Update: On social media, Pierre-Loup Griffais, a key architect at Valve and a lead developer of SteamOS for the Steam Deck, has spoken on the rumours. While responding to a post claiming that Valve is not working on a Steam Console, Griffais wrote: ‘… there’s nothing meaningful to read into there.’ This effectively eradicates these rumours.
Original report follows…
Late last year, rumours surfaced regarding a developing Steam-based console being built by Valve. It was claimed that the device was being designed alongside new iterations of the Steam Controller and a fresh VR headset. On social media, tech insiders were mulling over proposed specs for a Steam console, but of course, the claims were not addressed by Valve.
Today, fresh rumours have hit the airwaves, with eXtas1s commenting on social media (and uploading a video) about the ‘very spicy’ claim that the rumoured Steam console will compete with PS5 and Xbox Series consoles.
More Competition
On social media, eXtas1s wrote:
New Steam console?
Very spicy with Valve, it already seems that a new Steam console is coming that competes against PS5 and Xbox in the future.
Thanks to HandleDeck, we have learned that Valve works closely with AMD and its RDNA 4 technologies.
In a follow-up video, eXtas1s expanded on the rumour – but I don’t speak Spanish, so perhaps you’ll have better luck breaking this down:
Valve has had plenty of success with the Steam Deck, which is considered one of the best handheld gaming devices on the market, but would the tech titan see the same results with a home console? It would be welcome competition, but it could skew the existing market.
For instance, it could prevent PlayStation from launching further ‘exclusives’ on PC, as anyone with a Steam console could play them there as opposed to buying a PlayStation console to get that traditional home gaming experience.
It could also be another flop, just like the Steam Machines that Valve tried to launch several years ago.
It’s important to stress that these rumours are to be taken with a pinch of salt until Valve confirms what’s happening behind the scenes. The cards are being played very close to the chest of this gaming giant, so we’ll have to see what happens in due course.
Would you buy a Steam console? Let us know on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out what Dr Disrespect had to say about Midnight Society
It makes sense and it will kill the Xbox and PlayStation. Back in the day with Steam Machine it failed because a lot of people weren’t using Steam yet and were still physical over digital now so many people have accepted digital in gaming they even make the Xbox and PlayStation’s without disc drives. Not to mention Deck did so well this will do great too since it’ll be easy have your library accessible from this high end console, PC, or Deck. Microsoft should get ahead of the game and partner with them merge the Xbox library with Steam so Xbox players can have their library there I mean they already have Game Pass on Steam.
Actually this would be the perfect the time to release one. Steam Deck came to soon and has nothing to do with today’s landscape. That said, it would have to be quick as I think Xbox is going to make something similar but better as it would relate more to the console players.
This is the future regardless, some people don’t want the hassle of a PC but they absolutely want control over their games via mods, steam whatever. Even if they don’t know it yet. If you revealed the thing explained it’s uses and benefits *cough Xbox one* it would sell.
Again I see Xbox fiddling with this and winning some marketshare doing it. If they don’t then Phil Spencer and or the people he answers to have to go. Considering Gamepass Ultimate now combines PC/Xbox and Phil’s own words about a modular hybrid console this is the future.
Whether we see Steam on it or not remains to be seen, but I would hope some arrangement could be made.
I buy the console versions of the big flashy pretty new games exclusively because my pc can’t match the ps5/sx versions of them. If I had this machine I would probably never turn my consoles on ever again, esp since the sony exclusives are spilling out onto pc now anyways.
Nah it’ll fail