Forget the ‘big 3’ — it’s just big Steam

digitaltrends.com:

For over two decades, the video game world has revolved around three companies: Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. These platform holders have long controlled the conversation around games, with their consoles and flashy exclusives creating the framework for how we understand the business today. It’s not that these were the only companies distributing games, as any PC player will tell you; it’s just that they had become the foundational power players that the rest of the industry often had to adapt around.

We’ve seen cracks in that dynamic during this current console generation, but Valve may have shattered it for good. During CES 2025, the company made some big plays of its own that solidified its growing hold on gaming outside of Steam. In addition to bringing SteamOS to the Legion Go S, Valve tells The Verge that it will soon let players install the Steam Deck’s signature interface on any handheld.

That may sound like a small move, but it’s the final piece of a long-building disruption that leaves the so-called “big three” in the the rearview mirror. Whether you’re a PC or console gamer, it’s Steam’s world now. Everyone else is just living in it.

• Nvidia GeForce Now is coming to Steam Deck, Apple Vision Pro, and more
• Get this underrated Star Wars game for just $2 in the Steam Winter Sale
• You can now buy a refurbished Steam Deck straight from Valve — if it’s in stock

Head of the table

For many PC players, this isn’t a new development. Steam has always been the place to buy and play games thanks to a unified library that worked across PCs. The reality, though, is that PC and console gaming have long been separate worlds. Valve’s business was primarily being a digital storefront; Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo’s ambitions were more headline-grabbing by comparison. Their exclusive games dominate awards shows. Games needed to be built with the power (and