Is Microsoft's new pro-PC gaming stance because of SteamOS?

I think after a very long time Microsoft finally have real competition in the PC gaming space : Valve and SteamOS. It's something that has potential to seriously damage Windows traditional dominance in gaming and programming. A two-pronged attack essentially. SteamOS is also giving Linux a second wind of sorts with a massive amount of mainstream PC games being ported over to Linux/Steam OS. It's a wake up call for Microsoft. I believe it is the reasoning used by the high ups at Microsoft to finally get behind PC gaming for once rather than treated as second fiddle to Xbox.

Maybe, they know if the next opengl is actually decent and devs start to use it and with the support of valve and steam they could lose a lot of ground, microsoft never tried to properly support pc because they knew people didn't have an alternative to directx, but if the next opengl can compete with directx12 (which is another reason why they actually made a decent directx this time) that could start to change, still that just me hoping, i doubt opengl will be as good, it has always been a step or two behind directx.

It's partly the reason why online would be free on the PC. There was no chance they would be able to compete with a paid subscription.

Bit bemused as to this pro-pc gaming stance.

So far, the big pc focus was basically about using windows as a Trojan horse for Xbox. Everything was directed at Xbox promotion and not an ounce of it towards actual pc gaming.

Even DirectX is being primarily promoted for Xbox.

Yet: a sect of pc gamers seem to be running around jumping for joy. Very odd.

Didn't they already try that with the original Games For Windows Live? It was predictably a failure so they dropped it.

I don't buy it. With Valve and SteamOS, there's a lot of 'on paper' theory about what could or should happen. But the only thing that could make it a success is not what developers or manufacturers could do, but whether the general public adopts it in a large enough manner to make it a threat. I don't see anyone outside of a niche crowd going for SteamOS.

I certainly don't think SteamMachines will be a big deal. Having powerful hardware for a SteamMachine is just too expensive, to be dedicated purely for gaming. That's why consoles have a limit as to how much the general public are willing to spend on the hardware, because generally, no one is going to spend that much just for gaming.

They've always had an alternative. OpenGL has been very good for quite a while, I've heard some developers say it has been better. But they go where the users are. Developers haven't been putting up with DirectX for their health all this time.

Even if OpenGL could compete or better DX12. It wouldn't be enough. In the past, with anything, if people are happy with whatever, to a standard and it's popular, they won't move on to something else, even if it could be arguably better.

@Postosuchus: Yup. They thought they could've competed with steam but ultimately failed.

MS has been working on this for years so I doubt W10 is a reaction to Steam OS. Of course Steam OS probably Lit a Fire under MS's ass.

What pro-PC gaming stance ?

Using pc as a means to advertize Xbox.

*shrug*

Possibly... Though SteamOS is a while away from being your only viable PC gaming avenue. Valve will push it hard mind you.

Until SteamOS supports word processing, Photoshop and other non-gaming related activities, it won't ever intrude on the Windows market.

Their pro PC gaming stance:

Hey, PC gamers, we give you Fable Legends, but if you want any interesting games like Forza or Quantum Break you better get an Xbox One.

Or even better:

Hey, PC gamers, we just gave Square Enix a bunch of money so they'll delay the PC version of Rise of The Tomb Raider.

microsoft is facing a war on many fronts. chromebooks were taking a bite out of the cheap pc market. windows 8 tablets were too expensive so android schooled them. Now steam os gives people less reason to buy windows at all.

@foxhound_fox: personaly i dont think i will ever use steam OS. i will just use a linux distro with steam (and whatever other services). a lot more options open to the user that way.

@osirisx3