Valve has confirmed that it has no interest in publishing games that are exclusive to the Steam Deck.
As confirmed on an FAQ page covering questions asked by developers and publishers at the company's Steamworks Steam Deck event, Valve has said that it isn't interested in developers creating games exclusive to the upcoming handheld.
When asked about the matter, Valve's response was short and clear. "No, that doesn't make much sense to us. It's a PC and it should just play games like a PC," responded the company in the FAQ. To delve into Valve's comments a little further, upon launch, the Steam Deck will run a modified version of Valve's SteamOS - designed with a console-like interface that will allow players to easily navigate the Steam Store and their own Steam libraries.
However, the handheld will also allow players access to an unrestricted computer desktop where third-party applications can be used and installed. What this essentially means is that you'll be able to run non-Steam games and launchers on the device - making it a handheld PC. With that in mind, creating Steam Deck exclusive titles that you can't run on PC would likely serve little purpose – it may boost sales of the handheld, but it would also frustrate fans who didn't own a Deck.
Earlier this month, Valve announced that it was delaying the Steam Deck's launch by two months. The first units of the portable computer handheld will now be shipping in February 2022, instead of its original December 2021 scheduled release date. In addition, this will also mean that those further back in the queue for a Steam Deck will also need to adjust their expectations as the company has said that dates will shift back accordingly.
For more from Valve, make sure to check out this piece detailing how Steam has banned blockchain games that issue NFTs or Cryptocurrency.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
