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[Topher]

The team behind EmuDeck, a project that started off to provide easy emulation on Steam Deck / SteamOS have announced their own hardware with the Bazzite Linux powered EmuDeck Machines. They're basically Steam Machines tailored more towards retro enthusiasts.

With a case that's very obviously inspired by the SEGA Dreamcast, the idea is to provide a great out of the box experience for modern emulation. Not just that though, since it's powered by Linux (specifically Bazzite), they have a platform for running other more modern games too. And a lot, thanks to Valve's Proton.

As you can see on the front there's four USB ports, plus a power and reset switch. There's one USB-C port on the back and it also has 2.5Gbps Ethernet too. Naturally EmuDeck comes pre-installed, so you'll get really easy access to emulation.

Shipping in two different versions with a low-powered and a much more capable unit.

EM1:

• Intel N97
• 8GB RAM
• 512GB SSD

EM2:

• Ryzen 8600G Overclocked
• 16GB RAM
• 512GB SSD

You can also get them bundled with the Nova Lite Controller.

Pricing starts around £277 for the EM1 and £512 for the EM2, although these are "Early Bird" prices so they will be higher at about £302 for the EM1 and £588 for the EM2 normally.

They're currently crowdfunding the effort on IndieGoGo. It's using a Flexible Goal, so they'll receive whatever funds are pledged rather than needing to hit a specific goal. This means they can produce as many as people pledge for.

On top of that, they're also planning a Docking Station, which you can use to bump up the power that will house an AMD Radeon 7600 Desktop card. They say the Dock will begin development once the campaign is finished.

Going by their timeline they provided the manufacturing would begin November with shipping planned for December 2024. While rather exciting and really fun to see more proper Linux-based hardware, it's worth noting this is still in the concept stage, and they have yet to prove themselves on hardware so it's on the pretty risky side.

Check it out on their new IndieGoGo page.

EmuDeck team announce Linux-powered EmuDeck Machines

The team behind EmuDeck, a project that started off to provide easy emulation on Steam Deck / SteamOS have announced their own hardware with the Bazzite Linux powered EmuDeck Machines.

www.gamingonlinux.com

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US prices:
Intel: $498, currently marked down to $443
AMD: $775, currently marked down to $676
Curious how much the "docking station" will be and how it connects.

Edit: Intel version nixxed. DIY model....

 

[Draugoth]

Interesting probably the first of many.

I have a strong feeling Steam will replace Xbox in the console market

 

[kevboard]

so why does the shitty Intel one exist? What's the use case?

at that point just get the newest Raspberry Pi or something

 

[Mr Hyde]

That sexy Dreamcast design

 

[Miyazaki’s Slave]

Love that more of these are coming!
You can still build a more capable system for cheaper, but it takes time. Looking at the specs for the $690-ish deal esp in this size, it looks great. Snagging one for sure, thanks for the post Topher

 

[March Climber]

They chose the right design to make me consider it.

 

[rodrigolfp]

Cool I guess, but why not buy a powerful handheld and get everything this thing has plus some more like a screen?

• Intel N97
• 16GB RAM
• 512GB SSD

It's 8GB.

 

[Miyazaki’s Slave]

Cool I guess, but why not buy a powerful handheld and get everything this thing has plus some more like a screen?

I don't disagree, but this would look great next to your other consoles.

 

[Topher]

Cool I guess, but why not buy a powerful handheld and get everything this thing has plus some more like a screen?


It's 8GB.

Thanks. Copied and pasted it from the article. Fixed now.

 

[DoubleClutch]

Interesting probably the first of many.

I have a strong feeling Steam will replace Xbox in the console market

No, PC will replace everything. We shouldn’t associate one distribution network with an entire platform. Just like PC =/= Windows, it doesn’t equal Steam either.

 

[Hero_Select]

That base model is so shitty. Don't buy it people

 

[Sanepar]

PGR4 is playable on Xenia?

 

[Sleepwalker]

Hmmm $700 to emulate old games that my current machines can do already.


I like emudeck, but no thanks.

 

[rodrigolfp]

PGR4 is playable on Xenia?

 

[March Climber]

Interesting probably the first of many.

I have a strong feeling Steam will replace Xbox in the console market

The minute they shipped out the Steam Deck I already considered them console #4 for this gen. I still don't understand why people are underestimating them so much.

 

[Astray]

This is going to be a wonderful trainwreck.

 

[StereoVsn]

On one hand this is cool. On the other I can’t see this being super successful.

That said I am tempted just because.

 

[HogIsland]

I really hope Valve comes through with their own SteamOS console and just bulldozes all the overpriced and boutique options out there. No hate to the emudeck folks, this looks like a cool project. But we should have very affordable, commodity set-top PCs that can totally replace my PS5.

 

[HogIsland]

This is going to be a wonderful trainwreck.

the upshot is even if it sucks, it'll make a perfectly fine video streaming box or router or nas or whatever you like. it never goes obsolete like a PS3, it just gets repurposed.

 

[Astray]

the upshot is even if it sucks, it'll make a perfectly fine video streaming box or router or nas or whatever you like. it never goes obsolete like a PS3, it just gets repurposed.

I personally doubt it even comes out at all.

This will be the subject of a 120-min long youtube video in about 4-5 years. The signs are all there.

 

[rodrigolfp]

I really hope Valve comes through with their own SteamOS console and just bulldozes all the overpriced and boutique options out there. No hate to the emudeck folks, this looks like a cool project. But we should have very affordable, commodity set-top PCs that can totally replace my PS5.

Again?? And fail again? There is no point for a non/limited upgradable desktop. Handheld on other hand...

 

[El Muerto]

I'd buy the case in a heartbeat, but this isnt worth it. You can build a pc with similar specs for almost half the cost (https://pcpartpicker.com/list/hqY7z6). And use the money you save to get a good gpu. For the cheaper option you could get something like this with similar specs. Or get the bigger version here and slap a low profile gpu in it. I got the bigger prodesk and it fits perfectly in my tv stand, doesnt overheat. Or just buy a handheld.

 

[HogIsland]

Again?? And fail again? There is no point for a non/limited upgradable desktop. Handheld on other hand...

We have the Steam Deck today because of the problems identified with the 2013 Steam Machines initiative. Valve solved so many of the problems over 10 years that now a SteamOS console is a pretty small lift. You can build something very close to ideal today with newegg parts even without Valve's even making it an official thing.

A few things that a custom Valve device could solve:
- HDMI-CEC
- power on via bluetooth
- mass produced / low cost

When you say there's no point for a non-upgradeable desktop, that's exactly what Playstation and Xbox are, just worse.

 

[rodrigolfp]

When you say there's no point for a non-upgradeable desktop, that's exactly what Playstation and Xbox are, just worse.

That's why PC people don't want them vs desktop. Will be the same with steam OS machines again.

 

[Soodanim]

Interesting probably the first of many.

I have a strong feeling Steam will replace Xbox in the console market

I don't like this idea. There are too many roads for it to end poorly for consumers, even if Gaben won't allow it right now.

Leave PC as PC, and MS can sell prebuilts with gamepass access. Given their focus on DirectX they can call it the DirectX Box, or something like that.

 

[March Climber]

I'd buy the case in a heartbeat

Only one type of design would be better than this for me, and that would be a Gamecube.

 

[Trogdor1123]

Very cool but the price seems really high. Couldn’t you do something like this for way cheaper?

 

[cyberheater]

No way are they getting 40-60 fps with Quake 4 on Xenia.

 

[Darko]

I want a handheld with 32gb ram.. I can wait.

 

[West Texas CEO]

This is super nice. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[//DEVIL//]

these prices are way too much. a retail price of 8600G is 180$ ( I am sure they can get it for much lower too ). include a none high end expensive board / ram / psu and smaller fan cooler, you are still way below 450$. asking 670$ or whatever price not including the OEM prices they get. they are basically making 300 to 350$ profit on each system ( depending on how much marketing or platform they sell on take money out of them like amazon etc.

TLDR: build your own its much much cheaper.

I do like the dreamcast retro look of it though.

 

[Ozriel]

Pick up a used Z1 Extreme Ally X, install Bazzite and you’re good to go. Or dock a Steamdeck and hook up to your TV.

The value just isn’t there

 

[HogIsland]

That's why PC people don't want them vs desktop. Will be the same with steam OS machines again.

I've always had PlayStation and PC so I don't really agree with the premise. But getting "console people" into Steam would be a big win for Valve.

 

[Syphon Filter]

emulation sucks, native is better.

 

[Freelance Yakuza]

I would definitely buy a Dreamcast mini

 

[kevboard]

emulation sucks, native is better.

in 90% of cases... no.

there are really good emulators now, some that can even reduce input latency compared to original hardware. the only systems that are still better on og hardware are N64, some PS2 gamss, and hard to emulate stuff like PS3 and later systems.

Everything 8 bit and 16 bit can be emulated with near perfect accuracy. and can be enhanced with romhacks like the SA1 hacks of SNES games that allow Contra 3 or Super Gradius (among others) to run without slowdown but still with perfect emulation.

 

[BennyBlanco]

The Dreamcast case is

These guys offer a very polished product for free in emudeck.

 

[ReBurn]

I bought an Ouya. This is not out of the realm of possibility for me.

 

[onnextflix5]

Expect lots of these, once valve releases steam os for all devices. Can’t wait, hopefully this puts a fire up Sonys ass, and they start investing more on exclusive games.

 

[BennyBlanco]

Expect lots of these, once valve releases steam os for all devices. Can’t wait, hopefully this puts a fire up Sonys ass, and they start investing more on exclusive games.

Who hurt you?

 

[drotahorror]

GL to'em but that price is absurd.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

Thats a lot of money to play 20-30 year old games. $500 & $700 +....just get a steam deck instead.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

I bought an Ouya. This is not out of the realm of possibility for me.

You bought it because it was $99. The lowest model here is $500+, thats insane for an emulator machine.

 

[mhirano]

I really hope Valve comes through with their own SteamOS console and just bulldozes all the overpriced and boutique options out there. No hate to the emudeck folks, this looks like a cool project. But we should have very affordable, commodity set-top PCs that can totally replace my PS5.

The “Steam Console” will be the next Steam Deck with a external thunderbolt GPU+dock

 

[Crayon]

I'd be playing a lot more than emulators on that.

I'd be interested in a gaming laptop in a box. One with a discreet gpu. It would end up costing so much though... my pc doesn't cost much more than the good model of this thing. Probably about $800?

Actually, who knows where that ssd came from. I didn't include that in the $800. It's trash either way so I'm going to do the budget pc builder trick and not count it.

 

[RCX]

They're nostalgia-baiting me with that Dreamcast design.

And its working.

 

[Davevil]

Interesting probably the first of many.

I have a strong feeling Steam will replace Xbox in the console market

 

[RagnarokIV]

Wtf are those prices? They literally buying the parts from a store one by one?

 

[VitoNotVito]

I love the design and the idea itself but simple calculation on the parts included in this configuration suggest it's quite overpriced.

 

[ReBurn]

You bought it because it was $99. The lowest model here is $500+, thats insane for an emulator machine.

Are you sure that's why I bought it?