Steam May Be Preparing for Cloud Gaming
A new update on game platform steam suggests the company may be preparing to roll out its own cloud gaming service. Steam, owned by the Valve Corporation, has changed its signup process, explicitly mentioning cloud gaming. The amended agreement asks users to sign on to an addendum that indicates a possible future implementation of a cloud gaming service. Valve, to date, hasn’t announced plans to enter the world of cloud gaming, so this comes as a surprise to many users.
A Competitive Field
Google’s Stadia, Sony’s Playstation Now, and Microsoft’s xCloud are the two most prominent competitors in the cloud gaming space, but they are by no means the only ones. In addition to these big-name competitors, smaller, lesser-known companies that innovate on existing tech for their success have also entered the fray. A company called Blade Shadow deals with cloud gaming and seamlessly integrates its interface so that the user feels as though he or she is using their own PC, even though they are streaming game data from one of the thousands of “shadow” boxes the service works with.
Valve has already offered in-home streaming through Steam, and this is another iteration of similar technology. In June of this year, the company went a bit further, allowing users to stream games outside of their home, once the connection speed supported it. Valve may see the success of this feature as a push to try entering the cloud gaming market. With their recognizable and trusted platform name, it’s likely many users will simply choose Steam as their streaming game platform of choice.
The Future of Gaming?
Many commentators on the subject of cloud gaming are divided opinions as to the benefits cloud gaming offers. As of yet, companies have announced their intentions to enter the cloud gaming space, but no one has offered a robust solution that users can test and compare. Until the platforms come out, users are left holding their breath to see if cloud gaming is the way of the future, or whether it’s another attempt to milk money from gamers.
