PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass Subscriptions
PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass subscriptions cost $10–$23 per month and are often required for online multiplayer gaming, meaning the total cost over a few years exceeds the subsidized console hardware. The article notes that Valve's Steam Deck avoids this model because online multiplayer on PC only requires a free Steam account.
Background
- **Valve** is the company behind Steam, the dominant PC gaming storefront. They make the **Steam Deck** (a handheld gaming PC) and previously the **Steam Machine** (a living-room PC console). Unlike Sony and Microsoft, Valve sells its hardware at a profit rather than a loss.
- **PlayStation Plus** and **Xbox Game Pass** are subscription services from Sony and Microsoft. They offer access to a library of games — but also lock **online multiplayer** behind a paywall. On PC (Steam), online play is free.
- **"Selling hardware at a loss"** is a traditional console-industry strategy: Sony and Microsoft sell consoles below cost, expecting to recoup the money through game sales and subscriptions. Valve refuses to do this, arguing it's bad for consumers long-term.
- Gruber is making a point the original Valve post missed: even if you ignore the subscription-for-games angle, the fact that both Sony and Microsoft charge mandatory fees for online play means gamers quickly pay back the subsidized console cost — and then some.