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Playnix launches Steam Machine competitor

Wolzard

Wolzard

Member
PLAYNIX-CONSOLE-HERO-RX-9060XT-2048x1065.jpg


The official product page lists a 320 x 247 x 64 mm chassis, PlaynixOS based on Arch Linux, a six-core Ryzen 5 processor rated at 65W, and a Radeon RX 9060 XT with 32 CUs and 16GB VRAM, 150W TDP and 16GB GDDR6. The system also ships with 16GB DDR4-3200 dual-channel memory, a 512GB NVMe SSD, a second free NVMe slot, and a Flex 600W PSU.


PLAYNIX-1.jpg


Playnix also lists Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5, Gigabit Ethernet, one USB-C 3.1 port, two USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, HDMI 2.1, and DisplayPort 2.1. The company says it uses Noctua and Thermalright fans, offers a 2-year warranty as an EU seller, and allows users to replace or upgrade internal parts within the case's power and size limits.

PLAYNIX-3.jpg
PLAYNIX-2-1200x869.jpg


  • Measurements:320 x 247 x 64 mm / 12.6 x 9.7 x 2.5 inches
  • OS– PlaynixOS ( arch based )
  • CPU– Ryzen 5 – 6 cores 3.5Ghz 65W TDP
  • Cooling:Noctua & Thermalright fans
  • RAM– 16GB DDR4 3200MT/s Dual Channel
  • GPU– Radeon RDNA4 with 32CUs 150W TDP ( 9060 XT )
  • VRAM: 16GB GDDR6
  • SSD– NVME + Another free NVME Slot for expanding your storage
  • Network– Wifi 6E & Bluetooth 5
  • IO:2x USB 3.0 + 4x USB 2.0 + 1x USB C 3.1 + 1x Gigabit Ethernet + 1x HDMI 2.1 with HDR 4K 120hz / 8K 60hz support + 1x DisplayPort 2.1 with HDR 4K 120hz / 8K 60hz support
  • PSU– Flex 600W
  • Price: $1,139.00

Playnix

playnix.io playnix.io


 
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Pretty cool but will still have the same limitations of a custom built steam machine which many of us have done so.

No wake and auto input switching and much bigger than a steam machine.

Mine is essentially a little bigger than a series x and the steam machine is half the size of the x.
 
Jinzo Prime said:
Ok, but who is this company and why do I need their distro? I mean, this is cool, but Steam OS and Cachy right there.
Click to expand...

It's a company created by a developer of EmuDeck, which is a frontend for Steam Deck emulators.

SteamOS likely depends on a partnership with Valve.

Based on the description and packages on GitHub, it's simply a customized Arch Linux like Bazzite, likely with the addition of its own repository for customizations. It seems they intend to offer updates with pre-built configurations for specific games.
 
They should really offer 2 versions with all those prebuild machines one AMD and one Nvidia.

I would buy such a device if it could use DLSS because quite frankly every time i use FSR i try to clean my glasses because of the blurry mess it produces.
 
Lorianus said:
They should really offer 2 versions with all those prebuild machines one AMD and one Nvidia.

I would buy such a device if it could use DLSS because quite frankly every time i use FSR i try to clean my glasses because of the blurry mess it produces.
Click to expand...
Might become a thing when Nvidias open source drivers are good enough.
 
Be valve
>does nothing
>wins
>decides announce a mini-pc or whatever
>does nothing
>someone else announces another mini-pc
>does nothing
>it comes with steam gaming mode pre-installed
>wins
 
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Lorianus said:
They should really offer 2 versions with all those prebuild machines one AMD and one Nvidia.

I would buy such a device if it could use DLSS because quite frankly every time i use FSR i try to clean my glasses because of the blurry mess it produces.
Click to expand...
Nvidia Linux support isn't there yet. Unless you're gunning for a Windows machine it isn't prudent. AMD gives you more flexibility at this time with OSes.
 
Looked to see what similar parts would be at Microcenter.

- Don't know what CPU it is exactly except a Ryzen 5. They have a bundle with ATX motherboard, Ryzen 5 6500X3D, and 16 GB ram for $299.

- AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT with 16 GB ram for $419.

- MC did not list any Flex power supplies but Amazon has a Flex 600 watt for $89.

- 512 GB SSD storage for $89.

- They offer no case like that so I just chose a basic case for $39.

Total: $935. Won't match the form factor of course.
 
TrebleShot said:
Pretty cool but will still have the same limitations of a custom built steam machine which many of us have done so.

No wake and auto input switching and much bigger than a steam machine.

Mine is essentially a little bigger than a series x and the steam machine is half the size of the x.
Click to expand...

Is there a place I can buy a custom steam OS machine?
 
far better system than the Steam Machine... like tremendously better. this easily beats the PS5 Pro spec wise.

so Valve really needs to undercut the pricing here
 
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reinking said:
Hard to believe we are at a point where 16gb ram/9060xt at $1100+ is a good price. But it is.
Click to expand...

At some point we there becomes a price floor where even though relative performance per dollar increases, the specs are low enough it's not worth it because it doesn't hit the level of performance needed (or will not last long to be valuable). This and the Steam Machine are dangerously close to that level already.
 
LavitzSlambert said:
At some point we there becomes a price floor where even though relative performance per dollar increases, the specs are low enough it's not worth it because it doesn't hit the level of performance needed (or will not last long to be valuable). This and the Steam Machine are dangerously close to that level already.
Click to expand...

What? The 9060XT is above the PS5 Pro in performance and will play everything at high settings. In fact, it's not going to be too far off from PS6.
 
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Topher said:
Why? Steam Machine is has worse specs and I'd imagine Valve is able to secure better pricing. Just don't see SM being over $1000 if Playnix is selling this for $1139
Click to expand...
I'm guessing 999, but I also don't see Valve worrying about this thing at all. It has better specs but lacks convenience features.
 
OmegaSupreme said:
I'm guessing 999, but I also don't see Valve worrying about this thing at all. It has better specs but lacks convenience features.
Click to expand...

Yeah, 999 sounds about right. Hopefully less. This is the for the "I can't wait for Steam Machine" niche market. Probably a very small run of these things.
 
OmegaSupreme said:
I'm guessing 999, but I also don't see Valve worrying about this thing at all. It has better specs but lacks convenience features.
Click to expand...

who would take the Steam Machine spec over this one, just because you can wake it with the controller?

the price difference needs to be more than that imo for the Steam Machine to even approach being worth the money.

we are talking sub PS5 spec here, with 8GB VRAM.
 
Not intending to buy it, but I'm super curious for more videos and reviews. This looks like a legit concept, and the price is, all things considered, fair. Personally I'd find it non trivial to build my own machine when it needs to hit this price point as well as be this small, cool and quiet (assuming it is).
 
kevboard said:
who would take the Steam Machine spec over this one, just because you can wake it with the controller?

the price difference needs to be more than that imo for the Steam Machine to even approach being worth the money.

we are talking sub PS5 spec here, with 8GB VRAM.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but it is very difficult to compare pricing to subsidized consoles. Handhelds shouldn't cost what they do compared to Nintendo Switch 2 either. Just different markets.
 
kevboard said:
who would take the Steam Machine spec over this one, just because you can wake it with the controller?

the price difference needs to be more than that imo for the Steam Machine to even approach being worth the money.

we are talking sub PS5 spec here, with 8GB VRAM.
Click to expand...
The specs are mostly irrelevant. You're paying a premium on the steam machine for the form factor and convenience. And let's be honest—the name. Nobody is going to buy this thing.
 
It's going to be interesting to see how well all these new boxes do, the price will be a factor though, i wonder if they are all going to break the 1000 barrier.
 
OmegaSupreme said:
The specs are mostly irrelevant. You're paying a premium on the steam machine for the form factor and convenience. And let's be honest—the name. Nobody is going to buy this thing.
Click to expand...

this thing looks like it's the size of a One X, which is absolutely fine for a living room gaming PC.

One X: 300 x 240 x 60 mm
Playnix: 320 x 247 x 64 mm

so the form factor here is absolutely console like and good enough. the One X was smaller than the One S, so this is probably One S size.

and it's actually a far more convenient form factor, as most living room multimedia cabinets are designed around flat horitonally placed devices. the cube shape of the Steam Machine will not fit that well in many of them.


the convenience? again, the only convenience feature I see that the Steam Machine has over this is the wake by controller feature. and, like... wow... 🤷


the Steam Machine is a niche system for enthusiasts that want a second PC for the living room.
this Playnix seems to be far superior for that usecase.

not only is it higher spec and more future proof out of the box, it also uses standard PC parts and is therefore upgradable down the line. you can replace the GPU if you find a small form factor one that fits.

this is a decently priced, nicely packaged MicroATX PC with 2 year warranty and a custom gaming orientated version of Arch.
so unless they fuck up their OS, this just seems like a far better system from nearly every angle you look at it.

the only way the Stsam Machine would look good in comparison, is if it turns out to be a good chunk cheaper.
 
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kevboard said:
this thing looks like it's the size of a One X, which is absolutely fine for a living room gaming PC.

One X: 300 x 240 x 60 mm
Playnix: 320 x 247 x 64 mm

so the form factor here is absolutely console like and good enough. the One X was smaller than the One S, so this is probably One S size.


the convenience? again, the only convenience feature I see that the Steam Machine has over this is the wake by controller feature. and, like... wow... 🤷


the Steam Machine is a niche system for enthusiasts that want a second PC for the living room.
this Playnix seems to be far superior for that usecase.

not only is it higher spec and more future proof out of the box, it also uses standard PC parts and is therefore upgradable down the line. you can replace the GPU if you find a small form factor one that fits.

this is a decently priced, nicely packaged MicroATX PC with 2 year warranty and a custom gaming orientated version of Arch.
so unless they fuck up their OS, this just seems like a far better system from nearly every angle you look at it.

the only way the Stsam Machine would look good in comparison, is if it turns out to be a good chunk cheaper.
Click to expand...
The specs are better on this thing, that's true. My argument is that it won't matter in any real way as far as sales go. Did any handheld pc outsell the Deck? Has the Series X outsold the Ps5 or Switch? At least with the handheld pcs those came from real brands. This is coming from a nobody. DOA
 
OmegaSupreme said:
The specs are better on this thing, that's true. My argument is that it won't matter in any real way as far as sales go. Did any handheld pc outsell the Deck? Has the Series X outsold the Ps5 or Switch? At least with the handheld pcs those came from real brands. This is coming from a nobody. DOA
Click to expand...

the Deck actually has tangible advantages over the other Handhelds.
the trackpads, the build quality, the OS, the OLED screen.

build quality isn't as much of a factor when the thing just sits below your TV.
the controller is exchangeable.
the OS is gaming orientated Linux.

I also don't think that this will outsell the Steam Machine, but it's still the far better system in basically every way that is important.
so no matter how well either will sell, I still say that the Steam Machine needs to be significantly cheaper than this in order to be worth the price.
 
Oh man, remember when Steam Machine was announced and people thought it was actually going to come out and not cost $4000 because of a memory cartel jacking up the prices of everything.
 
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