Ever since Valve officially announced the Steam Deck, and pre-orders for the new handheld went live, there has been plenty of speculation regarding what the experience using the device itself will be like. The hands-on coverage that an assortment of different outlets have provided has helped give consumers some initial impressions of the Steam Deck.
However, it seems like Valve still has plenty in store for the new handheld console following its launch. The draw of being able to play any and all games in any given Steam library on the go is reason enough for many to reserve pre-orders, but if Valve wants the Steam Deck to be a must-buy for all gaming enthusiasts, it should create their own version of Xbox Game Pass to launch with the console.
The Steam Deck is the Perfect Console for Another Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass has revolutionized the gaming landscape and it seems like Microsoft's major console competition doesn't have much in the works to counter the subscription service and capitalize on the newfound demand for Game Pass-like services. With Game Pass' major success, it's clear just how many gaming enthusiasts are willing to pay for a collection of games both new and old in a subscription model. Sony and Nintendo don't seem to be working on subscription-based services of their own so Valve should step in to make the Steam, and more specifically the Steam Deck, the place to go for a new Game Pass service.
It's been clear over the last several years that Valve has wanted to get into the console manufacturing business, but the company hasn't made any major steps in that direction before the release of the Steam Deck. Now that it'll have its own console to support, it makes sense that Valve would focus on making the Steam Deck more than just a handheld PC, but an experience that current PC owners would want to have despite already being able to play their library's on a desktop. A Game Pass service either exclusive to the Steam Deck or one like Game Pass Ultimate that's transferable between the console and PC just makes sense for Valve to create.
Some might argue that because Game Pass will potentially be accessible on the Steam Deck that Valve shouldn't worry about making its own service, however, if the company did, it would be able to offer games tailored to the Steam Deck experience in a way that Game Pass can not. Additionally, more offering consumers more choices is always a good thing as it reduces the singular grip that Microsoft has on the Game Pass market.
Valve Leaning into Consumer-Friendly Practices
While it's not a competition by any means as both companies have their own separate goals and paths, it's easy to draw a comparison between Microsoft's recent consumer-friendly practices and the direction that Valve is headed with the Steam Deck. In recent interviews, both companies have made a point to mention that much of their decision-making is guided by what it think the consumers would want, even if those desires might not make the most financial sense.
When Game Pass first launched, there were plenty of questions regarding its financial profitability, but fast-forward to today, and Game Pass is more profitable than ever. In addition to making boatloads of cash, Microsoft has also cashed in on something potentially more lucrative: goodwill in the eyes of the consumer. Now that the company has doubled down on Game Pass with their E3 2021 presentation highlighting the sheer number of first-party titles coming to the service the day they launch, excitement for Xbox's future is at an all-time high. It seems like Valve has taken note and wants to be on a similar trajectory, which is now potentially possible with the Steam Deck.
In an IGN interview, Valve president Gabe Newell said that the price point for the Steam Deck was "painful" as the company is not turning much of a profit on the handheld just yet. He goes on to say, however, that Valve is "doing this for the long haul" implying that, while the initial profits might not be as high as the company might like, the future of the Steam Deck has more to it than officially announced.
Valve could definitely charge more for the handheld, especially when looking at the specific specs inside it, however, the company wanted their new console to be in the hands of as many consumers as possible so it went for a lower price point. While the exact numbers aren't available just yet, it seems like that mindset paid off as the Steam Deck has sold out until September 2022. It's unclear just what the future of the Steam Deck might hold, however, Valve seems to value its public image in a similar way to Microsoft and if Valve can follow Microsoft's lead by offering more consumer-friendly deals like a Game Pass-type service, it could pay off in a major way down the road.
What Valve's Game Pass Service Might Look Like
As the games industry has grown and as more and more publishers have realized how important cross-platform releases are, the list of major PC exclusive games has grown pretty thin. That said, there are plenty of great smaller titles that release exclusively on the PC that would be great additions to Valve's fictional version of Game Pass. Additionally, Valve itself started out as a game development studio and, while there was a nearly 10-year gap in releases, the studio is still reportedly developing titles.
If the Steam Deck were to get a new iteration of Game Pass, it might start as a collection of every Valve game ever released including series like Half Life, Left 4 Dead, Dota, Portal, Counter-Strike and so many more. Like Microsoft, if Valve were to release more titles, the company could bring them to their Game Pass service the day they launch, further incentivizing subscribers. There's been no official word on if a service like this is even in the works, however, it just seems to make sense given Valve's current trajectory as a game studio, publisher, console manufacturer, and distributer.
The Steam Deck will launch in December 2021.