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Valve Has No Interest in Steam Deck Exclusives

It views the handheld as a PC, first and foremost

By Rob Rich Rob Rich News Reporter College for Creative Studies Rob is a freelance tech reporter with experience writing for a variety of outlets, including IGN, Unwinnable, 148Apps, Gamezebo, Pocket Gamer, Fanbolt, Zam, and more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on November 30, 2021 12:32PM EST Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Western Kentucky University Gulf Coast Community College Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Gaming Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming Valve has made it clear that there are no plans to release any Steam Deck exclusives, stating that "It's a PC and it should just play games like a PC." Exclusives are fairly common among various game consoles, but Valve doesn't want any part of that for the Steam Deck. The company has clearly stated in a FAQ for the handheld that it views the Steam Deck as a PC (i.e., not as a console) and plans to treat it as such. Valve The Steam Deck is intended to function as a handheld gaming PC, so it makes sense that Valve would want to avoid exclusivity. As IGN points out, the Steam Deck is essentially a PC in handheld form, which can play both Steam and non-Steam games. Gaming consoles like the Playstation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch all work somewhat differently, making cross-platform development tricky. On the other hand, aside from general performance differences across hardware, what works on one PC should also work on another. That said, the Steam Deck does offer extra control options like gyro and trackpad aiming, as well as a touchscreen that probably won't be available on a typical PC.
Valve Despite taking a hard line against exclusives, Valve still welcomes developers interested in submitting games for the Steam Deck.
The Steam Deck was supposed to launch this December but has been pushed back to a projected release in February of 2022. Valve is still offering reservations, however.
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