Xbox Game Pass: Valve explores a possible answer

Xbox Game Pass

Valve has made Steam one of the most loved services by gamers around the world. However, even though many other distributors have already made subscription services such as Xbox Game Pass, Valve has not yet moved in this direction. With the release of Steam Deck now imminent, many are expecting the announcement of a subscription service to increase the appeal of the platform.



Valve CEO Gabe Newell in an interview with PC Gamer's Wes Fenlon, denied that the company is working on a similar initiative. However, Newell had some interesting words about the Xbox Game Pass. The CEO, in fact, although defining himself not interested in working from scratch on a subscription service, said he was willing to work with Microsoft to bring a Game Pass service to Steam.

if (jQuery ("# ​​crm_srl -th_gamedivision_d_mh2_1 "). is (": visible ")) {console.log (" Edinet ADV adding zone: tag crm_srl-th_gamedivision_d_mh2_1 slot id: th_gamedivision_d_mh2 "); } Since Newell's words on the Game Pass date back to last April, it seems evident that Valve hasn't confirmed plans to bring the service to Steam. However, with the release of Steam Deck the idea seems more realistic, as many games created for Xbox may work well with the console's controllers. Additionally, Xbox head Phil Spencer has publicly praised Steam Deck, for its performance in games like Halo. Spencer also expressed a desire to see xCloud and Game Pass on other platforms and consoles. Spencer also claimed to have tested xCloud right on Steam Deck, launching another positive sign in this direction.



Microsoft's Game Pass is probably one of the most successful subscription services, although there is no shortage of alternatives. Other popular options include, for example, Humble Bundle and EA Play, just to name a couple. Maybe that's why Valve shows little interest in developing their own subscription service. However, the release of Steam Deck could kick off some interesting developments.

Halo Infinite is the latest installment in the beloved Xbox saga. You can find it on Amazon.

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Valve Has No Plans for Its Own Take on Xbox Game Pass, But It Would Help Microsoft Put it on Steam

While Valve president Gabe Newell has shared that he doesn't think the company needs its own version of Xbox Game Pass right now, he said that he'd be 'more than happy to work with [Microsoft] to get that on Steam.'

Speaking to PC Gamer, Newell discussed that despite him understanding the popularity of such services like Xbox Game Pass, he just doesn't see Valve committing resources to do a similar version any time soon.

'I don't think it's something that we think we need to do ourselves, building a subscription service at this time,' Newell said. 'But for their customers it's clearly a popular option, and we'd be more than happy to work with them to get that on Steam.'

These comments align with Newell's previous comments that pushed back against closed platforms. He also said that openness is 'PC's superpower.'

Xbox Game Pass being part of Steam's future isn't so out of reason as Valve and Microsoft have been working together in a much greater capacity recently. Not only did Microsoft stop selling its games exclusively through the Microsoft Store and start selling them on Steam, but Bethesda also said it was forgoing its own launcher to also put their games on Steam going forward.

Xbox Game Pass would pose a bit more of an issue as sometimes different versions of games appear on the service as opposed to digital storefronts. In March 2021, for example, the version of Nier: Automata on PC Game Pass was better than the one found on Steam.

So, even though it may be a while until we see a native version of Xbox Game Pass on Steam, the Steam Deck will be able to play games through Xbox Cloud Gaming thanks to the fact that it can also be run as a PC.

For more, check out our Steam Deck review in progress and Newell's comments on why Valve banned NFTs and how the company may be looking at providing customers with more 'higher end' versions as opposed to increasing the handheld's price.

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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.