Why Steam Deck could be the perfect opportunity for Ubisoft games to return to Steam

sportskeeda.com:

Steam Deck has officially launched to great reviews. Valve’s handheld gaming device promises to bring the entire Steam library to a portable device. Whilst the majority of the Steam library is games developed for WindowsOS, the Deck opts to run a custom version of Arch Linux, called SteamOS 3.0.

The Proton software layer on Steam Deck aims to run all the games available on Steam (apart from the hardware limited titles like VR). To determine the status of compatibility, Steam has launched a rating system that tags games as 'Verified' (for a smooth experience on the Deck) or 'Playable' (for titles that will need some tinkering).

Since the launch of the Epic Games Store, Ubisoft has left Steam to sell titles on PC through the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft’s own Uplay (which has since been renamed to Ubisoft Connect). While older Ubisoft titles are being sold on Steam, newer titles have remained exclusive to the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Connect.

While Epic does offer competitive pricing on titles, a majority of the PC playerbase has remained exclusively on Steam due to its accessibility and the curated library it has built up over the years. While Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has become Ubisoft’s second most grossing title with total revenue of over a billion, fans believe that it is mostly due to aggressive monetization. Furthermore, titles such as Watch Dogs Legion and Rainbow Six Extraction have failed to garner a substantial playerbase, despite having a cult following.

Previously, back in July 2021, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot stated during the quarterly earnings call:

While the reviews have proven that the Steam Deck is exactly what it promised to be, the backed-up pre-orders have proven that there is interest in the device.