Steam has sometimes been rumored as coming to Xbox in some capacity, and vice versa, but this has yet to occur. On consoles like the Xbox Series X and PS5, the only legal shopping option - at the moment- is a hardware maker's own online store. Indeed, even some third-party VR games like Pavlov are dependent on SteamVR to run. That makes being unable to shop there a serious problem, especially given the popularity of some of Valve's own titles like Portal 2, DotA 2, and Half-Life: Alyx. Locate the Download Restriction section and click on the drop-down beside the Limit bandwidth to option. Navigate to the Download option on the left-hand side and click on it. Steam is the most popular venue for PC games, though, and often the default platform for game developers as a result. Go to the Steam Settings by following the steps stated previously. Valve has so far been quiet on the financial impact of region exploits, but explains some of its rules in a Steam help article.Īnother possibility is that gamers will turn to other storefronts like GOG, the Epic Games Store, and itch.io.
Most of the people using the region-change exploit are probably unwilling - or unable - to pay full price in their home countries. With an easy loophole closed, the alternative may be illegal downloads that leave Valve and developers with zero income, rather than the small amount they would collect from purchases in Argentina. A risk of Valve's tightening grip is that it will actually increase piracy.
