Former Xbox Exec Urges Valve: Open SteamOS to Third-Parties Amid Price Concerns!

A previous executive from Xbox has suggested that Valve should permit third-party companies to utilize SteamOS for creating their own versions of Steam Machines, especially given concerns about the pricing of these next-generation living room PCs.

Mike Ybarra, who previously held positions as the President at Blizzard Entertainment and as an executive for Microsoft’s Windows and Xbox divisions, has recommended that Valve open up to the idea of next-gen Steam Machines produced by third-party manufacturers. He believes this would significantly boost the revenues of the Steam store.

In a tweet addressed to Valve, Ybarra stated, “Dear @valvesoftware, please just allow third parties to employ SteamOS and create hardware with various configurations. SteamOS will flourish and your Store revenue will definitely increase.”

This recommendation comes in light of discussions suggesting that Valve’s Steam Machine might be priced above $750. Predictions have placed the cost between $700-$800. For comparison, the standard PlayStation 5 with a disc drive is currently priced at $549.99, the digital edition at $499.99, and the PlayStation 5 Pro at $749.99.

It’s important to note that what Ybarra is advocating for is essentially a revival of Valve’s initial approach with the first Steam Machine, which was released a decade ago and allowed third-party manufacturers to use Valve’s OS. Despite this availability, third-party Steam Machines were rarely produced in the past 10 years.

Moreover, Ybarra has suggested that Microsoft should also consider adopting SteamOS, although he acknowledges that this is improbable. He commented, “This is what Xbox should be doing, by the way. However, they will likely continue to promote Windows features like AI, co-pilot, teams and more. They could achieve great success if they embraced SteamOS on their hardware.”

Microsoft itself has plans to merge PC and console gaming. Recent reports suggest that the upcoming Xbox console will be capable of playing PlayStation titles that are available on PC via Steam. This includes major games like Sony Santa Monica’s God of War, Insomniac’s Spider-Man, and Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima, along with virtually all other PC games.

According to Windows Central, the next-generation Xbox will allow users to stay within the Xbox ecosystem or switch to a traditional Windows PC mode, giving them access to PlayStation games on Steam, and games from Blizzard’s Battle.net launcher like World of Warcraft, and Riot’s launcher featuring League of Legends.

There’s a lot more to discover about Valve’s recent hardware releases. We’ve compiled a detailed roundup to ensure you don’t miss any updates. We also went hands-on with the Steam Machine and Steam Controller, and have inquired with Valve about the prospects of a Steam Deck 2.