Steam Deck/Proton Bid to Break Windows Gaming Monopoly?

[SactoDoug]

If true, I think this is a brilliant move by Valve to break Microsoft's grip on PC gaming. I hope Valve releases Proton for the general PC market. I would like to see real competition for operating systems. In a way I think the chip shortage might have helped Valve because it gave them more time to work on Proton.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5rG5TFtJIY

[Robotron2k84]

The thing about trying to become Nintendo, is that then Valve would actually have to keep putting out their AAA titles to keep the console exclusive.

I see no will on Valve’s part to deliver HL3 or additional Portal games which are the best selling titles in their library.

Until they address the elephant in the room, it’s instafail, like all their other hardware, prior. Maybe they need to put out a phone. That’s the end-stage of all tech companies that once had interesting products. I.e., we can’t draw you with our awesome games, let’s capture the market on past glory and lock them in to a dumbed-down existence that they can’t leave.

If Valve, tomorrow, released HL3 to run on GE toasters, toasters would be out of stock for the next six months. We saw a little of that when Alyx was released, but VR was just too heavy of a lift. The platform has never been the problem, the titles have been. It’s the games, stupid (Valve).

[SactoDoug]

You know there is a lot more than just Valve games on Steam, right? I have over 350 games myself which will be instantly available for me to play on the Steam Deck if I buy one. Games on Steam tend to be cheaper than Console games and Steam has sales all the time. There are thousands of games from many different game makers on Steam including lots of AAA titles from SEGA, Capcom, Id Software, From Software, Konami, Electronic Arts, Bethesda and many more.

[MrFancyPants]

I'm in the queue for a 512 GB Steam Deck, can't wait. It's going to be the mother of all handheld gaming devices.

[Robotron2k84]

You know there is a lot more than just Valve games on Steam, right? I have over 350 games myself which will be instantly available for me to play on the Steam Deck if I buy one. Games on Steam tend to be cheaper than Console games and Steam has sales all the time. There are thousands of games from many different game makers on Steam including lots of AAA titles from SEGA, Capcom, Id Software, From Software, Konami, Electronic Arts, Bethesda and many more.

[MrFancyPants]

I'm pretty sure this device isn't targeted at folks with limited funds. People with limited means are generally not going to be able to spend $500+ on a mobile gaming device. This is a niche device targeted at a very specific market.

Also I'm not sure why you say it's not going to replace a dedicated PC. Whoever said it would? The purpose of the Steam Deck is as a companion mobile gaming device, not as a PC replacement. The people who will be buying this will mostly have many other gaming devices, so they aren't looking for one device to do it all. For the market this device is designed to address, it's a game changer. Just wait and see what the community comes up with sideloading standard Linux distros.

[Robotron2k84]

[MrFancyPants]

Is Valve going to release titles specific to the handheld? See that takes us back to my first point. Without exclusivity, the market is narrow and limited. Those who would consider it may ask themselves if there is much to gain over a gaming laptop. Obviously, for some, there is utility. I can only imagine the power draw and battery life this thing will have, and think it might be better to have a laptop. Bigger screen, better longevity and I can do real work on it, too.

Again I'm pretty sure Valve knows the market for this device is limited, which is why they opened pre-orders to gauge market interest and economic feasibility prior to commencing full scale manufacturing. And I'm sure for a majority of buyers of this device, it's just another gadget. People buying this device are not doing so in lieu of a gaming laptop, they are doing so because they literally want a portable gaming device they can hold in two hands. It's far more portable than a gaming laptop. I have a great gaming laptop, but I'm buying one of these anyway, because I specifically want a purely handheld gaming system, and the deck is far and away at the front of the pack for that specific purpose. Sometimes I just want to grab a device I can easily and quickly play a game on while lounging on the couch or in bed, and a mobile device like the deck is much more convenient for that purpose than a full blown laptop. Not to mention while playing a game, the battery life on my laptop is about an hour, as with many high powered gaming laptops. For what the deck was designed to do, it looks to be extremely promising for that purpose and worth its weight in gold.

[WoodTurner]

However, this is what, the third attempt to make SteamOS a useful product? If I have limited funds, I’d still get a PC so that I can run non-steam games AND steam games. A hardware-limited hybrid handheld is NOT going to replace a dedicated PC. This is more wishcasting by Newell to take down MS, because Valve’s stock and trade is syphoning money off of other’s work, now.

If people want to run SteamOS on their PC, they can do it already. Having a mobile platform is cool for some geeks, but probably only applies to the same group that bought into their other hardware efforts.

Nice try.

This can run non-steam games. It's just a handheld PC with a controller built in running a version of Arch Linux. You can even install full Windows on it if that's your thing.
This is the handheld device for PC gamers mostly. Already a PC gamer with a decent amount of steam games? Get a steam deck and have a portable gaming device that you don't need to spend money buying games for it.
Interesting in old games and Nintendo games? It can run emulators.
That's the best part about the steam deck. Your aren't locked into a system like with a console/switch type device. Not to mention this will help Linux gaming a ton by having developers make their games compatible on Linux.

[Mute]

I don't know how big a market there is for a portable. Granted you're talking about being able to play AAA titles on a portable device, but how many really want to play that kind of game on a tiny screen? Yes, it's lighter and smaller than my gaming laptop, but I can do actual work beyond gaming on my laptop. PC gamers are a slightly different breed than console gamers.

[SactoDoug]

I don't think you get it at all. They are not selling Steam OS or its capability to play games on Linux. They are selling a portable gaming platform that can play full PC games.

While Valve has made efforts in the past with Steam OS, they were not a portable gaming platform. They were not different enough from a gaming PC to really capture people's interest. A typical steam user that already has a gaming PC is not going to be interested in buying a console that does the same thing. The Steam Deck opens up more possibilities for taking PC gaming with the gamer. Based on the interest in the gaming community, I think it has a good chance of being a success.

Should it become a success, and it looks like it will with pre-order sales in the hundreds of thousands, one of the secondary effects would be a boon for gaming on Linux and possible implications to Microsoft and Windows. It is kind of like how the sale of smart phones significantly impacted calculator and camera sales. In the future a gamer might seriously consider making a Linus system and putting the $120 savings towards more memory or a better graphics card. It would not surprise me if Microsoft in the future gives Windows away since they are moving more towards subscription services with less emphasis on Windows. Having real competition might push them in that direction faster.

If you are hung up on Half Life 3, I don't think you can see the forest through the trees.

[Robotron2k84]

You know, you’re right. Nothing like this has ever been tried before and it’s a guaranteed success! What an amazing concept by Valve, their genius is my loss.

https://www2.razer.com/gaming-systems/razer-edge-pro

[SactoDoug]

Strawman much? I said that the previous attempts by Valve were not mobile platforms, not that it has never been attempted before. While there is no guaranty of success, the pre-orders in the hundreds of thousands is a good indicator considering there is little mainstream marketing and this is a brand new product from Valve.

What is your hang-up on this? You act like you have some sort of person stake in it failing.

[Robotron2k84]

Strawman much? I said that the previous attempts by Valve were not mobile platforms, not that it has never been attempted before. While there is no guaranty of success, the pre-orders in the hundreds of thousands is a good indicator considering there is little mainstream marketing and this is a brand new product from Valve.

What is your hang-up on this? You act like you have some sort of person stake in it failing.

My own opinion of Valve is that it suffers from the same brand of evil arrogance vis a vis MS and Amazon, where they are successful in a malevolent way. Yes, Valve should be ground under for their market strategy.

I couldn't care less if the deck succeeds, I would never buy one, and it's just an expensive toy for overgrown children.

[bohoki]

so its a new "console"?

companies are making games for "windows" if game companies want to make games for other systems that is fine