Original Steam controller felt like it was made with really cheap looking materials to cut costs.
This controller looks like the build quality is much more premium and has a lot of inputs and tech put in than the expensive Xbox Elite. The dualsense edge getting removable joysticks and grips raised the price too.
So when its those controllers that this controller will be closer to in terms of features than the base Sony and Xbox controllers. Being only $100 would be a bargain.
I would be happy if I was proved wrong. Please prove me wrong Valve.
Does for me since my main goal is to sit on the couch and use a controller and be able to take advantage of the 4k resolution and the 120 hz panel with freesync on a larger screen and HDR.
And all it took was the price of a hdmi cable to get it to happen versus hundreds or thousand more to get another separate system for the TV.
For PC you can Frankenstein random hardware so you aren't at the mercy of prebuilt OEM options.
Now look at phones and see how easy it is to make your own from scratch with parts. Then look at OEMs and how many will even let you unlock the bootloader.
Then look at how many iOS options there are for phones not from Apple. Mobile hardware freedom was dead from the get go compared to PC. Why? Hardware roadblocks for mobile compared to PC.
Heroic launcher lets you install games from other launchers although Steam experience is better. But, biggest thing is you can just install Windows, which those who play games that refuse to enable anticheat on Linux will end up doing if this is going to be their main PC.
Like imagine if you could pick up a PS5 or Xbox and install Linux or Windows on it. Id pick one up for that purpose completely negating the reason Sony and Xbox put out the hardware, which is to get people to buy from their store and take 30% of every sale so even if they sold at a loss they are guaranteed to recoup it. Open that hardware up though and they'll have system that are just going to be a loss.
I've wondered for lot of PC gamers why they don't get a fiber optic hdmi cable to connect their PC to the TV, since seems a waste to have such a powerful machine then be stuck to a monitor when playing a cinematic graphics driven title like Cyberpunk 2077.
Makes sense if the PC is on another floor or too far to do. But, I've seen 30m hdmi 2.1 fiber optic cables that can push 4k/120 over that distance.
Wont be that low, but Steam Deck needed a screen, battery, portable form factor, and inputs.
So just needing a case and less size and battery power restrictions might make it easier to do more with the same money for the same reason smartphones can be more expensive than PCs and laptops and consoles because of the use case expected of them and the challenge portability adds.
Yeah, and if Microsoft suddenly decides they want to shut Steam out then there's not much Steam can do other than take them to court. And even if Steam exited Windows there's still lot of popular publishers putting out Windows only games like Valorant, Battlefield 6, Fortnite, Genshin Impact, and popular software like Adobe that would lead to losing a significant chunk of the userbase that would not move to Linux due to games and software they use not being on Windows.
Another launcher whether it is Microsoft or Epic or whatever would just fill the void for third party titles and probably be glad that the main competition is banished.
So this market share situation is not quite like Sony, Nintendo, iOS, or Google who not only run a locked down OS but also are the monopoly and sometimes only storefront.
Google recently shifted to wanting to gatekeep what can be installed and wanting verification from even devs that don't want to release on the play store, which threatens viability of alternative app repositories like F-droid. Which is what could happen to Steam if Windows suddenly decided to change their minds about how open they've been in allowing program installations.
So Steam situation despite their popularity is still reliant on Microsoft not turning into a bad actor. They are more Netflix. The go to choice in their segment, but can be replaced.
It's OK to run a discount for Steam Keys on different stores at different times as long as you plan to give a comparable offer to Steam customers within a reasonable amount of time.
Word that stands out is comparable. Which provides a lot of flexibility on discounts outside the steam store. And isthereanydeals data that tracks all the prices over the years shows steam keys going on sale for cheaper than the steam store. Steam also takes 0% of Steam keys.
Current best price is 15% off for $34.16 versus $39.99 on Steam. And all time low was $31.92.
I do wonder how many people assume Steam store price is the best price, and end up paying more than they'd have to if they checked isthereanydeals. Since I've come across some comments that believed Steam did not allow cheaper prices as though it were fact despite reality not being the case.
It would be cool to see Valve actually release a Linux phone with the direction Google has been going, and maybe helping to lead to companies like Asus deciding to also move into Linux phones if Valve Linux phone is a decent success.
I do 120 hz on my TV. With PS5 and Xbox I think market for it is bigger than you would think for 120 hz TVs among gamers who picked up new TVs when they got their new console.
Funniest was a comment I saw on reddit after the PR statement, saying looks like reddit overreacted and they are glad Rockstar set the record straight that the workers were fired for leaking information and not for anything related to unions. Typical redditors believing anything to get angry about.
It was over course downvoted, but the audacity of taking the position fully believing the PR release was hilarious that I wondered if it was a plant.
If you do plan to dualboot I'd suggest picking up another ssd to run the other OS on. Just less of a potential headache installing Windows and Linux on their own drives, and using bios to select which drive to boot off of at launch.
Its like the movie Big Short where despite news of bankruptcies stocks kept going up for a long time. It was when the banks shored up their own shorts that they actually let the market crash.
Original Steam controller felt like it was made with really cheap looking materials to cut costs.
This controller looks like the build quality is much more premium and has a lot of inputs and tech put in than the expensive Xbox Elite. The dualsense edge getting removable joysticks and grips raised the price too.
So when its those controllers that this controller will be closer to in terms of features than the base Sony and Xbox controllers. Being only $100 would be a bargain.
I would be happy if I was proved wrong. Please prove me wrong Valve.