According to The Verge , Valve has just dealt a major blow to Microsoft with the launch of the Steam Machine. The company behind the Steam platform has created a PC-based gaming machine, aiming to directly challenge the dominance of PlayStation and Xbox. Ironically, this machine is the epitome of Microsoft's own dream: a hybrid PC and console device.
Steam Machine: Valve's 10-Year Defense Strategy
The Steam Machine is designed like an Xbox Series X 'cut in half', a compact 6-inch cube but packed with impressive power from two AMD chips, promising performance nearly on par with the PS5 or Xbox Series X. But the 'secret weapon' isn't in the hardware, it's in the software.
This machine runs Valve's SteamOS (based on Linux) and uses the Proton compatibility layer. This is the game-changer. A decade ago, the early Steam Machines project failed because developers had to port games to Linux. Now, Proton allows most Windows PC games to run smoothly, even better than comparable Windows handheld devices.
Valve's Steam Machine
PHOTO: SCREENSHOT FROM POLYGON
Meanwhile, Microsoft is struggling with its own vision. Devices like Asus's Xbox Ally, with Windows at its core and the Xbox interface overlaid on top, were seen as an early glimpse into the direction of the next-generation Xbox. However, this combination currently feels like an awkward beta, attempting to mask the complexity of Windows and selling for $1,000.
Valve's Steam Machine now exposes that truth and exerts tremendous pressure, forcing Microsoft to execute its vision perfectly.
This battle targets a common audience: gamers who want a PC gaming experience as simple as console gaming, or those who already have a huge Steam library and want to bring it to their living room. Valve already has everything: a controller-friendly operating system (SteamOS) and a completely dominant store (Steam).
Meanwhile, Microsoft is building the next generation of Xbox based on Windows and faces the enormous hurdle of convincing users to buy games on its store instead of Steam.
Of course, Microsoft still has its trump cards. The PC Game Pass service remains exclusive to Windows. More importantly, multiplayer games like Fortnite, Valorant , or Battlefield 6 don't run on SteamOS due to its sophisticated anti-cheat system. This is an advantage for Xbox.
In addition, price will also be a deciding factor. Valve suggests the Steam Machine will be priced "comparable to a PC with similar specifications," while Microsoft also hints that the next-generation Xbox will be a "premium experience," meaning both will be priced more like PCs than consoles.
Notably, this move by Valve is the result of a decade-long risk-averse strategy, beginning when CEO Gabe Newell called Windows 8 a "huge disappointment." Now, that precautionary strategy seems to have delivered Microsoft's long-held dream of a PC in the living room.
The only difference is, it's not Windows. It's Linux.
And when Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, took to Twitter to congratulate Valve, it became clear that the real battle for the living room entertainment market had officially begun.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/valve-vua-tao-ra-chiec-xbox-ma-microsoft-hang-mo-uoc-185251114154456134.htm
