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Valve’s Steam Monopoly Trial Advances, Threatening Game Pricing Power Worldwide

January 29, 2026 by Mintu

Valve’s Steam Faces Landmark UK Lawsuit as Pricing Power Comes Under Fire

Valve’s dominance in PC gaming has long been regarded as one of the most remarkable success stories in modern digital commerce. Steam, the company’s flagship platform, transformed how games are distributed, updated, monetized, and preserved. For millions of players, Steam is not just a storefront—it is the PC gaming ecosystem itself. Yet in 2026, that dominance has become the foundation of one of the most consequential legal challenges the gaming industry has ever faced. A UK court has now ruled that Valve cannot dismiss a £656 million (approximately $900 million) collective action lawsuit alleging anti-competitive pricing and unfair market practices. … Read more

Valve Ends Affordable Steam Deck Era as OLED Becomes Mandatory

December 24, 2025 by Mintu

The End of an Era for Affordable PC Gaming Handhelds

Valve has quietly but decisively closed a chapter in the history of modern handheld gaming. With the discontinuation of its last remaining LCD Steam Deck model, the company has effectively removed the most affordable entry point into its PC gaming ecosystem. For new buyers, the Steam Deck experience now begins at a significantly higher price, reshaping not only Valve’s product lineup but also the broader handheld gaming market. This move marks more than a routine product refresh. It signals a strategic shift in how Valve views the future of the Steam Deck platform, its audience, and the balance between accessibility … Read more

Valve’s Steam Machine: PC Power, Console Feel — Priced Like a Desktop

November 25, 2025 by Mintu

Valve is once again making headlines by reintroducing the Steam Machine, a device destined to blur the lines between console and PC. With an expected launch in early 2026, the new Steam Machine represents a maturation of Valve’s hardware ambitions — not as a loss-leader console or a casual living-room gadget, but as a full-fledged PC/console hybrid that is unapologetically designed for serious gaming. According to Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais, the company intends to price it not as a subsidized console, but in line with similarly powerful custom-built PCs. This posture underscores Valve’s confidence in its architecture, but also raises … Read more

Valve Steam Machine Promises PC-Level Power Without Console Pricing Strategy

November 21, 2025 by Mintu

Valve’s Steam Machine Redefines Gaming Hardware

Valve Corporation has unveiled its highly anticipated Steam Machine, signaling a potential paradigm shift in the gaming industry. Positioned as a hybrid device bridging traditional consoles and full-fledged PCs, the Steam Machine promises to deliver high-performance 4K gaming at 60 frames per second while integrating seamlessly into the broader Steam ecosystem. Unlike conventional consoles, which often rely on subsidized hardware pricing to incentivize game sales, Valve has indicated that the Steam Machine will be priced “like a PC.” This pricing strategy underscores Valve’s commitment to offering uncompromised computational power and versatility, catering to both dedicated PC gamers and console users … Read more