Valve might be working on a cloud gaming service for Steam

Move over, Google Stadia and Project xCloud – it appears that Valve could be working on a cloud gaming service all of its own.

A Tweet from SteamDB revealed that, in a leaked partner site code update, Valve added several lines of code that require Steam partners to sign an addendum to the platform’s terms.

While the code is designed to get partners to fill in a form, the line that’s caught everyone’s eye is “function SignLatestCloudGamingAddendum( returnURL )” as, naturally, it contains the golden words of both “cloud” and “gaming.”

Valve is working on "Steam Cloud Gaming" according to partner site code update. Partners will need to sign an addendum to their terms.

Could this be a competitor to @GoogleStadia?https://t.co/7AQ9YxCol8

— SteamDB (@SteamDB) November 6, 2019

However, the code doesn’t really go into any depth about what Steam’s Cloud Gaming Addendum is or what it’s going to be doing. No sort of service has gone live yet, although code updates tend to be quietly added a while before any official public announcements. No details are really available aside from the fact that partners will now have to fill in some more forms.

So what could Steam’s Cloud Gaming service be? The most likely answer is the one right in front of us: that it’s some form of competitor or alternative to Google’s Stadia service and Microsoft’s Project xCloud.

Steam already has streaming in several forms: Steam’s Remote Play Together beta allows you to play couch co-op without having anyone else on your couch and Steam Link allows players to stream games from any computer using Steam.

Steam Link lets you play games on your phone, tablet, and TV – so what would Valve be doing with this new cloud streaming service? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

In related Steam news, the platform’s revamped Library design is now out of beta and available for all Steam users.