Xbox’s Steam Deck compatibility track record is all over the place, which raises questions about how Microsoft will approach Steam Machine
Excitement abounds for Valve’s quirky cuboid, Steam Machine. But the console-PC hybrid sounds awfully a lot like what Microsoft is hoping to accomplish with its next-generation hardware. Even in an era that’s dissolved the meaning of exclusives, one can’t help but wonder: Will Microsoft fully embrace Valve’s platform?
If Microsoft is proverbially wincing about the direction of Valve’s upcoming release, the company isn’t showing it publicly. Head of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer took this week’s announcement as an opportunity to congratulate Valve.
„Gaming moves forward when players and developers have more ways to play and create, especially across open platforms“, Spencer wrote on X. „Expanding access across PC, console, and handheld devices reflects a future built on choice, core values that have guided Xbox’s vision from the start. As one of the largest publishers on Steam, we welcome new options for players to access games everywhere.“
Microsoft has been diligent about making its games available on PC, which makes sense given the tech-oriented parent company that owns it. But while many major Xbox-published games do land on Steam at some point, Microsoft studios have a spotty track record when it comes to Steam Deck compatibility. As owners of the portable know, developers don’t have to release an optimized version of their games for it to run on Steam Deck.
