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[StereoVsn]

I've built up my library quite a bit from PS4 onwards, but now I'm considering switching over to Steam. I like the Steam Machine, as I only like couch gaming. Games are a lot cheaper and I'd probably make back the hardware costs in a couple of years.

The problem is giving up the graphics power of my PS5 Pro. I'd be using a weaker device for a while until a more powerful PC hybrid shows up. Maybe the Xbox Helix, but that's still unconfirmed to support Steam. Im keeping the PS5 Pro for exclusives, so its just about where do I buy the next non-exclusive game on.

Anyone else considering it? What are your thoughts?

You don't have to buy specifically Steam Machine. Get a pre-built from Microcenter with a 9070XT that will be more powerful than your PS5 Pro. If you want, put Bazzite on it or SteamOS (this one will need to wait a bit for updates) for same feel/look.

Hell, Xbox Mode on Win11 allows pretty decent couch gaming now days or just Steam BPM.

 

[StereoVsn]

I pretty much always buy from key sites, and I'll even choose cdkeys/loaded if theyre a bit higher as they're reputable.

Never had a key revoked, and have well over a thousand games. Only ones im really hesitant on is sites like g2a or kinguin etc.

Yeah, Fanatical, GMG, Loaded, etc are all fine. The key reseller marketplaces like G2A are indeed sketchy.

You do get refunds with no questions asked on Steam purchases (if you play 2 hours or less).

 

[mitch1971]

Depends if you are going to play those games you buy cheap. I hear nothing but I've 300 games on back log on steam I'll never get time to play. You ain't saving money if you ain't going to ever play them. You are wasting money.

 

[MrRibeye]

sort of in the same boat, I invested into the PS eco system and violent action games, and now my life is transitioning into being a dad and I want to share my gaming hobby with him, but 90% of my library is inappropriate for his age, so I want to start building a library of kid-friendly games we both can enjoy and I'm not sure if I want to do that on PS when the Nintendo games are such a no-brainer for our situation.

Yeah yeah "just own both" but I'm the kinda guy who won't enjoy causing mayhem in Diablo 4 when I can only do it for 3-4 hours on a weekend when my son's not looking, like it just won't feel right somehow,

and so I'm leaning more and more towards re-booting my gaming hobby from the ground up, in the hopes that I can get a kick out of Super Mario Wonder by being sweaty about it and speed running or whatever while also enjoying it casually with my son.

 

[Lokaum D+]

First steam sale you ll by everything again for 1/3 of the money

 

[Hadoukens]

I got one of the Dark Picture games revoked, but got instantly new key from cdkeys.

I didn't know this was a thing. Did you follow up with them?

 

[AndrewRyan]

You don't have switch everything at once. Pick and choose the pc games that makes sense and continue with your ps5 pro in the meantime, primarily exclusives. Just avoid digital purchases from PSN and no sony specific accessories.

I've been moving from playstation to pc for the last 10 years. It's hard actually, especially with all your psn+ games. In hindsight though it's been 100s of times better than I thought it would be.

 

[Shifty1897]

Has to be console experience in the living room. I hate gaming on a desk or using Windows from a couch.

You can set up a Windows PC to auto login and start in big picture mode, that's what I do for the console experience.

If you want to go farther, you can build a Linux PC that uses the Steam Machine OS, then it literally is a steam machine with PS5 Pro+ level specs.

 

[Denton]

I have been PC TV couch gaming since 2013. Bioshock Infinite was my first PC TV game and I could never go back. It is the best of both worlds. No need for a Steam machine tbh. Just build whatever PC you want in whatever performance and form factor you want, plug in xbox controller or steam controller and logitech K400 and off you go. You can keep PS connected still for the games you have there and buy all new games on PC. Then you will have always access to them, no more hoping for backwards compatibility of closed platforms.

And yeah whenever I want to buy a game I just go to gg.deals and see where it is cheapest. No need to overpay.

 

[simpatico]

You could have all the power you want if you're OK setting up SteamOS yourself. It would take a Saturday of googling and maybe getting tips from ChatGPT, but you're not limited to the Steam Machine hardware spec. You can have any hardware spec you want and the exact same user experience as Steam Machine, just requires one day of setup.

 

[rodrigolfp]

I've built up my library quite a bit from PS4 onwards, but now I'm considering switching over to Steam. I like the Steam Machine, as I only like couch gaming. Games are a lot cheaper and I'd probably make back the hardware costs in a couple of years.

The problem is giving up the graphics power of my PS5 Pro. I'd be using a weaker device for a while until a more powerful PC hybrid shows up. Maybe the Xbox Helix, but that's still unconfirmed to support Steam. Im keeping the PS5 Pro for exclusives, so its just about where do I buy the next non-exclusive game on.

Anyone else considering it? What are your thoughts?

It's not a hybrid and any PC booting an Arch Linux directly to Steam Big Picture mode is virtually the exactly same thing.

 

[Spyxos]

I didn't know this was a thing. Did you follow up with them?

After I lost the game, I sent a screenshot about it to CDKeys, and a few minutes later I had a new key.

 

[Edgelord79]

Convenience doesnt come cheap!
When you buy digital you pay for that - you know what you are getting into!

This isn't a debate on the merits of one or the other.

 

[Fbh]

I've wanted to do the same for a long time.
Hardware price is the only thing still keeping me on consoles, PC parts are expensive in general and they are even more so in my country while consoles can usually be found for MSRP.

Games are so much cheaper on PC. I even benefit from regional pricing so it's often as cheap or cheaper to buy directly on steam instead of sites like CD keys. Browsing Steam then going back to PSN is depressing.
Even with Sony games (though they are supposedly no longer porting new ones).
Like Helldivers 2 on PSN is $40 +tax and you have to pay $80 a year to be able to play it online
Helldivers 2 on Steam is $25 + tax (regular price with regional pricing, not on sale) and you don't have to pay to play it online.

 

[ScHlAuChi]

This isn't a debate on the merits of one or the other.

It is when it´s a matter of price. You buy digital, you pay more and you own nothing!

 

[MH3M3D]

Good intentions and bad execution. Choosing the Steam machine is ok if you want that level of power. When there's good parts on marketplace, you can buy or build a used PC for that 700-1000USD range and find a machine that trounces the Steam machine.

I'm excited for it too. Especially from a technical perspective and I love new HW. BUT that doesn't mean that your hype should mislead you into making the wrong decision for a permanent residence on PC.

If you are abandoning the years of purchases on Playstation then at the minimum consider something that will give you (at minimum) the experience you had on the platform but at least with a base 1440p resolution and 30fps. I want to say 60 but I'm cutting slack so maybe the spec and price will probably blow whatever the Steam machine is doing out of the water.

That's not to say I don't support and wouldn't recommend it but it all depends on price and as long as you know you're not getting a 5080 PC then you will know.

I have to commend what Valve is doing on Linux though. It's amazing and continues to punch above its weight class. We are in for a great future if it causes MSFT to actually compete because Windows is bad compared to where it's been before. If there's more optimizations for gamers then its a win but that doesn't take away the high praise that Linux has merited.

I wish there were an alternative with triple the power, but I might just use this for a year or two until the next Xbox comes out. Hopefully it supports Steam, or maybe a third party will release a powerful Steam machine.

I don't expect to fully switch to PC, though—I'll always buy PlayStation consoles for their exclusives. It's just that the prices on PSN are ridiculous. Even after six months, a "discount" from €80 to €50 still feels way too high.

 

[Edgelord79]

Steam is incredible although sales haven't been as great as in the past. A few things to note:

- Steam's return policy is very good
- Discoverability of games is better than PlayStation
- If indies are your jam, Steam is superior.
- You will likely miss out on Sony exclusives going with Steam only so if you can keep both I would.

I would not make a decision until they've been out a bit either.

 

[I collect VHS tapes]

Free online and cheaper games will offset the costs for sure, that said PC hardware is a bit expensive right now

Hopefully some cheaper options come along soon

The pricing on Steam is pretty crazy though, I've probably picked up a few hundred games at under $5 each