Would a successful Steam Machine be dangerous to Sony?

[the-pi-guy]

I think PC generally appeals to a different group of people compared to console. So as it stands, I think the overlap is pretty small. With that in mind, Sony's strategy doesn't seem too problematic.

I think the only thing that could change that is Steam Deck. Valve has been putting in the work to bring console like ease to the PC, and I think Steam Deck will be the culmination of that.

I think Steam Machines failed at the execution. But maybe it'd be different if you could go into a store and see a specific Valve Steam Machine sitting next to a PS5/XSX/etc.

[kitler53]

yes.  very yes.


right now steam hasn't earned the perception "console" like ease.   the steam machines were just not ready.  but it looks like a lot of the problems of steam machines have been address with the steam deck.   it should be really easy for steam to just repackage that in a "home console" form factor.

if they can do that why the hell would anyone by an xbox or playstation that only play a subset of games when steam plays them all.  it's a big part of why i think ms's committment to pc is damaging to their brand and why ps fans are worried about playstation's seemingly big investment in pc.  i almost never play games day-1 so i couldn't give a fudge if i have to wait 1 year for GoW.    ..but a device that has GoW and Halo and TLoU and Forza and Horizon and star field and all the PC exclusives AND free online play.   for fudge's sake it's no contest.

i'll abandon playstation for steam next gen if these steam machines earn a rep of being easy, they sell a plug and play "console", and sony makes a commitment (whether it is explicit or just simply seeing EVERY ps5 game go to PC after a year this gen).    i'll still be buying sony's games as the bulk of my library but steam gets a ton of indie games i would like to play and there a few ms games (like ori) i'd like to play too.   

games drive sales.  when you give up the games you will give up the sales too...


i dunno.  i'm not such a fanboy that i really care of sony is doing well financially or whatever.  i love their games and i want more of their games.   but they are playing a dangerous game here with their future.  it seems really odd to me they are upping their commitment to PC at the exact moment PC is within striking distance to disrupting their must profitable division.   ms's committment makes more sense.   they seems to have already abandon their hardware and are transitioning to services future.  i think they'd be happy enough to abandon xbox entirely if they could get gamepass on playstation and nintendo hardware.

[the-pi-guy]

I think the big issue with the Steam Machine is that it didn't really offer anything to people who already picked a PC or a console. It didn't offer quite the ease of use of a console, to the people who wanted a console. And it didn't offer people who picked the PC, most of the benefits of Windows/MacOS.  The big benefit of it was mostly for people who had a couple grand to throw on a secondary gaming device.

But Valve is in a unique position where they could offer PC games to people looking for console ease of use.

[Legend]

Steam deck works imo because the pc elitest crowd can like it and push positive buzz about it. A steam machine however will always be viewed as inferior to rigs costing twice as much. It has to solely rely on the casual audience and I doubt Valve has the skills/finances to pull that off.

I assume Microsoft will capitalize on it instead and cause more issues for Sony. Have the next xbox support windows and therefor PlayStation PC games.

[BananaKing]

Steam deck no.

Steam machine/console (if it has Sony and MS games) yes.

The latest stats show that 1/3 of PC gamers own a PS4. Thats a huge user base that sony can lose. Also PS gamers might migrate to PC since it has all the games now.

One of the huge selling points for consoles during the PS360 era is that they had more games. Halo, uncharted, god of war, even games like red dead, gta 4. If all those end up on PC, its a vastly different situation

[kitler53]

Steam deck works imo because the pc elitest crowd can like it and push positive buzz about it. A steam machine however will always be viewed as inferior to rigs costing twice as much. It has to solely rely on the casual audience and I doubt Valve has the skills/finances to pull that off.

I assume Microsoft will capitalize on it instead and cause more issues for Sony. Have the next xbox support windows and therefor PlayStation PC games.

oh God. I didn't even have that thought cross my mind yet.