ⓘ Valve
Valve has deliberately decided not to release exclusive games for the Steam Machine in order to avoid locking out PC gamers. On Reddit, however, the decision itself has drawn far less attention than the fact that many users feel it even needed an explanation.
Anyone who buys a Steam Machine will be able to play virtually all of the games that also run on a traditional gaming PC – but nothing beyond that. Unlike traditional consoles, Valve’s new device will not have its own exclusive titles. Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais explained the reasoning in an interview with Bloomberg: Restricting where people can play a game I don’t think is a great model, at least for us” he said.
GamesRadar used the comment as the basis for a news article. On Reddit, however, the discussion has focused less on Valve’s decision and more on the fact that the article exists at all. Many users consider it completely obvious that the Steam Machine – essentially a compact gaming PC – would not receive exclusive games. The top-rated comment in the thread simply asks: “How is this even a question for them?”
Valve doesn’t want to lock out PC gamers – but not necessarily out of idealism
For many users, the reasoning is straightforward. Valve isn’t making Steam Machine exclusives because doing so would effectively exclude a large portion of the existing PC gaming audience. While demand for the Steam Machine appears to be strong, its user base is still far smaller than Steam’s overall PC audience.
Valve’s general approach has been well received on Reddit. Some users, however, believe the decision is driven less by idealism than by business strategy. As long as the Steam Machine brings more players into the Steam ecosystem, there is little need for exclusive games. After all, Valve earns most of its revenue from selling games developed and published by third parties through Steam.
Related Articles
Marius Müller – Tech Writer – 5043 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2024
As a child in the 90s, my Gameboy was my steady companion. After school, the PlayStation was fired up. When I finally got my first PC, I was completely hooked. My passion for gaming has never waned since. For me, writing for Notebookcheck means reporting on topics that are really close to my heart – in addition to gaming, I also like to write about e-mobility, photovoltaics and innovative gadgets. When I’m not sitting at my computer, I’m probably on water rescue duty on the Baltic coast or trying to counteract the downsides of my geek life – namely sitting for long periods – at the local swimming pool.
Marius Müller, 2026-07-21 (Update: 2026-07-21)
![[Video] Unfolding New Experiences With the Galaxy Z Series](https://www.newsflashtom.club/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/64307-video-unfolding-new-experiences-with-the-galaxy-z-series.jpg)
