The Steam Deck, Valve's latest foray into the video game console market, is only weeks away from release; set to be the Nintendo Switch of PC gaming. Instead of playing cartridge-based games like the Switch, the Steam Deck will be able to play a user's entire Steam library in both handheld mode and docked to a television. It will release with three different models of varying specs, and may just be the portable PC that some players have been looking for.

The Steam Deck is not Valve's first attempt at creating a console for PC players. The console market is a crowded space with Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo all vying for attention. Valve has cornered the PC market with its Steam storefront, but it has also wanted a piece of the console market. The Steam Deck marks Valve's second game console attempt, and third attempt at hardware for TV.

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Steam Machines

Steam Machine Alienware

In 2013, Valve announced its first attempt at entering the console market: Steam Machines. Steam Machines were small gaming PCs designed for TV that ran on Valve's own SteamOS. They were created in collaboration with many computer hardware companies, meant to bring Steam to the television. Companies like iBuyPower, Alienware, CyberPowerPC, Origin PC, and even Gigabyte were all making Steam Machines, and each had different specs with prices ranging from $499 all the way to $5,000.

The machines each ran on SteamOS, Valve's Linux-based operating system designed solely to run Steam. The operating system is also open source, which allows anyone to adapt it to their liking. Because SteamOS only allows playing video games and browsing the web, there is no file manager or integration with streaming services except for Netflix through the built-in browser. It functions much like the OS for Xbox and PlayStation, except with a lack of streaming options.

Each Steam Machine would also ship with the Steam Controller, designed for people who were comfortable with controllers and for those who opted to play games using mouse and keyboard. The controller had two trackpads, an analog stick, and fourteen different buttons. It could be used with both the Steam Machine and on PC.

The Steam Machines looked to be an exciting next step for Steam, but problems arose as the release date neared. In November 2015, both Falcon Northwest and Origin PC pulled out due to limitations with SteamOS. Seven months after release the Steam Machines had fewer than half a million sales, and by the end of 2016 most companies shelved their machines. In 2018 Valve removed a link to the Steam Machines page on Steam, and in 2019 the Steam Controller was discontinued.

Steam Link and Controller

Alongside the release of the Steam Machines came the Steam Link. While it was not a console, it still went after a very similar market by allowing users to stream their games to the TV. The owner would have to connect a controller to the device and own a PC that ran Steam.

The Steam Link suffered a similar fate to the Steam Machines, except that it still lives on as downloadable software. In 2018 the hardware was discontinued, but the Link still exists on mobile devices and smart TVs. The app is a free alternative that does the same things as the box, and is available on every major app store.

The Steam Deck is Valve's next attempt at cutting out a part of the console market for itself. While Valve is primarily a software and game company, it has had success with its VR headset, the Valve Index. If the Steam Deck can offer a different way to play PC games and Valve gives it the support a new console needs, there is a chance it will not suffer the same fate as its predecessors.

Steam Deck will release on February 25, 2022

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