Rumours are swirling that Xbox Game Pass could be transferred over to Steam, as Valve is apparently keen to get even more games in front of the eyes of even more gamers.
This detail was mentioned in a question and answer session about Valve from YouTuber Tyler McVicker, who specialises in news and developments on PC titles and hardware. If you're thinking that this name is familiar to you, they're the person that claimed that there's a Fallout: New Vegas 2 in the works with Obsidian Entertainment, and that two new Half-Life games are on the way that are offering very different experiences of the classic first-person shooter series. In early 2020, they stated that Valve was working on Left 4 Dead 3 in total secrecy, and even provided leaked gnarly scans of zombie characters. Unfortunately, Valve swiftly denied this and added "some people are having fun creating misinformation to spin up the community and other outlets."
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To cut a long story short: it's important to take rumours like these with a pinch of salt. However, as Microsoft and Valve are the kingpins when it comes to PC games, there's no harm in exploring the possibilities. According to McVicker, Valve approached Microsoft about bringing Xbox Game Pass to Steam, which might raise a few eyebrows.
Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda's parent company late last year only showed that it's not content to rest on its laurels, and it's snapped up 5G networking companies like Affirmed Networks and Metaswitch Networks, as well as esports online tournament organiser Smash.gg. Ergo, one would expect that Microsoft was on the hunt for one more company to add into the fold, but Valve seems to be interested in a collaboration.
What could be the consequences? Well, launching on Xbox Game Pass is an excellent strategy for less well-known titles to attract audiences that the team wouldn't have had access to otherwise.
In the last quarter, Microsoft's revenue from the launch of the Xbox Series X and S and Game Pass surpassed $5 billion, and Valve might see this as an opportunity for users to remain on Steam as other platforms become more profitable. On the other hand, Microsoft might be turned off by Valve's advances as it wants to keep its community where it is for the time being. EA Play is available to Game Pass members through the former's desktop app, and if this goes well, then perhaps Microsoft would entertain the thought of opening its PC library to more gamers.
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As aforementioned, we aren't able to verify this claim, especially seeing as McVicker doesn't attribute any sources. But, with Game Pass making a strong start on mobile platforms, the cloud might well be the limit for Microsoft.
Featured Image Credit: Valve, Microsoft