Rumor has it that Valve’s working on a console to go head-to-head with the PS5 and Xbox Series X. This news comes on the heels of the Steam Deck's success, which has made waves as a portable PC gaming device. Though Valve has yet to confirm anything, the rumors are gaining traction, especially with eXtas1s, a credible source in the gaming community, recently posting about it.
Many are holding out hope that the rumored console will feature SteamOS, the operating system that powers the Steam Deck. This would allow players to tap into the extensive Steam library, a major draw for PC gamers who are already invested in Valve’s ecosystem. Valve is also rumored to be working with AMD’s RDNA 4 technology, which may match or outpace the performance of current-gen consoles.
However, the company's hardware ventures have been hit or miss. The Steam Machine dropped a few years ago, but it didn’t quite make the impact it was hoping for. The high cost, muddled marketing, and absence of strong developer support were key factors in its downfall.
Despite that, Valve found its groove with the Steam Deck, proving they can make something that caters to a niche market. With the lessons learned from the Steam Deck, Valve is now entering the home console market with greater confidence, potentially avoiding the pitfalls of its past. How much the new console costs could really make or break it.
The Steam Deck took off thanks to its solid price for the features, so Valve might try to do something similar with its next console. If Valve can keep the cost down on the new console, it might catch the eye of gamers who want something more affordable and flexible than the expensive PlayStation and Xbox. The real question is if the new console can keep up in a market where PlayStation and Xbox dominate.
Both companies are big names, have solid developer backing, and have a range of exclusive titles that help drive hardware sales. If it doesn’t have any killer exclusives or unique perks, Valve’s new console could struggle to grab the attention of anyone outside the PC gamer crowd already familiar with Steam. The console's reach could also be impacted by Valve's distribution network, as seen with the Steam Deck.
The Steam Deck had a regional debut, but a global release is crucial if the new console wants to compete on a global scale. The way Valve works with developers will also be key. Unlike PlayStation or Xbox, which count on exclusives to get people to buy, the new console will need to roll with the massive Steam game collection.
This could be a double-edged sword, however. Although many PC-exclusive games will be accessible, some notable titles, especially those from PlayStation, may not make their way to Steam because Sony prefers exclusivity. If the rumors are right about this console, it’ll be intriguing to see if it can disrupt the console scene in ways PlayStation and Xbox haven’t.
Valve has made a name for itself in the gaming hardware market with the Steam Deck, but the home console industry is a lot more competitive and entrenched. If Valve can't offer something strong in price, performance, and exclusives, it might not get far against Sony and Microsoft.