People who don’t game often underestimate how pivotal video game tech really is.

[atomicpoet@atomicpoet.org]

People who don’t game often underestimate how pivotal video game tech really is. So let me put the Steam Hardware Announcement in perspective:

• Google, Amazon, and Nvidia all tried to make game streaming happen. None succeeded. Valve probably will.
• Google, Dell, and Lenovo all tried to make desktop Linux mainstream. None succeeded. Valve probably will.
• Meta, Microsoft, and Apple all tried to make VR happen. None succeeded. Valve probably will.

Why? Because Valve has already built the ecosystem to make all of this work together—and I know this because I use it every day. Valve doesn’t just innovate. They integrate.

Take Proton. Before Valve got involved, running Windows games on Linux was a nightmare. Now it’s practically plug-and-play. And once Windows games run well on Linux, Windows apps follow suit.

Or take streaming. I’ve been streaming Windows games to my Mac through Steam Link for years. It’s not flawless, but it’s given me an unmatched game library that Apple alone could never deliver.

And here’s the bigger picture: Nvidia may be the most valuable company on Earth, but what built their empire wasn’t AI—it was games. GPUs first became essential because people wanted to play Quake and Half-Life.

Now we’re entering a new phase. All those overhyped, half-forgotten tech ideas—streaming, VR, desktop Linux—finally have a shot at mass adoption. Because the best way to truly validate new technology is to make it work for gamers.