Apple Is A Bigger Threat Than Next-Gen Consoles, Says Gabe Newell

January 30, 2013

Be afraid, be very afraid.

Valve is getting ready to debut its first console, and it isn't the threat of Microsoft and Sony entering the next-gen that is worrying it the most. Instead, it's the king of the mobile market, Apple, that Valve's management is worried about.

Gabe Newell, CEO at Valve, has expressed his concern with Apple's inevitable entry into the living room entertainment market. To a classroom full of University of Texas students he said the following:

The biggest challenge, I don't think is from the consoles. I think the biggest challenge is that Apple moves on the living room before the PC industry sort of gets its act together.

Apple's stock has climbed into the hundreds of billions as the company has consistently outpaced its competition, but console manufacturers have been lucky enough to avoid its impact, at least directly. In contrast, the mobile gaming market has been profoundly shaken with Nintendo and Sony caught in a multi-faceted war.

Newell is fully aware that Apple is going to push its hardest to make a presence in the living room, and if there's one thing we've learned about Valve it's that it's most productive when under pressure. Don't be surprised when the Steam Box turns out to be an extremely impressive device.

Although Jonathan Leack began covering the gaming industry in 2009, his earliest roots date back to 2004 when he wrote his first of many reviews to come. Equipped with a B.S. in Computer Information Systems and several information technology certifications, he provides a unique perspective that is technological and business conscious. Having acquired the role of Executive Editor in 2016, his mission is to make GameRevolution a gaming site that thoughtfully considers the consumer perspective, and has a knowledgeable presence of PC gaming, console, hardware, and eSports coverage.