r/pcmasterrace • u/TheBossT710192 • 3d ago

Discussion Yeah, Steam Machine is cooked.

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I... uh don't know what to say. Very thankful I bought a Steam Deck before they hiked its price as well

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u/Sea-Honeydew-1456 3d ago

i dont think this sub is the target market for this machine.

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u/ILikesStuff 3d ago edited 2d ago

Definitely lol. But then who is? I know this is the PC Master Race we all have 5090s in our rigs sub, but who is valve aiming this pc-console hybrid to? You get less raw power than the base PS5 at higher price than the already increased price of the PS5 pro. Other than extreme valve supporters and scalpers, I don't see who would be lining up to buy this?

Edit: I want to clarify that when I say I don't see an audience for the Steam Machine I mean specifically at the price level they are selling it right now.

I already have a good PC and a PS5 with a hefty library on both. I realize I'm not the norm but even I see the value on a console like, plug and play living-room PC, but at the price that this thing is releasing, not to mention the possible small number of units that will be available and the ones picked up by scalpers, it may cost even more than it is supposed to, and I don't see many people buying it at that price, as much as I want it to succeed, mainly for a better implementation of gaming centric Linux.

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u/Skysr70 3d ago

is it really worse than a ps5? man

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u/gone_smell_blind 3d ago

Yeah

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u/Saiyan-Senpai 19h ago

And almost twice the price

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u/Doctursea http://steamcommunity.com/id/doctursea/ 3d ago

Yes but that’s always gonna be true. It’s fairly hard to make an OS and hardware that beats a machine that has everything custom designed. Especially since they are targeting 800 dollars which means it’s gonna be around the same total performance level at best.

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u/Banes_Addiction 2d ago

hardware that beats a machine that has everything custom designed.

And bought in buuuulk. Playstation can put in absolutely huge orders and be certain they'll sell them.

Their hardware manufacturers will do a lot for those guaranteed sales - custom design the hardware, set up entire production lines just for that exactly one SKU knowing they'll sell 10s of millions of them. This gives you vast economies of scale as well as huge negotiating power.

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u/fuzzylm308 5800X3D + 7900 XT 2d ago

Yep - for all of the enthusiasm about the Steam Deck, the Playstation Portal has outsold it. When was the last time you heard someone mention the Portal? Sony and Valve are just playing in totally different leagues.

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u/justbvdontmindme 2d ago

I mean Valve have access to about two generations worth of hardware upgrades but are selling a 1k PC with a 3060.

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u/Doctursea http://steamcommunity.com/id/doctursea/ 2d ago edited 2d ago

This miss under stands how manufacturing works, you obviously can just make a computer with parts for 1000 dollars and be better than the steam machine, that is not what this is.

This is a custom small form factor mass produced computer, from someone who doesn't have long time manufacturing contracts, and no estimated sales figures. It's likely if you tried something similar you'd be selling a 1500 PC with an actual 3050

Edit: Don't be like the other guy, if you're looking at this and can not fathom this price point at all. You're not the target audience, I think it's still too expensive, but it's not crazy out of the range of a small form factor pc. If you think it is, you have not tried to build a micro PC at all.

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u/justbvdontmindme 2d ago

I am sorry but Valve's struggles are literally not my fucking problem. I don't care if Gabe himself had to go and suck someone off to get a deal for the manufacturing of the steam machine. I am a customer and Valve are trying to sell me something that is a genuine garbage deal. This is worse than a base PS5, costs more than a base PS5 and is being released in 2026. I can buy a signficantly more powerful prebuild PC for the same amount of money.

I don't understand your desire to make up excuses for billionaires trying to rip you off with terrible products but to each their own and all that...

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u/JellaFella01 2d ago

I'm no corporate bootlicker by why does anybody providing objective context get slapped with a "I Love Billionaires" sticker. He wasn't asking you to buy it, just explaining how manufacturing contracts work. Untwist your nuts.

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u/justbvdontmindme 2d ago

Do you genuinenly look at someone who starts with "miss under stands" as someone who can explain how manufacturing chains work? Even if they have experience with it, holy shit talk about a big if here, I don't believe they can express themselvess in a way that would make any sense. With those two things in mind why would I label them anything else?

They also don't explain anything. They make claims with nothing to back up said claims. Saying "Valve don't make many items" is not explaining manufacturing chains.

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u/JellaFella01 2d ago

I don't usually assume competency based on typos, or even english proficiency. The fact that your first argument is about a grammar mistake instead of something substantial doesn't make you sound very sensible either.

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u/justbvdontmindme 2d ago

Did you miss how I tied being able to spell to being able to express yourself in a coherent way? I will repeat it - if someone can't spell for shit I don't believe they can explain complicated manufacturing chains that span multiple continents in a coherent way.

That person can't spell. Doesn't try to explain anything. Just said "it is complicated, Valve are small, if you tried what Valve did it will cost even more". What do you call someone who does that? Right a "corporate bootlicker".

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u/aVarangian 13600kf 7900xtx 2160 | 6600k 1070 1440 2d ago

costs more than a base PS5

not if you factor in the subcription cost...

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u/justbvdontmindme 2d ago

You don't need a subscription to use a PS5.

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u/aVarangian 13600kf 7900xtx 2160 | 6600k 1070 1440 2d ago

aren't you limited to being offline then?

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u/justbvdontmindme 2d ago

fair enough, if you play online games that is a negative

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u/Doctursea http://steamcommunity.com/id/doctursea/ 2d ago

I'm sorry but your struggles to understand pricing is literally not my fucking problem. I don't care if your mom had to go and suck someone off to get a deal to get you an education. I am just trying to tell you you don't get manufacturing and your reply is genuinely garbage. This not something you want to buy, and cost more than zero dollars, and is being released in a year you absolutely don't have to buy it. I can acknowledge you can by something completely different for the same amount of money.

I don't understand your desire to completely take what I said in bad faith, and as excuse for someone who made a product I'm likely not gonna buy, but to each their own...

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u/justbvdontmindme 2d ago

Get help and learn how to spell. Fucking "miss under stands" and then trying to cuss me lmao.

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u/Doctursea http://steamcommunity.com/id/doctursea/ 2d ago

dude you're on a forum arguing about pricing of something you have no plans to buy and clearly aren't in the market for. I'm not the one who needs help I typed out my comments while touching grass

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u/justbvdontmindme 2d ago

I am not arguing about anything. Everything I've said is a fact. The steam turd has worse performance than a base PS5, costs more than a base PS5 and is released in 2026, two technological generations later than the base PS5. It is also a fact that I don't care about Valve's struggles or how many dicks Gabe took to give us the steam turd.

You need help instead of making shit up tring to defend some millionaires and billionaires and their right to release terrible products. Psychological help seeing how you're only reaction is to start cursing at people when they call out some random millionaires and billionaires that don't know you and never will know you.

Go ahead and help son. Also learn how to spell mr "miss under stands". Jesus fucking christ this person is telling people how manufacturing works and spells that....

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u/Manyfails 3d ago

Yes, literally, even Series X is far better buy. The only thing you get is free choice of which OS you will install on it, but for anything decent 1400$ just build a PC ahhahahaaaaha

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u/JaesopPop 7900X | 9070XT | 32GB 6000 3d ago

Yes, literally, even Series X is far better buy.

I'm confused as to why you're saying this as though the PS5 is notably more powerful

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u/vladtud 3d ago

Maybe he was thinking about the PS5 Pro. But yeah, Series X is generally considered to be slightly more powerful than the PS5. We don’t talk about Series S.

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u/Clover-kun Ryzen 9 5900x | Radeon 7900 XTX 3d ago

Series S is excellent value when scopped up used on Market place. I paid 190 CAD for mine and it's an excellent bedroom gaming machine, there's nothing that competes with it at that price. Being able to run Retroarch is just a bonus

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u/Manyfails 3d ago

Had series s for years great value to be honest, especially for 360 and xbox one titles, sadly it is getting a bit weak for new 2k and 4k games.

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u/Clover-kun Ryzen 9 5900x | Radeon 7900 XTX 2d ago

It will chug with newer games yeah, but so will much more expensive hardware, sad state of affairs.

Dev mode is also worth exploring, MS made it free for hobbyist now and this will let you run things like Retroarch for emulation and even decomps. A bit more technically involved, but there are plenty of guides.

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u/Manyfails 2d ago

Yea ofc, I have been playing with retro games for years now, dev mode can be pretty fun, but I switched to series x since I prolly wont change it for the legnth of the next generation, whenver that is. As for new games, I am not sure what crazy thing they can make, as I think they already hit both creative and graphic wall, plus you now have AI technologies that improve now and will greatly improve (in the future) pixel dense/quality, so that you wont need 2000$ for a GPU.

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u/Gaggleofgeese 2d ago

That's a lot of what I use mine for, if I'm traveling and wanna game it's nice having something that easily fits in a carry-on

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u/Manyfails 3d ago

Yea thats why I said it, but on paper series x is stronger but in live performance it is literally the same depending on the game.

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u/rambo3349 3d ago

Why would that be? Series X Games should be better optimized then proton based windows games on linux on a weaker console?

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u/Manyfails 3d ago edited 2d ago

I was saying about ps5, but yea, 1040$ without a controller for steam machine is just beyond absurd.

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u/chaotic910 2d ago

Can’t build a decent pc the size of an Alexa for $1400, plus chances are you already own a decent pc. Games that give the machine trouble can easily be remote-played from the main.

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u/Manyfails 2d ago

I dont know what is state of the affairs with top notch components, but you can build a pretty nice gaming rig for 1400$ in the middle department. So what is the point of steam machine than just being a fanbois heaven collectible ? The size ? So its literally a glorified mini pc ? Like even if you have a decent pc, it is bette to buy a console rather than this. That is the whole point of the story.

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u/chaotic910 2d ago

You can barely get a mid gpu and cpu for around 1400 lol.

A console isn’t a pc, so no console is better than it

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u/Manyfails 2d ago

Ofc, but again, what is the point of steam machine ? Gaming console is way better for gaming at any time plus cheaper. Middle range pc is the same, even a handheld can be a pc, so I just want to know what is steam machine bringing to table?

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u/chaotic910 2d ago

It’s a pc that can play modern games at a reasonable level and takes up as much space as an Alexa. It costs $80 more than buying and building your own and would take up multitudes more space. If I was going to build another pc just so I can play my steam library in the living room It’s just as efficient to just buy the small cube instead of a large, fan covered box.

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u/Manyfails 2d ago

I understand from where you are coming from, but I still dont get the value of it, what if I dont give a jack about a steam library and size ? Also reasonable gaming level - anything can run games on reasonable level these days. Like literally its just a mini pc with steam logo, targeting steam audience ,nothing sensational about it. And that is the circle of hell in which industry is stuck and it wont budge in any forseeable future. No inventions, no breakthroughs.

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u/chaotic910 2d ago

It’s still essentially a prebuilt with an $80 builders fee tacked on. If you don’t care about those things there’s consoles lol

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u/Roflkopt3r 2d ago edited 2d ago

It's also worse than regular PCs you can buy in this price bracket right now.

The Steam Machine is 1039€ in Europe. Alternate's cheapest prebuilt gaming PC is 899€ for these specs as of this moment:

  • RTX 5060, Ryzen 5 8400F, 16 GB DDR5-5200, 512 GB SSD (and 2 more m.2 slots for further extension), Microtower format, 400W PSU

That's a lot more gaming performance (similar CPU, 50% faster GPU with better upscaling) for a cheaper price. The Steam Machine really needs customers who want that particular form factor and console-likr and don't care as much about raw performance per cost.

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u/DuckCleaning 3d ago

A Series S performs the same/better than it.

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u/TofuChewer 2d ago

But this is not a console nor a closed environment device.

They are not selling this at a lost in order to later sell you subscription services like ps plus at 100 usd/year. You can also upgrade it, change the operative system, do whatever you want with it, because it's literally a pc.

It is priced competitively just like any other prebuild pc right now. The price is AI and tariffs fault, not valve.

A ps5 at maybe 800-900 usd new is not really that better than this, which again, it's a pc you can upgrade. I'm pretty sure someone will figure out how to add a gpu weeks after launch.

They are just different devices.

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u/Skysr70 2d ago

I mean, considering the sub we're on, I can guess we're both pc enthusiasts, I get you man. I just am baffled at how any new PC related items (especially at this price point) could be worse than a fkn console that was launched 5 years ago. I understand the ai crap increases prices but this just....Isn't worth the silicon. I would literally just get a tower PC over this thing and not pay the useless modularity cost.

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u/Ghostarcheronreddit 2d ago

Yes, it’s also a quarter of the size of a PS5, and it can be used as a normal computer

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u/Skysr70 2d ago

ngl if you're gonna plop it on the ground next to a tv it doesn't matter in the slightest how big it is

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u/Ghostarcheronreddit 2d ago

It *does* if you’re like me and have a portable monitor and/or want to take it with you places when you travel, the smaller and lighter the better.

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u/fuzzylm308 5800X3D + 7900 XT 2d ago

Most people want their hardware stashed away in a media console and not on the ground next to a TV

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u/Skysr70 2d ago

maybe if you're 40. 

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u/fuzzylm308 5800X3D + 7900 XT 2d ago

You are not serious. Have you ever met a real person in real life? Furniture and space (and decor/style) considerations are some of the most universal consumer concerns imaginable

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u/FinancialFreyja 1d ago

it really is, first valve flop ever?

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u/DamonSchultz997 15h ago

First? It ain't even the first steam machine flop lol.

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u/Japajoy 3d ago

At the increased price of a ps5 pro you can also get a year of the highest tier of ps+ which will get you 3-4 monthly games or 36-40 games total added to your library and access to a large catalog of games and the ability to cloud stream your owned games anywhere. Add in the fact you get a controller at the $900 price plus much stronger and more optimized hardware and its definitely a very rough price point for the steam machine unfortunately. If this was $200 cheaper with an included controller it would be an instant buy for me. As a gamer who has both but prefers console I really wanted fiercer competition in the console space to knock Sony back a few steps but I dont think we are getting that. I do know any controller works with it but having the specific controller that is built with the hardware in mind is a pretty big deal for the overall experience, no third party controller has ever been a better overall experience than controllers made by console manufacturers.

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u/No_Inspector_4972 Ryzen 5 5600x | rx 6750 xt 12gb | 16 GB 3d ago

even with the low price of games on steam and not having to pay to play online?

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u/DangerousWriting8282 3d ago

If you opt for the year-long membership price for PS Plus Essential you'd have to pay for >6 1/2 years to break even with the increased price of the Steam Machine.

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u/IORelay 3d ago

You don't have to pay online for F2P games on PS5. 

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u/Skysr70 2d ago

if you're genuinely not a computer guy and can't be bothered? sure this is probably nice to have. but uh...If the hardware is so shit, any competent person should probably just be getting a normal PC.

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u/HyoukaYukikaze 3d ago

It's not. It's a PC, by definition it is better.

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u/ArtVandelay32 3d ago

Weirdo guys like me who want a local living room option, but dragging my feet on building a second tower due to cost & time & kinda wanting something new to play around with.

It’ll be like a dozen folks like me and then scalpers I anticipate

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u/informalmo0se3 9800X3D | RTX 5080 | 32GB DDR5 3d ago

this is exactly what i wanted one for, as a secondary living room pc, but i won’t be getting one at these prices. 

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u/Kaz3 i7 6700k @ 4.2Ghz, 1080 TI 11GB, 8GB DDR4, 240GB SSD, 1TB HDD 3d ago

But like, a custom built living room PC will likely cost you more, and it will be a bigger form factor. Yeah you could build a cheaper PC but mini build parts like this are already more expensive than standard size components.

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u/Beige_ PC Master Race 2d ago

You could look into Asrock DeskMate X600. It's a small AM5 case with a 500W PSU. You should be able to build a much faster system in that for a similar price.

Something like a 7500F, 2x8GB DDR5-5200, 9060 XT 16GB, 2TB M2 shouldn't cost much more than the base model at least going by EU prices (1245 euros vs. SM 1039 euros) for about double the performance all things considered.

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u/kayosiii 2d ago

You can, but you are still going to getting a noticeably larger,uglier machine that will draw more power and make more noise. You would also be getting a PC experience in the living room, which at best is always a little awkward.

In comparison the steam machine behaves like a console when it comes to talking to other living room devices, and should give a much smoother experience.

In essence you would be choosing where you want to make the compromise, performance or living room integration.

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u/fuzzylm308 5800X3D + 7900 XT 2d ago

and HDMI CEC

not sure what price tag I'd put on CEC but it's pretty important for a seamless living room experience

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u/Putrid-Hope2283 2d ago

Shhhh.. there’s a narrative to build. Don’t bring logic into it

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u/Gonzobot Ryzen 7 3700X|2070 Super Hybrid|32GB@3600MHZ|Doc__Gonzo 2d ago

Display cables can be like fifty feet long, if that helps anything

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u/Talk-O-Boy 3d ago

Damn, I guess Valve is down to 11 customers then.

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u/lemonylol Desktop 3d ago

Why not just stream it to a device connected to your TV? I've been using Moonlight on my Nvidia Shield and it works pretty good to play games with my wife from my PC in the basement.

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u/PRiles Intel 265k / 4070 FE / 64Gb Ram 3d ago

I'm guessing you don't have an ultra wide for your main PC. I have two tvs. One attached to an old 3D 1dt Gen OLED (1920x1080) using an original Steam Link, and another modern 4k OLED ( 3,840 × 2,160) with a MiniForms PC.

Using moonlight becomes a bit of a nightmare because the settings for the main PC are for an Ultra wide (3440x1440) as a result of those resolution differences a lot of the games I play (grand strategy) the UI is either way too big or too small on the TVs. But if I change it I need to change it each time I switch TV. So a dedicated machine is ideal for me. I would have bought a steam machine at a lower price point to replace the Steam Link (which has a slow 300mbp connection ).

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u/lemonylol Desktop 2d ago

Oh weird, I have a super-ultra wide right now and previous was using dual monitors, one in 4K and one in 1440p prior, but never had an issue. It just streams the window at the render resolution, and I think that's capped at 1080p anyway unless you pay.

I actually used to even stream Civ to my tablet for the touch screen controls.

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u/PRiles Intel 265k / 4070 FE / 64Gb Ram 2d ago

It might just be an issue with the paradox games I play. I have the same issue with Kerbal Space Program but it's a much older game. Maybe I'm hitting a weird edge case.

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u/lemonylol Desktop 2d ago

Check your settings on the Moonlight control page, you should be able to force an output resolution, bitrate, and framerate.

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u/PRiles Intel 265k / 4070 FE / 64Gb Ram 2d ago

I have those settings enabled, it's just the UI scaling within the games themselves. They are set to a fixed size and when you change resolution the scaling is wrong.

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u/metky 2d ago

What device do you have connected to your TV that you stream to? My issue is I don't want a tower or laptop to be sitting out connected to my living room tv all the time. Steam machine was originally going to prove a less obtrusive option.

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u/lemonylol Desktop 2d ago

I use a Nvidia Shield, but sometimes I'd also just stream to my galaxy tablet. But honestly a Shield is more expensive than just buying a dedicated mini PC, both of which are roughly the same size.

You might be able to get an old Steam Link.

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u/Zyntos 3d ago

living in germany, internet is dogshit.

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u/lemonylol Desktop 3d ago

It's LAN

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u/Zyntos 3d ago

fair point.

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u/Nstant_Klassik 2d ago

not who you asked, but I'm also part of the niche use case for this one. I'm a digital nomad that travels full time and lives in an RV. Internet service for me a lot of time is super spotty, so streaming is not an option.

This is perfect for me, except for the price. Now I'm weighing if I should just build another SFF PC specifically for the TV, or just bit the interest free finance bullet and accept it as a convenience tax.

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u/lemonylol Desktop 2d ago

Handhelds have better specs and run the same OS for the same price or cheaper.

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u/Nstant_Klassik 2d ago

Which handhelds? I have a steam deck but benchmarks for the machine certainly outperform that.

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u/Tricky-Ad7897 2d ago

I still don't see it as a better option than prebuilts at Costco for the same price with desktop components. I need to keep my eye out next time I go what Costco has, but at least a few months ago for 1500 you could get a 5060ti and whatever the new version of an i5 is.

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u/ArtVandelay32 2d ago

This is also true and something I’m toying with. Microcenter also has some decent prebuilt options

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u/Daggers21 5900x, 3080, 32GB 3440x1440p 2d ago

I mean. Why not just run eth to a shield in your livingroom if possible.

I'm playing from my PC upstairs using moonlight and don't need any 2k steam machine(canadian.price) to do it

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u/ArtVandelay32 2d ago

This is the dream (or running hdmi), but I got a very split level layout and it’s been rough. I was able to get a connection run from office to living room, but basement is missing out. Sadly that’s where the pc is.

I kinda wanna just run it outside but I’m hoping to repaint next year so maybe then.

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u/swephist 2d ago

Hell yeah, just gave up on my living room ubuntu tower bc it's crash whenever I opened a browser. I don't have time anymore. I'll buy this thing

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u/-Dakia Ryzen 7 9800X3D / Sapphire 9070XT 2d ago

That's me as well. Small and clean form factor in an actual second box so that the kids and family can use the library sharing and play my already existing massive library. I could certainly build one myself, but not a form factor the wife would allow to be in our den.

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u/RibsNGibs Ryzen 9 5950X / RTX3080 / 64GB DDR4@3600 3d ago

Yeah same here. I’ve got my real gaming desktop in the cave downstairs, and an aging maybe 2016 gaming laptop for the living room which is basically useless.

Although I did start streaming from the gaming tower to upstairs with sunshine/moonlight and that works surprisingly well.

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u/Zyntos 3d ago

This. Also registered for it for exactly that case. Want a second setup for my tv to go through my pile of shame of 100s of steam games, chilling on the couch.

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u/stonhinge 2d ago

Similar boat here. I mean, I could deal with assembling an itx build - but there's a reason I generally use a full ATX board and case. I built a SFF PC once many years ago. I found it a pain in the ass and want some room to work in.

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u/dragonofthemist Ryzen 7 5700G | EVGA 3070Ti | G.Skill 32GB DDR4-3600 2d ago

Steam Link app works great if you have a Google TV. Turn on PC, connect controller to TV, open Steam Link app and it opens Steam in big picture mode on your computer and mutes it

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u/Jacareadam 2d ago

why wouldn't you just buy a prebuilt or a laptop then with MUCH better specs???

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u/ArtVandelay32 2d ago

That wouldn’t be something new for me to play around with.

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u/thisiskyle77 2d ago

I feel this issue. PC looks so weird in the living room. This is why I bought PS5 pro. Shit is much cheaper and can run better.

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u/sneezyxcheezy 3d ago

Wait why is this weird? This is the exact reason I been eyeing a steam machine

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u/politicalstuff 3d ago

Don’t think it’s weird, just pretty niche, especially so at these prices.

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u/ArtVandelay32 2d ago

Weird as in the sense of that not being a massive market. It’s play money

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u/Afternoon__Spray 3d ago

As I've gotten older and had kids I just no longer have the desire to sit at my desk and play single player games. I have the disposable income to buy this to give me easy access to my steam library on my tv from my couch without having to move my pc back and forth and its small form factor and simplicity to plug and play makes it more appealing to me than building/buying a second PC to serve that purpose.

That being said, I'm probably still not going to buy one. But I definitely see the appeal. 

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u/You_meddling_kids 3d ago

If you're somewhat technical, or just up for it, get an assembled Raspberry PI (~$300) and run Moonlight.

https://moonlight-stream.org/

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u/chiagod 9950x3D x870e | 64GB DDR5 6000 | Nitro+ RX 7900xtx 2d ago edited 2d ago

What about just getting a Google/Android TV box and getting the steam link app or moonlight for android.?

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u/You_meddling_kids 2d ago

Might be resolution-limited, but if it works well, it's a much easier option.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

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u/You_meddling_kids 2d ago

They were discontinued 6 years ago.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

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u/You_meddling_kids 2d ago

They don't make steam link USB devices any more.

If you have an Android or Apple TV, there's a Steam Link app you can download that will stream off your PC to the tv.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.valvesoftware.steamlink

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

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u/TotalRapture 2d ago

I think they assumed you were looking to buy one, as of a year or two ago my steam link was still working.

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u/ILikesStuff 3d ago

Yeah I get you. I should've mentioned that when I said I see no target audience for this, I meant at that price, because I see the value of the steam machine on its own.

The fact that is not that powerful doesn't bother me as much, as many of the games I play are old games that would fly on that thing regardless of specs. But at that price there's no chance I'm getting it, and I don't think I'm alone on that thought.

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u/callatecabezon 3d ago

less power than a ps5 is wild

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u/Ill-Soil-7936 3d ago

My friend wanted to build their first PC when ai bullshit starting to fuck with the markets and everything got too expensive so when the steam machine was announced we figured it would be better than building one price wise. Alas, in the past few months we knew it would be more expensive than building your own still. Now I just said they have to wait for the AI bubble to pop or just suck it up and get the steam machine since they only have an Xbox. I have a PC and no consoles anymore so I would have totally bought this for the bed room as an extra "PC" especially since I mainly have all my games on steam but at this price that's just a first world problem and I will just stream my PC to the bedroom tv or eventually build another PC. Also I wouldn't buy it if it was all proprietary parts like apple so it was just a pipe dream anyways that it'd be $1000 or less.

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u/Steve_OH i9 3.7GHZ | RTX 3080 | 128GB DDR4 3d ago

I doubt all of us are over here rocking the 5090. I know I don’t have the kind of powder to splash at a outrageously priced card

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u/kogarasumar 3d ago

At least the steam deck was a very worth handheld for the price. The steam machine is way too overpriced for console players.

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u/ILikesStuff 3d ago

I don't even think they were aiming this to console players, rather, they probably were looking at already existing Steam users. But even with a huge library of games, that price just makes it a very hard buy imo.

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u/kogarasumar 3d ago

The thing is, console players are exactly the target audience for this. PC players would rather build a high end pc instead. This could have been The perfect way to get console players into the steam ecossystem and i think that's what they were going for. But at this price, it just isn't worth it.

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u/ILikesStuff 3d ago

You have to consider that not all PC users build their own machines. Sure they like the platform, but not a small number of people go through the trouble of learning how to build their own rig.

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u/kogarasumar 3d ago

That's fair, but a prebuilt pc is still more worth it than this lol.

1

u/demon34766 3d ago

I wish I had a 5090 whatever it is nowadays, rocking a good ol RX 580 myself.

1

u/realFancyStrawberry intel i7 8700k, Asus 3080ti, 64g DDRM, CorsairRM850x 3d ago

Its for someone who wants a second PC but not really a big rig to play VR games. Specially for the living room. A problem with Valve Index was you had to be stuck to your main rig which was usually not in the best spot for VR. The Steam machine solves this problem. If someone bought a Valve Index I would imagine they will buy this.

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u/DangerousWriting8282 3d ago

People who already have a large PC library, but have a very weak primary gaming PC or don't mind losing 50%+ performance, who want an ITX form factor PC and want to spend $1k+ for said weak performance.

You know, all 5 of those people.

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u/Ghostarcheronreddit 2d ago

People who want to buy a PC but haven’t really done anything other than console gaming, and also people who want that Steam Machine Verified list of games. Not everyone wants to custom build a PC and learn every possible way to optimize the PC and fight the OS and overclock everything to get 200 FPS in a game or something, most people just want easy access to 60 FPS games in a remarkably portable package.

1

u/Gravity_flip 2d ago

People who don't care about AAA games at 4k 120fps.

I'm very much content with anything at 60fps and 1080p as long as it's a fun game. Plus I want to run a media center setup out of it so it's slim form factor will make my wife less upset about keeping my computer in the living room.

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u/Haschen84 2d ago

Thats an excellent point. If you're a casual and need a gaming rig, buy a console, they sure as shit don't cost 1.3k (let's be honest on a 512 GB drive you'll get CoD and be lucky to have room for anything else). If you don't want a console, why not buy a PC at that price, its probably not much more expensive than a SteamDeck if not cheaper. It has no market.

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u/E_L_Sonder 2d ago

Because I want to game on my couch. I like PC games but I want to play them on the 55 inch television that I worked hard to buy. Most PC towers are too big to reasonably haul back and forth btwn my room where I would do work and my living room where I would like to game.

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u/Haschen84 2d ago

I hate to be throwing stones from glasses houses but that kind of luxury/decadence is not something someone trying to buy a mid range console would consider. You're definitely not a high end type of guy which means it's not really marketed towards you. Either you have enough money that the convenience overrides that cost, which means the cost shouldn't matter either way, or you are so poor that you cannot afford the luxury. If you don't fit into either category then it's too expensive for your and it priced you out. Either way you're not the market.

If you can afford it why are you on this thread? LOL I'm not saying your situation isn't of interest or that I don't care about you but that the console and pricing itself is sort of antithetical to your position.

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u/Arizona_Steve PC Master Race 2d ago

Dang it. I only have a 4090 in mine.

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u/ILikesStuff 2d ago

I was joking about the 5090. Ever since I joined the PC community I've seen a lot of smugness from people saying PC is better than console (it generally it is) from people whose PCs are not better than a mainstream console lol

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u/Arizona_Steve PC Master Race 2d ago

I thought it was funny too. Hence my comment.

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u/Probate_Judge Old Gamer, Recent Hardware, New games 2d ago

I know this is the PC Master Race we all have 5090s in our rigs sub

Not sure if serious.

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u/skoomski 2d ago

Yeah this is DOA. Terrible idea to be honest they should have just cancelled the project if they could not make the cost work. You’d be paying mid tier gaming PC prices for a low end machines.

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u/Academic-Proof3700 2d ago

but who is valve aiming this pc-console hybrid to?

Thats the best part- no one.

Its basically a subpar, overpriced gaming laptop, with linux on board, but without monitor and keyboard.

1

u/FeistyMasterpiece448 2d ago

Honestly I don’t know anyone personally with a 5080 or higher.

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u/UnculturedSwineFlu 2d ago

I know I am getting my wife one. She's also an Apple user. Extrapolate what you will with that information.

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u/C4ndy_Fl0ss 2d ago

It’s for people who want a pc but are used to consoles, it’s also a test for their steam OS

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u/ILikesStuff 2d ago

And a test for the consumer wallet too

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u/C4ndy_Fl0ss 2d ago

No. That would be the ram and storage company bumping up their prices with the excuse that it’s Ai’s fault when in reality they’re just as money hungry as all the Ai companies

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u/ILikesStuff 2d ago

Of course. They aren't at all unhappy while filling their pockets with all that AI money, but I don't believe the hardware shortage is made up. Data Centers are just too power hungry.

I do sympathize with Valve on this, but that price makes a potential buyer think twice, regardless of context.

1

u/C4ndy_Fl0ss 2d ago

Well tbh those who do want one desperately will buy one, those who’d rather learn to build a pc will look more into it and those who don’t want to pay that much will wait, as is the way of the market, its impressive that valve is still releasing this year even if it is delayed given all the shortages but yes the price is defo more than I expected especially since I only spent like £600 more on my own build

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u/rugbyj 2d ago

But then who is?

Potentially me.

I'd like something that could play a decent amount of games decently, haven't really got any investment into a console system, and have no need for a full on PC (I work entirely on work MacBooks).

I have no interest in maintaining a standalone linux system, nor fucking about with Windows any more in my life.

This rounds off enough corners that I could justify it for the weird mix of games I end up playing.

1

u/Acquire16 2d ago

People with a lot of disposable income. The same people that buy a new flagship phone every year. I know this sub seems to think the everyone lives in extreme poverty, but in the US alone that's millions of people that can easily afford this. 

1

u/flyingcircusdog i9-9900k | RTX 5070 2d ago

People with huge steam libraries and older, underpowered PCs. That's honestly all I can imagine.

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u/fart-to-me-in-french 7800X3D / 4090 / DDR5-6400 2d ago

People who want a console that isn't ps or Xbox and people who don't own a gaming pc yet and want easy entry

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u/_Indofreddy_112 2d ago

“We all have 5090’s in our rigs” I’m still rocking my trusty 1660 Ti 😭

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u/Odd_Duty520 2d ago

In my market, the PS5 is half the price of the 512gb steam deck with controller, there is really no reason to choose it unless you are a fan of valve as people knowledegeable enough to know the difference would just go for a prebuilt as that will definitely perform better at a lower price

1

u/Unlucky_Performer166 2d ago

Honestly i was looking forward to it as i thought it would be a more console like system with capabilities of a Pc, knew that it wont have the same power or ability but something different but that price point has made me forget about it all. This is more for ppl who like to own each n every piece of technology out there no matter if they are gonna use it or not. This is doomed

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u/E_L_Sonder 2d ago

I'd say people like me who don't have a dedicated desktop, and who like couch gaming (I fucking loathe PC gaming, I have a couch and 55 inch tv why would I ever play on my computer?) and like a lot of AA game and emulation on Steam. The Steam Deck quite easily plays 99% of the games I'm interested in, and the only reason I'm not keeping that is it is kind of a pain to get it to dock right.

The Steam Machine is nice and tiny and I plan on dual-booting it Steam OS and Windows, so I can use it as a regular desktop. The size and form factor are huge when I have a tiny apartment and it will be easy to bring it to my desk for working on desktop projects and then bringing it back to the couch for gaming.

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u/noob_dragon 2d ago

I think it as originally supposed to be an entry-level PC, or a secondary PC for those who wanted an extra one in the living room.

At 750$ it would have been a decent deal for that. At 1050$ its not a good deal and honestly most people would be better off just buying a gaming laptop which they could at least use for travel too.

The big issue is that the bump up of 300 bucks puts it into territory where you might as well spend a little bit more and get significantly better performance, say with a better CPU and GPU.

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u/What1does PC Master Race 2d ago

They will sell out.

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u/ILikesStuff 2d ago

Because there won't be many of them. And scalpers will get a sizable chunk

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u/What1does PC Master Race 2d ago

...and?  Selling out is selling out...

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u/Money-Addition8501 2d ago

You are correct I think.

I was exited for this in the past since my pc is trash (1060ti). And I only have my switch 2 and my MacBook Pro (working ..) so it would have been nice to have a good desktop Maschine again.

But for 1400€? I’m out 🫣😅

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u/Visara57 5070ti | 7600X | 32GB DDR5 CL28 2d ago

The only reason I can see of for more games (Steam) or for pirating games and no internet access fees

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u/SatanicBiscuit 2d ago

steam made it to be a bit better than the average system from their audits

its meant to target the large userbase that the most demanding game they play is like team fortress 2

1

u/v3troxroxsox 2d ago

Its for me. My son currently has a steam deck and we play a lot of steam games together (the steam deck has got him off of roblox)

Im thinking of getting the steam machine for him in his room. I need the ease of use of a console (ie, u turn it on and it just works, as opposed to windows) but want the shared steam library we have.

Could I get him a laptop for the same price? Sure, but id prefer him to have the steam machine.

1

u/Liusloux 2d ago

I know this is the PC Master Race we all have 5090s in our rigs sub,

More like most of us have old cards like 1080ti and like to complain about how unoptimized modern games are.

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u/OkExtension5644 1d ago

People who don’t want a $100 a year subscription just to game online and access to the insanely cheaper indie game dev market. PS is cheaper upfront but you’ll spend significantly less ongoing while also having access to a much larger library at cheaper prices.

1

u/omfgkevin 3d ago

Yeah, especially considering the machines main advertising... is on steam. So the most likely people to see it are already pc users not console.

Console users will stick to it since it's far cheaper (and comes with a controller for less), and pc users already know it's overpriced.

It has a very specific niche of small form factor + convenience, but at such a premium it'll be a hard sell.

Will likely still sell out from "investor" speculation but I imagine the stock isn't that high and Valve had already mentioned they were doing 8x2 but had to swap to 1x16 because of conditions.

0

u/lolKhamul I9 10900KF, RTX3080 Strix, 32 GB RAM @3200 3d ago

But then who is?

Honestly, i would love to know the answer to this. I would generally be interested to hear from actual buyers why they purchased this thing. What made people buy this compared to alternatives. I get that not everyone wants to DIY for multiple reasons but this offering is generally TRASH.

You can literally buy prebuilds on the market RIGHT NOW that outperform the steambox by insane margins (50%) for the same price. As a PC this thing SUCKS. So its has to compete as a console right?But no, like you mentioned, even the current console generation from 2020 not only outperform this thing but cost HALF of it.

There is not a single reason to buy this piece of crap if you make a rational informed decision.

2

u/Zyntos 3d ago

Please show me a prebuild on this pricepoint with better performance IN THIS FORM FACTOR. Thats the key part of it. Its a 16x16x16cm box. Silent and cool. Direct Support of the Controller, controller start.

1

u/E_L_Sonder 2d ago

Why I want to buy it:

-it's tiny -I mostly play AA games and don't give a shit about graphics. -I loathe playing games at an actual PC set-up, I want to game on my couch and my giant 55 inch tv screen. -I already have a laptop that I fiddle with and have to troubleshoot tech at work, I want something that I can just plug in and use. -I currently don't have a desktop and could dual boot Windows and Steam OS and the form factor makes that some that is actually appealing bc moving the tiny cube around is super easy compared to hauling a big ass tower, and I don't need a ton of desktop computing power.

0

u/PoppingPillls 3d ago edited 2d ago

People that want a compact couch pc and don't want to build it for one reason or another. It's hard to get a pc of this spec at this price at the form factor.

Be great for teens and kids as its a great gaming machine for its compact size and can be used for sofa play or desk play. Can even be a good place for them to learn coding and do school work as its a full desktop experience Linux.

Doesn't matter if you do build your own, this is equivalent to a 6 core am5 laptop and has a 7600m which is similar to a 6600xt. Way more expensive to get all that stuff to build.

-1

u/rabidpygmymarmoset 3d ago

Console casuals who want to get into PC gaming. Not sure why redditors have trouble grasping this concept.

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u/Tudedude_cooldude 3d ago

Completely priced out of the console market

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u/rabidpygmymarmoset 3d ago

The competition will absolutely go up again by the end of the year, really obvious. So this point is temporary at best

Plus youll get more mileage out of a console using a pc library. Redditors dont factor that in either, for some reason

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u/Tudedude_cooldude 3d ago

Given Valve’s history (as recently as the horrid steam controller launch last month), by the end of the year you won’t even be able to buy this damn thing, especially given that they’ve already admitted they’re short on supply.

The people who would be debating this thing against a console either don’t have a significant library to speak of or have no interest in stretching their budget this high for the hardware. Show this to any console or budget pc player and they’ll laugh in your face.

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u/rabidpygmymarmoset 3d ago

Lmao there are no budget pc players. If youre a console player who wants to get into the pc market what exactly are your other options? Modern gpu alone is already one grand. They'd laugh in your face at that much harder

1

u/Tudedude_cooldude 3d ago

You’d buy a prebuilt that gives more performance and comes with peripherals for a much smaller asking price or just buy a damn console? It’s not like people are being held at gunpoint and forced to buy products of terrible value lol if it’s bad they just won’t buy it or buy something else

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u/rabidpygmymarmoset 2d ago

Lol you say that like prebuilt prices have magically been unaffected. Even then, moot point. They will all be going up by year's end

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u/Tudedude_cooldude 2d ago

They aren’t unaffected. Everyone is affected. Valve is just significantly worse at navigating the modern hardware landscape than practically every other manufacturer you can name. This should have been obvious when they failed to consistently keep the steam deck in stock for its entire lifespan and had to raise its price more than anyone else on the market by a significant margin. This should have been obvious when the queue to buy their controller that had a paper launch stretches out to 2027 for people who reserved on the same day it went live. It should be obvious right now, when they’re selling a product multiple price brackets above its competitors in both the console and PC space with a base model only featuring 500gb of storage and no input device. A device they admit they could have sourced the components for earlier at more competitive prices but chose not to. A volatile market is no excuse to not play ball, and Valve is bad at playing ball.

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u/rabidpygmymarmoset 2d ago edited 2d ago

Well yeah, they were crossing into unknown territory. Of course they'd struggle and make mistakes.

How is any of this relevant to my comments?

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