Valve has made the console of Microsoft’s dreams

Microsoft keeps touting this model for the future of a gaming console that sounds great to gamers: it’s as easy as a console, it can play a huge library of PC titles, and it supports third-party stores. This would be a great product if someone could build it, and it certainly looks like Valve has got Microsoft beat with their new Steam Machine.

This week on vertcastNilay Patel, Jake Kastrenakes, Sean Hollister, and special guest Joanna Stern sit down to talk about Valve’s ambitious new hardware initiatives — and what they mean for Microsoft and Windows. Will consumers still use Windows in the future? Or will gaming (and the overemphasis on AI) drive people to Linux? There is dissatisfaction, and the rise of SteamOS is just one sign of that.

Next, Joanna dives into her story The Wall Street Journal About the new robot, with whom she had to personally spend time and even control herself. Right now, the robot is not ready to perform any daily tasks gracefully. But the big question we want to know is whether AI will ever reach that goal. As of now, there is a human behind the robot.

Finally, it’s time for the lightning round. On the agenda: Amazon Fire TV piracy campaign, $230 Apple-themed socks, ongoing dispute over YouTube TV and Disney, Apple’s new support for applets, Waymo hits the highway, and tablets are the villain in… Toy Story 5.

If you want to learn more about the stories we discuss in the episode, you can check out the stories below: