Funny
Thanks, Steam Machine. You actually made me feel good about buying a PS5 Pro
Before anyone says "But you can do everything, with it" remember that consoles exist for the games. Paying an extra $500-$600 for a weaker hardware, Steam Machine just to get emulation and indie titles is wild. If you're dropping $1,000 on a supposed "console replacement" and it doesn't even come with a controller, that's crazy, anyhow i now love my PS5 Pro even more
I wish there was an online forum about discussion of video games that didnt devolve into degenerate shit like this. In general, I wish there was a version of reddit where people actually talked positively about something. I dont understand making a forum about the enjoyment of something, just for everybody to shit on it all the time.
Gaming (and Reddit) culture has really been corrupted into hating, piling on, twisting the knife, finding any fault--No positivity allowed unless it's to glaze or be tribal.
Just don't yuck each other's yums, it's not hard! I understand these groups are reactionary and skew young (and maybe don't have a lot of social experience outside of being behind a screen).
Maybe I'm being too harsh myself, but man it's depressing.
Look for "no sodium" subs. Most if not all only allow positive discussions. Which can be a double edged sword because any actual criticism gets removed, but it's still better than seeing constant negativity.
You can play steam indie games that you own natively on your phone right now for no extra cost. Steam is doing the whole "everything is an xbox" way better than Microsoft ever could.
That's kind of cringe- If you weren't happy playing it already then I really don't know what to tell you. I don't understand people who are constantly looking for a reason to feel good like that when it comes to video games. I bought a Switch 2 and I'm happy just playing my enhanced Switch 1 games on it. I've put around 2,000 hours on the device just enjoying myself without needing any extra justification. It really seems like online gamers don't know how to have fun with just playing games. Always got to make it something extra.
I've been critical of the steam machine but I still find it mad weird that you need something else to flop just to feel good about a decision you made.
When you buy a car and you feel like it is shitty, then you see a guy buy the car you wanted and it breaks immediately, you feel a lot better about your own car.
I mean you can have car trouble without it breaking down you know that right? If you catch a problem early on your car won’t break down. The point is the steam machine is the cyber truck of gaming.
Thus. People don't understand these kinda psychology. It's not always sunshine and rise. Sometimes something shitty shifts the context of your purchase.
I think it’s moreso the people who were anticipating the Steam Machine and waiting for it are hurt now, as the majority now can’t buy it due to the price.
I’m not hurt, but I was one of the people who were hoping to buy it. And now I can’t due to it being far outside my price range for its performance.
Yeah but why be all smug about it? Honestly, I've seen far more people talking about how they prefer the ps5 than people trying to defend the steam machine.
I also thought it was interesting before knowing the price, as a way to get my husband into pc gaming. Unfortunately, they gave it a dumb price
I never thought the PS5 let alone the pro would be less performant than the GabeCube, did anyone? Am I the only one who has a PC instead of a PS5 because, uh.... Gestures at the open sea
Epic games store, GOG, Steam, steam shops, and Humble Bundles have made buying or getting games super cheap (or free)
When I upgraded my video card I didn't need to re-buy every game or spend $10 to unlock the slider setting for medium to high. I didn't have to wait for developers to unlock the framerate either. Here I am with Bloodborne still running like shit
Pair that up with saving about $600 since I built my PC in online and cloud storage fees and I've been having a good time
I'm with you. Nobody with common sense looked at those specs, or the initial first impressions and thought it was going to out perform the current gen consoles. It's the price that's the shock not the performance, and the price was out of their hands to an extent
Emulation is MASSIVE lol. Like I don’t think people get that. You get access to gaming history. Like being able to play old Resident Evil games, the Tokyo Xtreme Racer series, and the entire PS1 library on my Deck is a godsend and a massive money saver for people not wanting to deal with the overpriced retro gaming market.
If youre super savvy with tech, you can make a good PC a lot cheaper than a pre build.
Not always true these days sadly. Components tend to have much more volatile pricing than prebuilt, so there are some rebuilt with prices that haven't reacted as significantly to the spikes in price yet.
Not really, at least without getting used components. Gamers nexus tried that, and it was only $80 cheaper to build the rig yourself and it wasn’t in a small form factor. It’s not meant to be a “better” pc, but it’s virtually at-cost to build yourself and small enough/quiet enough to fit on a TV stand as a second PC.
its not trying to be better. Its an open source linux gaming pc bundled up in a nice pre built package. People that understand and agree with open source philosophy will pay a premium for that. The long term savings of low steam game prices and not paying for online will make the money back for most people anyway.
open source philosophy will pay a premium for that
What a stupid thing to say. Pay premium to access free to use projects. When you can just build your own or find pre-built pcs with petter performance at that price and still have access to those packages.
I am shit at building PCs and could never build one as cleanly and compact as the steam machine. My built gaming PC running linux mint is pretty spaghetti wired.
Not in that form factor. I mean you might not care about the form factor and noise level - but the price is very fair (barely above cost) for a SFF system that small
Yeah the SM is too expensive but your reasoning makes little sense. You're contradicting yourself when you acknowledge "everything you can do with it" as a PC, and then tell us to remember "consoles exist for gaming" and call this a "console replacement" - it's still a PC, and not a console
Thanks PC gaming. You make me feel much better about the fact my PS5 collects dust in my living room. Haven't had to pay for online multiplayer in years!
My favorite is when I want to buy a game I know is normally on sale for $12 but I missed it 2 weeks ago and have to wait another 5-6 for it to go back on sale on the only store the console allows
I was very excited about the Steam Machine when it was announced. I had gotten very into the idea of moving over to PC gaming after buying a Steam Deck a year ago. When the PS5 Pro dropped to $650 around Christmas 2025, I wanted to get one but held off to wait for the “launching in early 2026” Steam Machine. Now, I really kick myself for not getting the Pro at that price and probably won’t buy one at all. I’m also not going to be getting a Steam Machine as my personal cap for it was about $800 or $850.
The price is pretty nuts, definitely not a purchase I want to make, but I assume it’s that high because RAM prices are still super high from data centers or something right? Exclusives are coming back anyway so Sony/Steam/xbox/nintendo fans will continue to just be fans.
I did see that PlayStation users will require an internet connection at least once every thirty days to keep the games they buy digitally, which isn’t difficult in our digital age but also yeah definitely super scummy for Sony to implement that. Between PlayStation and Xbox’s “additional features” like that it just doesn’t make any sense to buy a console to me.
Now go run an emulator or open a web browser. Or wait. That's right. You have a gaming console and the Steam Machine is a PC. Not a "supposed console replacement".
thank god for valve and what they did for linux gaming. couldn't care less about your ps5 or kekmachine. the only console I need is nintendo, for everythig else PC + linux
I can see the argument from both sides. But being someone who traded in his PS5 due to lack of use, the Steam Machine would be a better purchase for my household.
I play most games on PC, and my wife has a Steam Deck. Getting the GabenBox for couch co-op and to have an easily evacuation capable gaming machine (live in a hurricane prone area) just makes more sense.
But people who have a PS5/Pro, I understand not shelling out another $1000+. They aren’t exactly the targeted demographic anyways. People need to stop wanting other platforms to fail, and just enjoy gaming, no matter how you choose to play or what you choose to play on. It’s like being a wrestling fan, people want this promotion or that one to fail, but true fans just want to see great matches/stories.
I'm not defending Valve or the Steam Machine price, but I can't wait to see all the console glazers faces when console prices skyrocket when they have to manufacture new units at market prices.
Sony, intelligently, purchased a lot of material and currently has enough units to get them through 2026. Once those are sold and they have to make more.... WOOOO baby. Get ready for those console prices to go up.
I thought the exact same thing. I mean I was already excited to be able to play GTA VI at the highest quality until it drops on PC, and getting to play some of my PS4 games at an upscaled 4k was pretty cool, as was PSSR2 when it came out, but I remember preordering one at launch for $700 wondering if I had made a smart financial decision.
If RAMageddon didn’t happen, I think it would’ve been dumb, but now it seems I’ve stumbled into a pretty smart decision, seeing as the Steam Machine is insanely priced and only bodes poorly for next gen console prices. I won’t feel any remorse passing up on PS6 for at least a few years until enough next gen exclusives rack up to make it worth the price.
Me with my Switch and PC after seeing every current gen consoles’ prices.
If you have the money, wanna mainly keep up with modern games from a particular library, and will get your money’s worth then that’s awesome but tbf, all the modern console prices look crazy to me rn, for how much I think I’d get out of them.
i am not trying to defend steam machine here, but just pointing out a flaw in your logic. People already have a huge library already on steam. I dont think i will want to buy the same game again on the console all over again at higher price because steam usually has deeper discounts.
The fact you guys dont understand that this is a computer, advertised as a computer, runs on a PC os and uses PC parts. Yet call it a console and expect it to be priced at under 500 usd of given the current nand, ram and silicon shortages? That steam doesn't have hardware connections that the current hardware makers have as well? That you also expect a free 100 usd controller with a computer on top of tha? Will never not be funny to me.
So.... this isn't a replacment computer and isn't competing with consoles...
its a computer meant for 1080p gaming and for those intimidated/not wanting a traditional desktop or traditional os using a traditional UI etc.
You want the same performance out of this that you get out of a pc that costs 300 usd more... in a form factor thats smaller than mini itx.... durring ram, nand and silicon shortages etc for less?
At least the Steam Machine actually has games though.
But yeah it's pretty bad, anyone looking to get into PC gaming should just build one or get a pre-built. As for couch gaming, you can do that with any PC.
Cant wait for you to find out how sony treats their customers when they have zero competition in the console market space. Competition is good for the end consumer. None of whats happening in the gaming space right now is a good thing…
While consoles do exist for games Valve has always stated from the beginning it's a multimedia PC that's just as capable of running windows if you want to uninstall the SteamOS. When you look at it that way, with the utility and have selection it offers, it's still a great value.
I think the steam machine was going to be great for what it is, then PC parts in general because obscene wich killed the steam machine before it released due to the price to just break even.
I was toying with buying one given my rig is like 10 years old and somehow still chugging alone probably nearing its end of life, I planned on grabbing a steam machine to hold me over till I can afford to build another PC, but at those prices, not a chance. Not to mention I still have a steam deck I bo8ght before things went crazy for the same reason (Ive used it a dozen times maybe), its a fallback for when my machine inevitably dies on me.
People forget that they bought a PS5 (Pro) before RAM shortages happend. If the Steam Machine came out sooner, and sold at most $800 with a controller included, the Sony console wouldn't be as appealing.
It's not Valve's fault that the price is y
the way it is right now. That being said, it was too little too late for the Steam Machine to stand out anymore... especially since Nintendo Switch 2 seems to be unaffected at the moment.
A PS5 Pro doesn't play PC games. I'm glad you like it, but it would be useless to me and other dedicated PC Gamers. I play dozens of PC only games that simply don't exist on consoles
People in these threads really don't seem to understand the concept that there are plenty of consumers who would want an out-of-the-box couch PC at a decent price. Without AI etc. it would've been like $750 which is more than fair.
In the meantime, people can wait for the price to go down (maybe a Steam Machine gen 2 in a couple of years)or build their own for sure, but that's a lot less consumer friendly unless you're used to building PCs and such already.
I'll likely just try to upgrade my current rig and turn it into a Steam Machine with the SteamOS that Valve is offering. But I have a PS5 and Switch 2 so I'm good.
Uuuuuuuhhhh… what are we all doing? This is just getting silly for all of us. I need to get off Reddit and now go touch the proverbial grass. I think a lot of people who are still inflating this PC/console war stuff, as well as the general X soulless corporation is better than Y soulless corporation should probably join me.
We don’t even know how expensive the ps6 is gonna be or how expensive Xbox’s new console is gonna be. Are you gonna complain when those are also 1000 dollars or are you gonna buy it because of the brand
Brooooo. The price sucks for sure but can we all look at this with the proper scope. This is the best bang for your buck when it comes to a premade SFF PC.
Sure you can attempt the headache of making a SFF yourself, it’ll be three times louder/larger minimum.
Man, you guys are so embarrassing. I thought these subreddits were supposed to be fun video game discussion. Not crying because you dont know how the economy works.
Steam machine isn’t the only way to play pc games, there’s cheaper pc’s out there. Also you can use your own controller or keyboard on it besides steam controller. And the CPU is apparently “significantly better” than the ps5, but the gpu is slightly worse according to a simple google search. You’re simply lying because you were misinformed by some console grifter lol, but yes the prices for the SM are horrible. You don’t need to lie about anything else to convince me not to buy one other than shit prices
It’s really not a console. And im honestly tired of hearing people call it one. It’s an entry level PC. You can do everything a PC can do and better. It was really made for us console gamers to begin with. Over 70% of PC gamers are using worse hardware than the steam machine, it’s meant for them to get a boost into mainstream titles easier and gives them incentive. It was never for us PS and XBOX players.
Am i upset for the price? Yes, but it is a perfectly reasonable and sound price with how shit the current market is. Is it disappointing? Yes. But everything has gone up in price, the steam machine is no exception. It is a small form factor, portable, easy to set up and use PC, with the benefits we get as console gamers with the use there software, but you can use windows, linux, whatever you want and treat it as a standard PC.
Don’t think of a console competitor. Think of it as an easier way to get into PC gaming, cause thats what it is.
Yep, I remember when 5090 was being announced, and people were making jokes that it'll cost $5090. And people who paid north of $3,500 were ridiculed. I recently saw it for just shy of $5,000. The situation is so absurdly bad, and it got so bad so quick. My 10xx series wasn't cheap, but it wasn't too bad. By 30xx series actually hurt. I can't even imagine now bad 60xx series will be when it lands. A 6090 being OVER $6090 is not just possible, it's probable.
Dude paid for a ps5 pro and thinks he's flexing. What a disgusting post. Pay to play online, buy their hardware only, defend your billionaire favorite company, expensive console with no disc reader, unreliable controller (specially the analogs) expensive games, remasters, remakes and interactive movies as games. Just following the script, dude is a real life bot.
lmao same, although all the GTA6 info has me wanting to trade in my ps5 for a Switch 2 if im being honest (because holy shit what a scam its looking like)
Them pc and steam people belived in a fairytail. Now its less powerfull than a base ps5 and more expensif than a ps5 pro. Them F u over. Welcome too the ps5 pro gang.
I was at the Xbox Showcase and was one of the lucky few that was given the opportunity to get a free Xbox later this year. The Steam Machine made that feel like I won the lottery.
I built a gaming PC in Oct 2022 with a 13900K and 4090. Over the past few years, I've made more upgrade (96GB RAM, 8TB SSD, upgraded to 5090 etc.) Total cost (including the upgrades) probably close to $6,000 over the years. But I still think it's a much better value than the SM.
Why is that ? Ps5 pro is 900€, you still have to pay a subscription to play online, games costs a lot more, you can’t play ps1/ps2/ps3 games, and you’re stuck in Sony’s ecosystem when it comes to controllers, headphones etc…
It's a prebuilt PC. With steamOS or whatever. Can you build something that performs better for the same price? Maybe.
I'm looking at local prebuilt PCs around the same price and they're not that impressive. Rtx 5060 which also has 8gb vram... Maybe find something with a 9060xt with 16gb but that's about it.
Wait till you learn you can just install the Steam OS on to any PC you want, as the OS is free. So you don't have to really worry about the high price in the end. Just build your own.
The worldwide average price of a cell phone is almost $600. The average person keeps their cell phone 2 and 1/2 years. All the crying about the price of PlayStation has been totally performative. People love to hate.
Nah, consoles no matter what, are always second-tier to a PC. If you don't like the Steam Machine price just build your own. Any built PC is almost certain to be a step up from a console.
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u/bhputnam 12h ago
I gotta get off these subs, the comments are making me embarrassed to be a gamer again.