I was under the impression that the Steam price parity rule only applies to Steam keys (can't sell the Steam version of the game cheaper elsewhere). I mean if it applies to other versions too, how far would it reach? Non-steam PC versions from other stores? Console or mobile versions?
I will try verify this somehow..
When I first heard about this, I also thought this. And maybe it really does only apply if you give away a Steam key with the purchase.
Unfortunately, the only example I have on top of my mind did give away a Steam key. But the drm free version and the Steam version share save game spot and are compatible and have the same content. Unless one wants to include Steam achievments as "content".
Would be cool, if you share your answer, should you find any precise answer to that topic. A thread concerning this price parity rule pops up once in a while. And in general I see price matching even on pages that do not offer a Steam key with the purchase, so I assume it either is not tied to the Steam key, or there are other reasons to match.
From a platform's perspective, Steam would have an incentive to not allow lower prices on other platforms. If it comes out on Steam and on Playstation and it costs half on Playstation, that is bad for Steam. Maybe there are different rules for AAA titles or in relation to the time since first release date or whatever.
