I’m honestly amazed console gamers have accepted paying for multiplayer (though, I do note, PC gaming has expanded over time, I wonder why…). I had a PS2; I remember being excited about buying a PS4. It has a blu-ray player! The graphics are so much nicer! The previous gen even had free multiplayer!
I never bought a PS4, it had paid multiplayer. Fuck that.
Edit: I did briefly own a 360, the paid multiplayer was the reason I sold it fairly quickly. It felt like it was trying to milk me, and I would rather just be rid of it.
it could become the new standard for industry benchmarking/testing
Exactly. We are already seeing game companies specifically mention the Steam Deck in patch notes. This will give them a standard item to validate compatibility against. Any game company that wants to make sure their game works well will have a Steam Machine on-hand to QA with.
And I fully agree with you on benchmarking. It will be a very standardized system to point to in game reviews.
However, Steam offers numerous deals several times a year, so it will be worth the investment. In the long run, owning a Steam Machine or PC will pay for itself.
And you also don’t have to pay monthly for multiplayer!