In context: Valve has e'er been a PC-focused game developer outset and foremost, despite a few isolated forays into the globe of console gaming with the Xbox 360/PS3 releases of the Left 4 Dead games and the Orange Box. All the same, that could change soon if recent comments from visitor CEO Gabe Newell are annihilation to become past.

As we've reported in the by, Newell has been hunkered downwards in New Zealand for quite a while at present, as a self-proclaimed Covid "refugee." He admires how the country has handled the virus so far and has even discussed the possibility of helping game devs relocate to New Zealand so they can return to in-role collaboration.

To give dorsum to the land for its hospitality, Newell on Monday visited the Sancta Maria Higher in Auckland, NZ to speak with students and answer questions about his profession.

When asked whether Steam would port any boosted games to consoles or remain focused on PC, Newell had a particularly interesting response (cheers to Redditor Odysseic for recording the discussion).

"Y'all will get a better idea of that by the terminate of this year," the CEO said. "And it won't be the answer y'all await. You'll say 'Ah-ha! At present I get what he was talking about.'"

It's difficult to decide what Newell could've meant with that reply. Manifestly, Valve has some sort of plans for panel games, merely that could mean anything -- is Steam coming to consoles? Is Valve launching a new cantankerous-platform title soon? Volition information technology be porting an existing game to next-gen devices such as the PS5 and Xbox Series Ten?

For now, nosotros don't know. Fortunately, based on Newell's "by the end of this year" diction, it seems we won't have to expect long for Valve to answer those questions itself. When they practice, we'll report them here, as usual.