<p>On the same day that Microsoft revealed its high-end PC hybrid, dubbed the Surface Pro 2, Valve announced SteamOS, a platform for Linux-based game consoles. PC gaming has been so good to Valve and its popular Steam service that the company is now using that strength to attack living room consoles. I half-expected Microsoft to recommit to PC gaming in response.</p><p>Only it didn't happen that way. Despite the power of the Surface Pro 2, gaming barely got a mention at Microsoft's press conferencelet alone any kind of unique hook for PC gamers. If Microsoft has any ambitions to attack Steam on its main turf (which happens to be Microsoft's operating system), we didn't get the slightest whiff.</p><p>Certainly, the Surface Pro 2 will have some gaming chops. It promises a 50 percent boost in graphics performance and a 20 percent increasing in processing power over the original Surface, which itself was reportedly decent for gaming. In laptops with similar specsspecifically, an Intel Core i5 4200U processor and Intel HD 4400 graphicsgames like Skyrim and Need for Speed: Most Wanted have managed around 30 frames per second with low details. Even if the touchscreen doesn't come into play, the Surface's tablet-and-kickstand combo could still make for a handy little gaming device with an attached controller. At the very least, it'd be less bulky than a full-sized laptop.</p><p>How many times did Microsoft mention gaming during its Surface announcement on Monday? I count just once, when the company showed off Halo: Spartan Assault, a $7 tablet game, on the ARM-based Surface 2not to be confused with the Intel-powered Surface 2 Pro. In its press materials, Microsoft mentions the "gaming capabilities" of the Surface 2, but says nothing about the Surface Pro 2s ability to run beefier games like Skyrim. Microsoft's promo videos for Surface Pro 2 are all about productivity; gaming never gets a nod.</p><p><a href="http://techland.time.com/2013/09/24/surface-pro-2-is-another-missed-pc-gaming-opportunity-for-microsoft/">Keep reading...</a></p>