Bluepoint tech boss suggests Sony's scared of Valve, not Microsoft, and that's why it's pulling back from PC: 'It would be quite ironic if Valve ultimately ended up winning the console war'

3 hours ago 5

Gabe Newell looks into the camera, behind him is a prop of a turret from Team Fortress 2.

Our six-year stint of feeling very smug about getting pretty much every game on PC (excluding Nintendo, which will forever be Nintendo about it) came to an end last week, when a report from Bloomberg said that Sony has decided to pull back from its strategy of releasing its console exclusives—after a suitable delay—on PC.

Theories flew as to what had prompted Sony to make the move. Do its PC ports not make money anymore? Do they weaken the brand? Was the corporation scared off by Microsoft's Project Helix—its next-gen console that will, it says, play both Xbox and PC games?

Article continues below

"Some people frame [Sony's PC pullback] as a response to Xbox, but I’m not convinced that’s the real driver," wrote Dalton on X. "A more interesting possibility is the rise of a Steam-based console ecosystem."

After all, why do people buy consoles instead of PCs? They're (usually) cheaper, easier to figure out, and low-maintenance. But now Valve's come along with devices like the Steam Deck and Steam Machine and started blurring those lines. Dalton continues: "If Valve releases a new Steam console that provides a console-like experience while still giving players access to the entire PC game library, that could become a very compelling option.

I read an interesting take on why Sony may be pulling back from pushing PC releases and instead focusing more heavily on exclusives. Some people frame this as a response to Xbox, but I’m not convinced that’s the real driver.A more interesting possibility is the rise of a…March 9, 2026

"If Sony were releasing all of its games day-and-date on PC, the Steam console could effectively offer the best of all worlds: console simplicity with the full breadth of PC gaming." Which is rather tasty, isn't it? In fact, speaking from personal experience, more than a few people close to me—who up to now have been console-only—have reached out to ask me about the Steam Machine, and suggested it might be what they upgrade to next.

"It would be quite ironic if, after decades of traditional console competition, Valve ultimately ended up winning the console war." Of course, to do that, it has to actually, you know, release all that cool hardware it unveiled last year, a prospect which seems to get harder every single day that the RAM crisis continues.

Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.

One of Josh's first memories is of playing Quake 2 on the family computer when he was much too young to be doing that, and he's been irreparably game-brained ever since. His writing has been featured in Vice, Fanbyte, and the Financial Times. He'll play pretty much anything, and has written far too much on everything from visual novels to Assassin's Creed. His most profound loves are for CRPGs, immersive sims, and any game whose ambition outstrips its budget. He thinks you're all far too mean about Deus Ex: Invisible War.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read Entire Article