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For plenty of them, the new issue is crossplay because Steamwork hasn't been staying competitive and doesn't support it as a feature. So you need another networ

For plenty of them, the new issue is crossplay because Steamwork hasn't been staying competitive and doesn't support it as a feature. So you need another networking solution to support crossplay. If I'm releasing a game on PS5, Steam does not offer an API to access friends, send invites, etc. Now you need an account system to support a crossplatform friends list. Steam does have these API privately, as seen with their Playstation 3 Portal 2 release. But that was more than 10 years ago, and probably not even updated as the recent Nintendo Switch release of Portal 2 cannot do crossplay. "Crossplatform" even applies to other games on PC, because you cannot use Steamworks on games sold outside of Steam. So unless you are releasing Steam only, it is not a good idea to rely on Steamworks for networking. Off the top of my head, Deep Rock Galactic is one such game. It was on Steam for about 2 years before being put on the Windows Microsoft Store as part of Xbox Game Pass PC which cannot play with Steam versions of the game.

mjevans 4y ago
Counter example: Sea of Thieves. Xbox / Windows native game, built around Xbox Live only. As a Linux user, at least the last time I tried to play that game, it could not integrate at all with audio input devices, and trying to get accounts to link up with friends via the Microsoft website was either impossible or really clunky. IIRC I had to have someone with the Windows Xbox app invite me to the crew. They don't even try to do 'cross play' outside of the Xbox / Windows PC ecosystem, and at least my perception based on experience was that other ecosystem isn't baked into the game but as an implicit external dependency (friends list, audio input).
- jabroni_salad 4y ago
  At least you were able to get into a crew. I recently tried to play Golf with Friends only to find that those of us using the gamepass version couldn't play with those of us using the Steam version.
- ThatPlayer 4y ago
  I'm not sure what point you're disagreeing with me on? With that counter example? My point is that Steamworks doesn't support being one of those external dependency on games not released on Steam. Xbox does, as seen with Sea of Thieves being released on Steam. Plenty do bake it into the game, because that Xbox login will not work otherwise on Playstation or Switch. Or even Android or iOS. See Minecraft. But I can't bake Steamworks into games not on Steam, PC or otherwise. Not like Valve is the only one with this issue though. It also applies to GoG's Steamworks competitor as far as I know.

mjevans 4y ago

Counter example: Sea of Thieves. Xbox / Windows native game, built around Xbox Live only. As a Linux user, at least the last time I tried to play that game, it could not integrate at all with audio input devices, and trying to get accounts to link up with friends via the Microsoft website was either impossible or really clunky. IIRC I had to have someone with the Windows Xbox app invite me to the crew. They don't even try to do 'cross play' outside of the Xbox / Windows PC ecosystem, and at least my perception based on experience was that other ecosystem isn't baked into the game but as an implicit external dependency (friends list, audio input).

jabroni_salad 4y ago
At least you were able to get into a crew. I recently tried to play Golf with Friends only to find that those of us using the gamepass version couldn't play with those of us using the Steam version.
ThatPlayer 4y ago
I'm not sure what point you're disagreeing with me on? With that counter example? My point is that Steamworks doesn't support being one of those external dependency on games not released on Steam. Xbox does, as seen with Sea of Thieves being released on Steam. Plenty do bake it into the game, because that Xbox login will not work otherwise on Playstation or Switch. Or even Android or iOS. See Minecraft. But I can't bake Steamworks into games not on Steam, PC or otherwise. Not like Valve is the only one with this issue though. It also applies to GoG's Steamworks competitor as far as I know.