Tag: Valve

Valve's recent announcement of the new Steam Machine has once again stirred up the gaming market, but regarding the "price" of this living room gaming console, the official statement has finally become clearer. In an interview with the "Friends Per Second" podcast on Skill Up, Valve team member Pierre-Loup Griffais revealed that the new Steam Machine will not adopt a subsidy strategy, and its pricing logic will be closer to the current PC market. Not selling a loss-making product, the target is "the price range of a comparable DIY PC." Typically, home game consoles (such as PlayStation or Xbox) are priced below cost or with very low profit margins, recouping profits through subsequent software sales. However, Pierre-Loup Griffais clearly stated that the Steam Machine will not follow this path. He pointed out, "If you assemble a PC from parts and achieve essentially the same performance level, that's roughly the price range we're targeting." Nevertheless, Pierre-Loup Griffais emphasized that Valve's goal remains to make it a "good deal" in its performance tier. He explained that the Steam Machine possesses many features that are "actually very difficult to build" for a DIY PC (referring to its compact design, hardware and software integration, and SteamOS experience). Regarding the specific price, Pierre-Loup Griffais stated that nothing is finalized yet because many variables in the supply chain are still fluctuating, making it difficult to give a precise price at this time. Focusing on a mid-range balance, a Pro version may be available in the future. In the interview, Pierre-Loup Griffais also revealed an interesting piece of information: Valve is indeed interested in launching a higher-end "Steam Machine Pro." However, the current development focus remains on this "mid-range" product. Valve believes that the current specifications represent the best balance between "affordability" and "performance achieved"...

Following the huge success of the Steam Deck in the handheld market, Valve officially unveiled the long-rumored new virtual reality headset, codenamed "Deckard," on November 13th. This device boasts a streaming-first design and supports standalone operation, and is expected to launch in early 2026 alongside the new Steam Machine and Steam Controller. Powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, and supporting standalone operation and Android games similar to the Meta Quest series, the Steam Frame is itself an independent computing device. Its core specifications include Qualcomm...

Following the global success of the Steam Deck handheld console, Valve is clearly not content with that and has recently officially announced its renewed challenge for the living room entertainment throne, unveiling the next-generation Steam Machine game console and Steam Controller. This new hardware combination aims to allow players to seamlessly experience PC gaming on a large TV screen, just like using the Steam Deck. Valve stated that the products are planned for release in early 2026. While the new Steam Machine is positioned similarly to a home game console, it is essentially a device running SteamOS based on Linux...

Valve has announced the official rollout of a completely redesigned Steam store page to all users. This update addresses the previous issue of the store page appearing overly crowded on widescreen displays by widening the page layout, supporting higher-resolution images, and introducing new viewing modes for trailers and screenshots, thereby optimizing the user browsing experience. The update introduces a 1200-pixel wide layout and adds a "Theater Mode." The appearance of the game store page, search results, recommendations page, Store Hubs, Steam Charts, and News Hub has all been adjusted to make them visually more consistent and spacious. Valve stated that expanding the page width to 1200 pixels is a "good balance" of displaying more content without making the page too crowded or difficult to navigate. For the top carousel, a large pop-up option called "Theater Mode" has been added, along with a full-screen mode. The "About the Game" section has also adopted new formatting options, making the content layout more organized. The homepage remains unchanged for now, but similar adjustments will be made in the future. Additionally, users may notice that some game store pages and bundles...

Valve has officially rolled out a new menu design for its Steam store. This interface redesign, which began testing in July, is now being rolled out across the PC Steam client, Steam Deck, and Steam Mobile. The core purpose of this update is to help players more easily find the games they actually want to play, improving the previous experience of cluttered store information and an unintuitive search path. The biggest change in the new version is the addition of a clearer search and category menu at the top. Players can quickly switch between filters such as "Hot Sales," "New Arrivals," and "Special Offers" directly within the menu. While these features have existed for some time, they were previously scattered across different sections; the new version integrates them into an intuitive and visually appealing interface, significantly reducing the time spent searching for games. Another new design is the addition of a "Categories" dropdown menu, which provides personalized recommendations based on the types of games players frequently play and suggests similar titles based on tags, making it easier for players to explore new games. This signifies that Steam is moving towards more precise "content discovery," reducing the confusion players feel due to an overwhelming number of choices. Beyond interface tweaks, Valve has also optimized the search function at a lower level. The new search bar offers more immediate keyword suggestions and records recent search history, allowing players to quickly return to previously viewed game pages. This is undoubtedly a practical improvement for players who frequently search through the vast game library for inspiration. In a previous blog post, Valve stated, "We hope that these updates will make the user experience smoother and more aligned with player needs. We've heard a lot of feedback and personally experienced how difficult it was to find some frequently used areas in the Steam store in the past." For Steam, the world's largest PC gaming platform, store browsing efficiency and user experience are crucial. With the explosive growth in the number of games year after year, enabling players to quickly find content of interest has become a key aspect of the platform's competitiveness. This update not only improves the information architecture but also demonstrates Valve's commitment to listening to the community and adjusting product design accordingly.

With Valve's Steam Deck sparking a trend for handheld PC gaming devices, many manufacturers are attempting to break through traditional designs, resulting in a proliferation of new product forms, from detachable controllers to large screens. The recently announced "Abxylute 3D One" takes this experimental approach to the extreme, combining an 11-inch glasses-free 3D display, a detachable controller, and a keyboard, all priced below $1700. The design of the "Abxylute 3D One," a prototype developed by Intel and Tencent Games, originates from the "Sunday Dragon 3D One" concept showcased at CES 2025, which utilizes eye-tracking technology to provide glasses-free 3D display effects. The mass-produced version from Abxylute features an Intel "Lunar Lake" processor, 32GB of LPDDR5X memory, a 120Hz screen, and a built-in stand, giving it an appearance resembling a Surface Pro with a detachable controller. According to official information, the "Abxylute 3D One" will be optimized for glasses-free 3D display in 50 popular Steam games, and can convert 2D photos or videos into 3D content through built-in software, providing not only gaming entertainment but also extending to audio-visual applications. Its detachable keyboard accessory, including a touchpad, allows the device to switch between handheld and laptop usage scenarios. Positioning and Challenges: Compared to other products, Acer's upcoming Nitro Blaze 11 handheld gaming console starts at around $1100, while ASUS's ProArt Studiobook 16 and other 3D laptops start at $2000. The "Abxylute 3D One" is priced between the two, offering a relatively complete glasses-free 3D experience at a mid-range price. However, due to its size and weight, whether it can truly be "handheld comfortably" remains a question, and prolonged handheld use may not be comfortable. Abxylute stated that this handheld console, which focuses on a glasses-free 3D gaming experience, will be available between the end of September and the beginning of October.

Google initially pushed forward with the idea of ​​allowing Steam games to be played on Chromebooks in a beta test in 2022, but has now announced that it will end all technical support for Steam on Chromebooks starting January 1, 2026. 9to5Google reports that currently, when attempting to install Steam on a new Chromebook, a message appears stating, "The Chromebook Steam Beta program will end on January 1, 2026. Games installed in the beta program will no longer be playable on your device. We appreciate your participation and valuable feedback, which will be a reference for the future development of Chromebook games." This means that after several years of testing, Google will terminate its plan to allow users to play Steam games on Chromebooks. Google first announced this at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2022 in San Francisco in 2022, in conjunction with Valve, that it would enable Steam to be installed on Chromebooks and leverage Chromebook performance to run more games available on Steam, even attracting laptop manufacturers such as ASUS and Acer to release more high-performance Chromebooks. However, considering Chromebook's overall market strategy, high performance is not its primary feature. Therefore, even though Steam games can be run on Chromebooks, the actual number of games that can be played is still limited, and it may even be difficult to meet the demands of AAA games. On the other hand, most gamers actually prefer to play games on high-performance laptops, meaning that the target user group is not meeting expectations. Therefore, Google's decision to remove Steam support from Chromebooks is not surprising. However, users can still stream games through cloud services such as NVIDIA GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming, leveraging Chromebook's internet connectivity. Furthermore, given that Chromebooks can still run Android games, users can still access many games available on the Google Play Store.

Valve quietly released a redesigned store interface in the earlier Steam Client Beta test, aiming to make it easier for players to find games of interest while simplifying the complex menus and cumbersome links of the existing interface, thereby improving the overall user experience. However, this update coincided with Steam's large-scale removal of adult or NSFW (Not Safe For Work) games, sparking controversy within the player community regarding Steam's censorship policies. According to Steam's official statement, the new store page design focuses on "allowing players to quickly access frequently used function pages." The new navigation bar integrates entry options such as "Browse," "Recommended," and "Categories." "Browse" directly jumps to popular games, latest releases, and discount sections, while "Recommended" provides a more personalized recommendation list based on the player's past gaming history, playtime, and social media interaction. The "Categories" button has also been upgraded, displaying the game types the player most frequently encounters and providing suggested tags for further game exploration. Furthermore, Steam has updated its search function, now displaying the most popular search terms, recent browsing history, and popular genres. It also integrates an "Advanced Search" feature for players who need more detailed filtering options. The official Steam blog states, "We hope this update will make the Steam store experience smoother and more tailored to individual needs. Many players have previously reported that many frequently used function pages are not easy to find." While this interface update doesn't introduce new features, the reorganization and visual optimization of existing functions do make the entire store's operation more intuitive. Currently, this version is only available to Steam Client Beta testers, and feedback from the player community is being collected for future adjustments to the official version. However, this update is not without controversy. In July of this year, Steam removed a large number of games labeled as adult or containing sexually suggestive content to comply with content review requirements from payment service providers (such as Visa and Mastercard), raising concerns among creators and users about the platform's review standards. Many commentators have pointed out that Steam has always been an important platform for creators to freely publish diverse content. Further restricting content due to pressure on the payment system could shake its foundation as an open gaming platform. Steam has not yet directly responded to whether the removal of content is directly related to this interface redesign, but the interplay of interface changes, recommendations, and content moderation controversies has drawn more attention to the platform's future direction.

Valve recently announced new accessibility features in its Steam beta version, further enhancing support for SteamOS devices and Big Picture mode, allowing more people to enjoy gaming on an equal footing. According to the official blog post, this update focuses on user interface adjustability and visual assistance, adding three key settings: a UI scaling slider, a high-contrast mode, and a Reduce Motion adjustment. Players can adjust the size of interface elements to make the screen easier to recognize, while the high-contrast mode enhances readability by increasing the visual difference between text, buttons, and background. Reduce Motion disables some animations and page transitions to prevent visual discomfort or distraction. These new features will be available for SteamOS devices such as the Steam Deck and Lenovo's Legion Go S, and also include a Big Picture mode for TVs or large screens, turning the living room into a suitable gaming environment. In addition to screen-to-speech and color filter features, this update expands the possibilities for visual and voice assistance. It also introduces screen-to-speech functionality for SteamOS devices, providing voice prompts based on the system interface content and offering adjustments for voice volume, speed, and tone to help visually impaired or low-vision players more easily operate Steam services. SteamOS already supports color filter settings, including grayscale display, brightness inversion, and color inversion modes. These visual settings not only apply to the Steam platform but can also be applied to game visuals, improving overall visual consistency and convenience. Valve stated that the Steam Deck and Legion Go S are currently the only two devices supporting the accessibility features released this time, but they plan to expand support to more devices and continue to expand their accessibility tool options in the future. Accessibility is not just an aid; it's a crucial part of game design. The introduction of accessibility features signifies that the Steam platform is more proactive in addressing the gaming experience needs of different groups, echoing the global gaming industry's recent emphasis on "accessibility" design. From Sony's recently announced Access controller codenamed "Project Leonardo," to the customizable accessibility features added to their games by companies like Microsoft, Sony, and EA, these initiatives aim to allow more players with disabilities to enjoy games smoothly. This Steam update further indicates that more PC games will embrace accessibility features, enriching the gaming experience for diverse player groups.

Valve has announced a new compatibility rating system for SteamOS-enabled devices, including the Steam Deck, making it easier for players to determine which games are compatible with SteamOS. This follows Lenovo's release of the Legion Go S handheld gaming console, which runs SteamOS, with more expected to follow. Valve's new compatibility rating system will allow users to intuitively determine which games are playable on SteamOS-enabled handhelds. This system, expected to launch in the coming weeks, will help users determine if game content, launchers, anti-cheat features, and other functionalities are compatible with SteamOS-enabled handhelds. If a game or intermediary software is compatible with SteamOS devices, a compatibility indicator will appear on the product page; otherwise, it will be marked as unsupported. However, this indicator does not include actual performance details. Valve states that initially, over 18000 games available on Steam will be compatible with SteamOS-enabled devices. Furthermore, Valve stated that game developers do not need to perform any additional processing. The compatibility of new and old games will be tested through player community interactions, and a compatibility indicator for SteamOS devices will be generated simultaneously. This will allow players using the Steam Deck or future SteamOS-enabled devices to identify which games are compatible. Currently, only Valve's Steam Deck and Lenovo's Legion Go S handheld gaming console support SteamOS. However, Valve has previously announced collaborations with more third-party companies to enable the creation of more handheld devices compatible with Steam platform games using SteamOS, which are expected to be released gradually in the future.