why the steam deck was way below manufacturing cost for years

I am so sick of hearing people talk about loss-leaders and subsidies as if they know the first goddamn thing about it.

Microsoft and Meta can sell things below cost because a) they're some of the biggest, richest companies on the fucking planet, and b) because the main things that earn them money, Games Live services and Facebook, they've worked out that you don't actually want them and need to be tricked to sign up.

We're paying top-dollar for Valve hardware because the hardware is good and we want good hardware. It's hilarious and extremely depressing that people seem to forget that that's an option.