A vast majority of Steam Deck owners are people who are already using Steam on PC, according to a new report.
In his latest report, The Game Business’ Chris Dring talked about Valve’s renewed push into the living-room with the recently announced Steam Machine. He noted that the clearest lessons come from the device that gave Valve real momentum in hardware i.e. the Steam Deck.
Dring outlined two primary audiences for the Steam Machine, and both relate closely to the patterns seen with the Deck. The first, and by far the most significant, are existing PC players who simply want a new way to access their libraries. This is the same group that enthusiastically adopted the Steam Deck. In other words, this segment is comprised of players who don’t need convincing to join Steam, but who want the flexibility to play away from a desk or, in the case of the new device, in the living room.
These customers tend to be high-end, high-spending enthusiasts who are willing to buy a second gaming PC to fit different contexts. It’s why the Steam Deck, despite selling a relatively modest 4 to 5 million units according to analysts, has been so strategically important. Its audience may be small compared to the console market, but it’s a valuable one, as these people are deeply engaged and heavily invested in their Steam libraries, and are eager for hardware that lets them access said libraries more conveniently.
The second audience Dring mentioned is harder to pin down i.e. console players who are curious about PC gaming but intimidated by its complexity. In theory, a simple, console-like Steam Machine could serve as a gateway for them. However, he revealed that, according to documents shared with him last year, more than 90% of Steam Deck owners were already using Steam on PC. The data indicates that the handheld’s streamlined interface, portability, and lower price point still failed to attract many new users to Valve’s digital platform.
