There is a ton of anticipation over Valve’s Steam Deck and for good reason. It’s quite an appealing device since it’s essentially a portable gaming PC much like the Nintendo Switch. As a result, countless consumers are seeking to purchase the device with pre-orders already selling the console unit out for the first shipment. That’s right if you pre-order a unit now then you’re not going to get it until some point in 2022 with the second shipment of units. Those numbers alone are not enough to sway Ubisoft to start pivoting their latest and upcoming video game titles onto Steam.
While Ubisoft has some video games on Steam the company has positioned itself more with Epic Games Store. This was during a time where the Epic Games Store was boasting the better revenue cut they offer developers along with publishers when compared to Valve’s Steam digital marketplace. Now, Valve has a new console release that has everyone talking in the video game industry, and best of all, you don’t even need to rely on Steam directly to get your video games. Instead, Valve has made this device so that you’re able to dive into other PC digital marketplaces to purchase games which means Ubisoft titles shouldn’t be a problem to acquire in general.
Of course, that doesn’t matter too much with Ubisoft head Yves Guillemot who had spoken about the Steam Deck during Ubisoft’s investor earnings call. During the conversation, Yves says they would release games on Steam Deck directly if the console becomes big. Again, it doesn’t look like that will be too much of a problem with the amount of hype and pre-orders Valve is receiving. Although, as mentioned, because the Steam Deck can access other storefronts, it’s not much of a big deal seemingly for consumers that wish to play these video games either.
While there is plenty of excitement over the Steam Deck, it’s a console unit that we’re still waiting to see just how well it performs when it’s in more hands. There’s always quality control and a close eye on these first batch of units to see if there is a need for revisions for the next set of consoles produced. As it stands right now, it’s purely a waiting game until those first batches of units arrive.
Source: IGN