Gaming Is ‘Moving Towards PC’

The divide between PC and console gaming isn’t what it once was. Heck, in a world where Gears of War and Halo are on PlayStation, the divide between console platforms isn’t even what it once was. And according to the CEO of GTA 6’s publisher, Take-Two, PC gaming is only going to grow.

Speaking to CNBC (h/t IGN), Take-Two’s CEO Strauss Zelnick said he sees the industry “moving towards PC,” as things become “open rather than closed.” He’s not completely writing off consoles, however, saying that the experience of sitting in front of a big screen for hours on end with a game is “never going away.”

Given the current landscape, Zelnick’s comments ring true. Console exclusives are somewhat of an endangered species these days, with Microsoft publishing Xbox titles on its competitor’s platforms, the Switch 2 proving powerful enough to run titles like Cyberpunk 2077 on the go, Sony publishing once PlayStation-only experiences on Steam, and, naturally, devices like the Steam Deck and the upcoming Steam Machine breaking down the boundaries that once restricted where and how we could play PC games.

How will the Steam Machine shake things up for console gaming?

Last week, Valve showed off its impressive new hardware lineup, including a new VR headset, a brand new Steam controller, and a cube-shaped mini-PC it calls the Steam Machine. Valve previously worked with PC hardware manufacturers to ship Steam Machines 10 years ago, though they failed to catch on. But now that the company has dramatically improved the experience of SteamOS and the magic of running Windows games on a Linux operating system, if priced competitively, the new Steam Machine could become a pathway to having the kinds of “big screen” experiences Zelnick talks about with PC games.

Speaking for myself, if the Steam Machine proves as awesome as it sounds, I could see myself holing up in a cabin somewhere (with an internet connection!) to finish my entire Steam backlog without an Xbox or PlayStation in sight.

I jest, but only slightly. As PCs continue to explore new form factors and Steam and other storefronts remain a reliable way to build and maintain a digital library, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect a slow and steady exodus from locked-in console experiences.