There's definitely an interesting aspect that you can only access games profile content if you own the game. So, no Starfield pfps of you didn't buy the game.

On one hand, buying the game gives you points which is usually enough to buy the set. On the other hand, you do have to own the game to get access to buying these accessories in the first place.

Personally it's not really a big deal to me given that they are just .APNG's that you can upload yourself. But I guess the OP didn't want to put Valve in a positive light by saying that users can customize their accounts for free.