1mo ago

Why doesn't Steam support Android?

Steam revenue estimated 2024: $10.8B

Google Play Store gaming revenue 2024: ~$31B

Why doesn't Valve want a part of that? I mean they already have an Android app. Several, actually. I realize there's some amount of investment but surely the payoff is worth it, and they have the necessary funds and skills? I mean if F-Droid can do it with nothing but volunteers and grants...?

Certainly plenty of games won't lend themselves well to the mobile experience but also plenty of them do.

From a personal perspective: I don't really care a whole lot for mobile games but I do like Balatro and want to play it on my phone, but if I want to do that I have to buy another license, which I can't even do because I don't run Google Play Services.

Epic got in on this already. Where's Valve?

Edit: my reflections on this conversation:

Valve could distribute their own app like Epic but they'd also probably have to remove it from the Play Store because now a cross-platform game would give them an Android version, thus breaking Google's ToS. So would doing such a thing outweigh lost sales from the Google version, and would it impact customer satisfaction? I wonder how many people are actually purchasing PC games in the Steam Android app...?

103 comments

Valve didn't expand Steam into Linux to gain market share in a new market, Valve did it because it is a hedge in case Windows becomes toxic to Steam. There is now a fallback position if Steam is locked out of Windows, and I expect Valve to continue to build in this position.
As for Android, there isn't a successful second app store that isn't tied to hardware; even Amazon quit Android. I don't think Valve sees Android expansion as commercialy viable.
- (A few days ago I skimmed a super cool post about Steam's relationship with Linux that says what you're saying and now I want to give it a thorough read but I can't find it
  . If anyone remembers and has a link to it I'd be super happy
  )
  
  Do you mean this article? https://thelibre.news/on-the-history-of-valve-and-linux/
- F-Droid?
  
  F-Droid's market share is a rounding error compared to Google's. Just because another app store exists doesn't mean there is significant competition between app stores.
- Valve didn't expand Steam into Linux to gain market share in a new market
  ...I didn't say anything about Linux?
  there isn't a successful second app store that isn't tied to hardware
  That doesn't mean there couldn't be.
  even Amazon quit Android
  Well everything I've read about Amazon indicates that it was atrocious for everyone so that's unsurprising.
  
  Bro why are you being so argumentative? Person gave you a well thought out response, wasn't even a tone to him but you fire back like he just insulted a core belief
  
  Ideas like this haven't come up for the first time. I expect this idea occurred to Valve and they thought it was not worth the investment of money/manpower/infrastructure.
  Valve would either have to publish on Google Play. That would put it in the role of a developer and Valve is not really pushing on its developer role significantly. A huge cut off sales then goes to google.
  Or Valve will have to try to make an alternative store.... And that is no small feat. Most people will not sideload apps or install other store fronts. I imagine the proportion of android game sales that Valve can get into will be tiny enthusiast communities, and that won't be anywhere near enough to pay the bills. On this alternative store, Valve will have to get developers to make games.....or again they will have to consider developing games in house to get the ball rolling. Their best bet would likely be to use their existing IP to make mobile spin-offs (DotA card game? Or a wild-rift type MOBA? CS:GO turn based tacticle game? Or try to compete with CoD for the FPS market?).
  I can't see any combination of the above that seem like probable success for Valve. It's admirable that they're sticking to their niche and what they know. Pushing further into the handheld gaming and console market has been a much better option for them and they're trying hard. Even in that aspect, the Steam Deck is universally praised......and is selling roughly 2.5% as many consoles as the Nintendo Switch. And no one I know IRL knows about the Steam Deck (other than my brothers, who bought one after I told them I had pre-ordered mine).

Maybe, just maybe, they are waiting for proton for ARM to be a thing.
Imagine having actually a big percentage of your steam games just work on android. Now that would be disruptive for the market.
If it worked like I imagine it would.
- Knowing Valve, they wouldn't wait but build the thing.
  Personally, I'd be happy to have another reputable place to buy Android games that isn't Google Play, Amazon or Epic Games.
- It's not that simple. Proton implements the Windows API functions required to run a Windows game on x64-based Linux, but it's not a CPU emulator. Emulating x64 on ARM at the speeds required by a game is virtually impossible.
  If Steam comes to ARM / Android, it would have to be a whole separate ecosystem of games. But Valve is late to the game there since we already have several players on that market, not least the standard Google Play Store.
  
  Emulating x64 on ARM at the speeds required by a game is virtually impossible.
  This has been done and it works reasonably well on a case by case basis.
  Much like protondb they have a list of confirmed broken and working games.
  https://box86.org/app/
- Thats a possibly I didnt think of. My thought were with Deckard, ARM laptops, or possibly better mac support cause they use ARM now.
  
  I think that's the more likely scenario. They plan to transition their hardware to ARM processors.

Valve is in the business of selling PC games. Moving into a new market wouldn't be trivial, and Google has put up a lot of barriers to make it especially difficult for a third-party app store to challenge their monopoly.
- Valve is in the business of selling PC games.
  They support games for Windows, Mac and Linux. And I'm sure they would support them for PS, Nintendo and Xbox if they weren't created with explicit intention of not allowing that sort of thing. Android is the only market they could feasibly enter and choose not to.
  Moving into a new market wouldn't be trivial
  No but it also wouldn't be that difficult for a company with Valve's resources, and would be extremely lucrative.
  Google has put up a lot of barriers to make it especially difficult for a third-party app store to challenge their monopoly.
  Such as?
  
  Paragraph 4.5 of Google Play's Developer Distribution Agreement is a rather large barrier. I'll paste it here:
  4.5 You may not use Google Play to distribute or make available any Product that has a purpose that facilitates the distribution of software applications and games for use on Android devices outside of Google Play.
  I'd wager the majority of Android users have never downloaded an application other than from the Google Play Store. Even among those who would try, a large amount of them would probably get scared off by the "unverified sources" popup Android gives you if you try to install an app in another manner.
  
  They support games for Windows, Mac and Linux.
  Those are all PC platforms. And Mac support is mostly dead after what Apple did.
  
  No but it also wouldn't be that difficult
  Why would you think that? Of course it would be difficult, it's a massive undertaking.
  Amazon and Epic have both tried to launch their own Android storefronts. Neither one has been even remotely successful. Amazon will be shutting theirs down soon.

I agree with you however I have one barrier to entry that others haven't elaborated on.
Firstly, I'll say how they could overcome some of the other challenges mentioned.
Steam would just have to add the ability for developers to upload android builds of games alongside the windows, Linux, Mac builds. All of a sudden, users would have huge, existing libraries of games. Most games built with Unity can target Android. I suspect a lot of indie developers would happily add the build.
Leaks have implied they were working on an arm emulator/translation layer but I assume this had to do with VR prototyping. Possibly the same effect as above but so many more configurations to target, they couldn't handle it the way they do with steam deck.
Require/recommend to users to use a controller on Android
If either or both of those first 2 points succeed, Valve doesn't need to do much more to ensure the utility of Steam games on Android. PC gamers are considered among the most willing and able to jump through hoops for a result. Going to a website to download the steam store plus a little warning on Android wouldn't stop a reasonable percentage of them. It wouldn't stop me.
It's almost 0 risk to them, right? Right? I don't think so.
Here's the big barrier I mentioned. I assume they have a not-insignificant number of sales through the the android app. If they start allowing users to install android games, Google is going to stop them from having purchases in their play store app. And while I said that users would install their app from a website, what percentage of users would do it? How many fewer PC game sales would they make (from the Play Store app) in order to let their current users play games on Android?
Additionally, what would Steam do if they started getting android-only games being submitted. Or mobile-quality games dominating their store? Does this dilute Steam's identity?
Additionally, it might be something they've discussed but they would have rather focused on steam deck-type gaming for mobile. Or perhaps an ARM-based steam OS+steamdeck approach would make more sense for them and then the difficulty/cost (and opportunity cost) increases do instead they simply don't pursue it.
The cross-buy thing is something that Gog or Epic could do but they don't have nearly the same "customer profile" (size, behaviour etc) so it isn't as likely to have the same impact.
Regardless, in my view you've asked a great question and it's a solid idea.
- If they start allowing users to install android games, Google is going to stop them from having anything useful in their play store app.
  They would have to distribute it independently. Google would have no say in the matter.
  what would Steam do if they started getting android-only games being submitted. Or mobile-quality games dominating their store?
  ...cash their checks? I don't understand the question. That's the point.
  it might be something they've discussed but they would have rather focused on steam deck-type gaming for mobile.
  perhaps an ARM-based steam OS+steamdeck approach would make more sense
  ...why not both?
  Although Valve seems to like staying in their lane so that seems like the most likely explanation.
  
  They would have to distribute it independently. Google would have no say in the matter.
  That's exactly my point. The current app lets you buy PC games despite being distributed through the store. If you can buy Android games on it, well, I doubt Google will ignore it. And even if Google was okay with it, there's no way to easily communicate to users who start using the app there that they need to download another app from a website.
  I'm not saying it's a bad idea. I'm just saying I think there are reasons they haven't done it (yet?). I think they certainly must have considered it. I've certainly been wondering about it for a long while too.
  why not both?
  Sure. I would assume they would do it the same way as steam deck, where that's the priority. The wide variety of phone specs on the market might have an impact on how they could support it etc.

Valve have supposedly been experimenting with x86 emulation on ARM for their next VR headset. So I think they might actually be well on their way to enter that market. Probably with the plan of making PC games playable on Android.

It's a pain to get other app stores to get uptake on Android since Google refuses to let other app stores be distributed via Google Play. So if Steam starts to distribute games for Android, the Steam app would be thrown out from Google Play.
It's the same reason why the F-droids user base is so small and will never reach the main public. As soon as your app store needs to be installed via a third party web site, you have lost.
- Sure, but Steam can leverage their already-massive 132M userbase, just like Epic has (only much bigger). Put an announcement on the Steam store and client pages. Show a pop-up when someone opens the website from an Android device, etc. I mean certainly they wouldn't achieve the same level of success as Google who has their store installed on literally every Android device, but even a tiny fraction of their revenue would be an enormous boon to Steam.
  So if Steam starts to distribute games for Android, the Steam app would be thrown out from Google Play.
  That's not how that works. They only throw it out if you use the app in the app store to distribute other apps. They don't ban the entire company from distributing any software.
  
  They don't ban the entire company from distributing any software.
  They can do whatever, it's their store.
  Keep in mind that Epic Games v. Google has made Google add features to allow alternative app stores on Android... which automatically removes the monopoly argument and lets Google ban anyone they want from the Google Play store.

Because Valve has gone to fair lengths to not become shit, and they probably don't want to start now.
- I don't understand what that has to do with the discussion.
  
  Google has made quite some effort making android a mess for anything but themselves. If I were valve/steam I would not want to maintain a store on there
  
  Yes, I imagine you don't. Which is probably why you asked the question in the first place.

What would you suggest they sell on their Android store that users would be so encouraged to install a new store and then what they want?
Steam already has a store on Android, you just can't play games there because most games on steam either already exist on the native google play store, or aren't compatible with mobile architectures like Arm64. Most mobiles unlike a arm laptop, have no x86/amd64 emulator which is what those games are compiled as by their developers.
So what's left?
- What would you suggest they sell on their Android store that users would be so encouraged to install a new store and then what they want?
  ...games?
  Steam already has a store on Android
  Uhhhh they have an Android app which you can use to buy and manage PC games. That's not what I'm talking about.
  because most games on steam either already exist on the native google play store
  ...no? Even if they did you'd have to buy 2 licenses instead of 1. As I mentioned in the OP.
  Most mobiles unlike a arm laptop, have no x86/amd64 emulator
  I'm not suggesting emulation or translation (although that would be great as well), I'm suggesting an app store for selling and installing native Android games.
  
  I'm trying to figure out the gap in the market you're trying to fill other than "for steam fan boys it would allow us fans of steam games that already exist in a native place, in a non native place!"
  Correct me what is going into it that isn't already somewhere, and who that appeals to?
  Or is this just thought experiment?

What more do they need to do besides having Steam Link to let you stream your PC games to your phone?
- Aside from the fact that Steam Link is pretty terrible and requires a high-speed local connection, native Android games.
  
  It hasnt needed a local connection for a while. I usually play Civilization over it when out of the house.

I do like Balatro and want to play it on my phone, but if I want to do that I have to buy another license, which I can't even do because I don't run Google Play Services
Spoiler: you can use the LÖVE loader to run the "PC version" of Balatro on Android, since it's all written in Lua.

The mobile and PC gaming markets are very different, both in terms of monetisation and what games people expect to play.
If Valve wanted to get into the mobile games industry they'd basically be starting from scratch, and I don't think it's a market they're particularly interested in.
You're also assuming that buying a game on PC steam will also give you a license to play that game on android, which isn't a given. I think many games have completely different monetisation models on mobile vs pc, so sharing between platforms like that wouldn't make sense.
- You're also assuming that buying a game on PC steam will also give you a license to play that game on android, which isn't a given.
  It wasn't an assumption it was hypothetical.

There are some projects to bring steam games to android. Like Pluvia.

And give google 30‰ of what every android user purchases? Nutz!
- No, they would have to create and distribute their own app store, just like Epic.
  
  And hows that working out for epic?
  Valves strategy of not doing anything new in the last decade while every other publisber shoots themselves in the foot seems to be working pretty well for them.

103 comments