Everything We Know About Amazon's Steam Competitor, Vapour
A few days ago, Twitch was hacked and over 100GB of data leaked onto the internet. This caused many users' account information to be in serious danger, and people are still uncovering the ramifications of the leak. Some observant gamers figured out from the data that Twitch, which is owned by Amazon, planned to come out with a PC storefront called Vapour that would compete with Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Twitter user Sinoc provided screenshots and information about Vapour to explain how it was discovered. Most importantly, the information led gamers to wonder about the storefront, both in terms of what it might be like and how it would affect the market. Amazon's release of an online storefront could have serious consequences for the gaming marketplace. While the Epic Games Store and Steam are fighting over the PC market, Amazon could hypothetically release a new platform and sweep the rug up from underneath them. The possibility of an Amazon gaming store makes sense, considering that the company has begun releasing its own games, including "New World."
The leak didn't just prove that Amazon had been secretly developing a PC store — it also included plenty of information on Vapour's features.
What would Vapour be like?
According to Sinoc and the screenshots they provided, Vapour will have a lot to offer streamers in particular. Of course, since Amazon will own both Vapour and Twitch, it makes sense that there would be some sort of integrations between the two. Sinoc pointed out that several of the assets shown off in the screenshots mirrored other Twitch features and that popular games like "Fortnite" and "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" had direct support in the app. While no one knows exactly what Vapour could look like, it's safe to say that Twitch streamers might find that streaming games from the Vapour store is easier compared to streaming titles from another location on their computer or console.
Sinoc also included some information about "Vapeworld," mentioning that it's likely to be a type of "VR chat" game. Considering how similar it sounds to "Vapour," there are some exciting possibilities about what a VR chat program looks like with Twitch integrations.
Fans seemed to be on the fence about the potential news. One user on Twitter pointed out that the name Vapour is blatantly ripping off Steam. Another user explained that more competition on the PC front can only be a good thing, as it translates to better prices for consumers.