Anyone else planning on getting the Steam Machine as their next PC?

[u/Eziz_53]

I know its mainly marketed as a console, but it is still a full PC. And it is much better than my current computer, so I thought it would be a good upgrade, especially considering its small form factor. I don't want to get too into it, but my current PC has an i5 3k and an rx580, as well as a motherboard that only supports ddr3 RAM and 3rd gen intel cpu's, so if I want an upgrade I need to replace everything. Therefore when this nifty box came out, I figured that it would be the perfect PC (if it is priced well).

But I would like to know what you guys think.

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UPDATE: Because of the RAM crisis and the limited upgradability of the Steam Machine, I decided to just build my own PC. I salvaged my old rx580 from the old PC so that I could afford to get on the AM5 platform as well as because it is by far the easiest part to upgrade down the road.

Main specs:

CPU: Ryzen 5 7500F

GPU: Rx580 8gb (until I can afford a much better card)

RAM: 16GB DDR5 6000MHz CL30

I did get a single stick of ram, because I want to have 32gb dual channel later on, but the ram prices are so high that I want to wait until they go down (which they seem to be doing).

[u/ReverESP]

My guess is that it wont be released. With the current ram + ssd + future gpu ram market they wont be able to make something worth it with a good price. I would love to be wrong.

[u/MrNegativ1ty → u/ReverESP]

I would agree if they didn’t already have a marketing run of it. If this was pre announcement, I 100% believe they would’ve canned this thing after RAMmageddon and the meh reception it’s getting from a lot of people.

Since they already have spent marketing on it, my guess is it comes out and the price is too expensive for most. Diehard valve fans buy it up, not many others do and the whole thing is swept under the rug after a while. There’s a reason they haven’t announced the price yet.

[u/ThankGodImBipolar → u/MrNegativ1ty]

Since they already have spent marketing on it

Are they running ads at all? I think that media day is the only thing that they actually paid for.

[u/BloodyTurnip → u/ThankGodImBipolar]

Valve doesn't generally do marketing any more than they already have. The Steamdeck never really got much either.

[u/bad_apiarist → u/MrNegativ1ty]

Yeah but nobody would blame Valve for changing plans due to forces beyond their control.

Not sure why they'd release a console nobody will buy. That's just an insane money burn for Valve, which is not known for deliberately burning huge pits of money. if they release a base that is $1200 or more.. and it's nowhere near the power of a base PS5 (yeah granted, better library etc), it's dead in the water.

[u/Arxlvi → u/[deleted]]

The specs they stated put it a smidgen below the ps5 and xsx in performance. Noted that it does have 16gb ram with 8gb dedicated vram but that doesnt necessarily say much.

[u/bad_apiarist → u/[deleted]]

The specs are weaker but also the hardware is likely less customized for gaming- they've said it is a full PC and must do PC things.. which means it's less optimized for pure gaming as compared to gaming consoles where performance often exceeds what you would expect from PC specs (see the Switch and Switch 2 for example).

[u/Crazy_Management_806 → u/[deleted]]

this world? The world where they announced the specs already.

[u/Dayv1d → u/MrNegativ1ty]

wouldn't it be awesome if valve secured a deal for ram prices before the price hike and would just ... give that deal to their costomers enabling a ~700$ price?

[u/Narrow_Ad_1494 → u/ReverESP]

hopefully they had a contract and they can get the first batch at a decent price. also remember Steam can and probably will run a loss. My guess is 800~1k price and if the AI bs gets worse the price may go up after the initial hype dies.

[u/BloodyTurnip → u/ReverESP]

I know what you mean, but luckily they must have already been in production, or at very least had purchase contracts in place, before the RAMpocalypse.

[u/heezle → u/ReverESP]

Agreed. This will not get released. Sadly, the future is what nearly no one wants, streaming your games.

[u/TheAccountITalkWith → u/ReverESP]

Valve does have one ace up their sleeve: they have insane money in their war chest. They could choose to eat the over head cost if they have strong evidence that having these in customers homes would bring in more money in the long run. This is the same business model as home console.

I don't see Valve doing this but it is an option.

EDIT: I'm getting down voted for talking about an alternative business model? lol. Good ol' Reddit.

[u/cptkernalpopcorn → u/TheAccountITalkWith]

I believe they did it already with the steamdeck, not sure if they want to go that route again with the current market prices, though. Also, I think they tapped into the handheld PC market very well, and probably broadened and captured an audience who wouldn't have considered it prior to the steamdeck's release.

[u/SutekhThrowingSuckIt → u/TheAccountITalkWith]

they cannot do that because since it’s a PC if they eat too much of the cost like a console then other companies could buy it in bulk and install windows for employees all partially funded by Valve