW wrote: post #28
kemayo wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure they've got Apple targeted so much, because Apple has been so thoroughly not-invested in gaming. The place they're closest to colliding is VR, but Apple's Vision headset is doing something really different from Valve's VR products, which are far more directly lined up against Meta's Oculus. Valve could branch into Apple's areas, but they don't seem particularly interested in doing so yet. EDIT: rather, A…

> I'm not sure they've got Apple targeted so much, because Apple has been so thoroughly not-invested in gaming. And yet, Apple controls the world's largest gaming economy (~$78B in 2025), dwarfing Sony's (~$31B) and Microsoft's (~$24B).

Phone games are an entirely different thing from console or PC games. They aren't comparable.

Re: Valve is running Apple's playbook in reverse

#113

Post by AlexandrB »

hbn wrote: post #103
ZeroConcerns wrote: post #5

Well, Valve got seriously concerned about the Windows Store, like, a decade ago, since that could have reduced the stranglehold of Steam on the gaming marketplace. Turns out that the usual Microsoft incompetence-and-ADHD have kind-of eliminated that threat all by itself. Also: turns out that, if you put enough effort into it, Linux is actually a quite-usable gaming platform. Still: are consumers better off today than…

I'm all for MS bashing and laughing at their incompetence, but was there really any threat there? I don't know anyone on PC who was interested in buying a game anywhere other than Steam in 2015.

I buy games on GoG when I can, Steam when I have to. I have nothing against Steam, but they do have a near monopoly position on PC. Unfortunately the non-GoG alternatives are from even worse actors.

Re: Valve is running Apple's playbook in reverse

#114

Post by CharlesW »

bigstrat2003 wrote: post #112
CharlesW wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm not sure they've got Apple targeted so much, because Apple has been so thoroughly not-invested in gaming. And yet, Apple controls the world's largest gaming economy (~$78B in 2025), dwarfing Sony's (~$31B) and Microsoft's (~$24B).

Phone games are an entirely different thing from console or PC games. They aren't comparable.

Okay, so you draw a line in the sand between a Steam Deck and an iPad. Others would characterize your lumping together of console and PC games as equally silly. But all of these gaming platforms are fighting for the same dollars and attention, and every gaming exec understands this.

Re: Valve is running Apple's playbook in reverse

#115

Post by attendant3446 »

cHaOs667 wrote: post #15

"ProtonDB tracks compatibility, and counts 7000+ games that are verified to work as well or almost as well as on Windows" - I always laugh when a media outlet uses ProtonDB as an example as the reality is something different. I have a ~1500 games big Steam Library and I'm also a Linux User for 20+ years - yes, I do use Windows only for gaming and on my work pc. When I fire up my linux workstation or steam deck and br…

To be honest, I've never had any issues with 'Platinum' games on Proton. But I somewhat agree, starting with 'Gold' and below, it was a hit-or-miss situation.

Re: Valve is running Apple's playbook in reverse

#116

Post by tedunangst »

ShowalkKama wrote: post #73
tedunangst wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you link that article but not this one? https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/11/ars-benchmarks-show-s...

becuase the one he linked is from this year, the one you linked is from 10 years ago

Oh, grabbed the wrong link.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/12/steamos-vs-windows-o...

Re: Valve is running Apple's playbook in reverse

#118

Post by 0_gravitas »

omnimus wrote: post #100
ThrowawayB7 wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> " Also: turns out that, if you put enough effort into it, Linux is actually a quite-usable gaming platform. " Valve is the one putting in the effort and paying for it at their own expense. If they ever lose interest in paying for it, like GabeN retiring and Ebenezer Scrooge replacing him, then it's game over for Linux gaming (literally).

That would make very little sense business wise. Steam “consoles” are not big break just for linux but also for valve. What could easily happen though is locking down their consoles once they get profitable.

"Sense business wise" seems to vary quite a bit nowadays, at least every other day there's a headline of a company on here doing something almost exclusively for short-term value at the detriment to long-term health.

Re: Valve is running Apple's playbook in reverse

#119

Post by deadbabe »

bigyabai wrote: post #89
deadbabe wrote: post #46

Valve should really make something like a Steamphone. No iOS, no Android, just raw SteamOS with gaming and privacy focus, and fully customizable by users if they want. Make it look really sleek and cool, and dockable.

Valve will not do this. First off, there's zero value proposition. Steam Deck, Frame and Machine all make sense as complimentary products to the Steam Storefront. Smartphones are not complimentary to Steam, Steam is complimentary to smartphones. Secondly, the AOSP already ticks all these boxes while also supporting the apps users expect. Valve is not going to waste money tailoring SteamOS to fill a gap that an APK fi…

A company as rich and as private as Valve could literally just make whatever it wants, for no reason. They made a VR headset, a phone is not too far off.

Re: Valve is running Apple's playbook in reverse

#120

Post by bigyabai »

deadbabe wrote: post #119
bigyabai wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Valve will not do this. First off, there's zero value proposition. Steam Deck, Frame and Machine all make sense as complimentary products to the Steam Storefront. Smartphones are not complimentary to Steam, Steam is complimentary to smartphones. Secondly, the AOSP already ticks all these boxes while also supporting the apps users expect. Valve is not going to waste money tailoring SteamOS to fill a gap that an APK fi…

A company as rich and as private as Valve could literally just make whatever it wants, for no reason. They made a VR headset, a phone is not too far off.

Valve made two headsets. Nonetheless, they will not make their own branded phone because of the reasons I just outlined.
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