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[Topher]

That's exactly why the Steam Machine is seen as underpowered. What's the point of buying one if it's just as powerful (or rather, as outdated) as the PC/laptop you already own.

This is like Sony giving the PS6 the same specs as the PS5 because that's what 70% of all Playstation game on.

This is only really underpowered if it won't play the games you want it to play. So is this for the latest and greatest AAA games at 4k? Obviously not. I'm currently playing MGS 5 and this would run that fine. Fact is that for many PC gamers, this is an upgrade. For many who want a PC in the living room, this will do that without having a large, loud, hot gaming PC under the TV. There are multiple use cases for gaming and PC gaming shouldn't be viewed with the same mindset as console gaming.

 

[Gambit2483]

There are a FUCKING TON of games on Steam that aren't available on consoles, so no, I can't "already play everything the Steam Machine will play".

 

[Themacabre]

Agreed. I have zero interest in buying a weak machine in 2026.

They should have made a proper next gen machine that would entice me to upgrade from a PS5 Pro.

And I would have no reason to purchase a more powerful and more expensive one, as I already have one of those that I am typing to you on now.

I will purchase this one though as it will fit nicely with the goal of the device and my use case, which is to plug something into the TV that other people can use that don't know anything about computers and that can take advantage of my many thousands of games I have on Steam.

 

[Brakum]

Yes, I played RTS on PC back on the day. Age of Empires I, II, Mythology, Empire Earth, Rome Total War 1 and 2, Warcraft 3, Starcraft, .. good times long gone. In fact, now most of the current ones are also in consoles.
I have most of those mentioned in CDRom or DVD, and guess that Steam Machine doesn't run them.

SOME of the bigger RTS games are on consoles now. saying it's most is just false.

But steam can absolutely run them if you really want to. It's a PC. It can run anything. Just need to get an ancient artifact called disk drive. But they still exist.

 

[Topher]

Yes, it appeals to you. But not to most gamers, accept it.

Accept what? A good number of PC gamers game on PC for mods and emulation. That's just a fact.

 

[64gigabyteram]

And don't forget all the emulators.

And the mods, and the community patches, and the hundreds of exclusive indie games...

Hell you could leave me on an island just with GZDOOM and full access to all DOOM WADs in existence and I would never be bored.

Yes we know PC gaming is great. I own one.
You simply don't need a Steam Machine to access all those juicy UZDOOM total conversions. a shitty 399 Walmart laptop would work about as well.
Now if that Steam machine were also 399 then it becomes a lot harder to justify buying the shitty Walmart laptop.

Most gamers don't give a shit about mods, emulation of very old ganes etc etc

That's a really funny thing to say considering how many downloads Minecraft and Skyrim mods have. Million view Youtube videos of people playing mods for Bethesda games, Minecraft, DOOM, Terraria, Rivals of Aether etc.
GAF bubble man. never fails to astound me.

Because this is the spec that targets the largest userbase.

The largest userbase ALREADY HAS THAT SPEC that's the point!!!!! You're selling a device to people who don't need one!

Fact is that for many PC gamers, this is an upgrade. For many who want a PC in the living room, this will do that without having a large, loud, hot gaming PC under the TV.

The PC gamers who have not upgraded from the 3060 computers they built 4-5 years ago are likely going to be unable to afford this sidegrade- otherwise they wouldnt still be using 3060s in 2025.
Living room PC, this would be better suited towards said purpose if it had the VRAM and upscaling capabilities to not look like dogshit on a 4K TV. We want 12gb we want RDNA4

 

[delirium trigger]

This is only really underpowered if it won't play the games you want it to play.

That Mitsubishi Mirage is only slow if you really need to take her on the highway.

 

[Rentahamster]

The largest userbase ALREADY HAS THAT SPEC that's the point!!!!! You're selling a device to people who don't need one!

You're not considering the people who do. There are a lot of potential PC gamers out there who don't jump in because it's too complicated.

 

[Topher]

The PC gamers who have not upgraded from the 3060 computers they built 4-5 years ago are likely going to be unable to afford this sidegrade- otherwise they wouldnt still be using 3060s in 2025.
Living room PC, this would be better suited towards said purpose if it had the VRAM and upscaling capabilities to not look like dogshit on a 4K TV. We want 12gb we want RDNA4

They would be even less likely to afford a PC with higher specs then. We got to choose. Do you want this to be more powerful or do you want it to be cheaper. Can't have it both ways.

 

[kiphalfton]

There's a problem with anything, if you try and find a problem.

 

[mckmas8808]

AI because I'm lazy:

The Steam Machine is technically capable of HDMI 2.1 features despite being officially listed as HDMI 2.0, primarily due to licensing restrictions preventing open-source driver support for HDMI 2.1 on Linux-based systems like SteamOS. This means the hardware can support 4K at 120Hz, HDR, FreeSync, and CEC, but it lacks full HDMI 2.1 functionality such as Display Stream Compression (DSC) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) at launch, which prevents it from being marketed as HDMI 2.1.

Interesting.....

Can it do VRR?

 

[Griffon]

Yeah... as much as I love Valve, the specs don't make a lot of sense.

It looks like they absolutely wanted to make it sub-$500, but if they did, they should've waited till they can at least afford 16gb on the GPU. It's poor timing.

 

[CentralScrutinizer]

Interesting.....

Can it do VRR?

Yea. Freesync is VRR.

 

[Topher]

That Mitsubishi Mirage is only slow if you really need to take her on the highway.

So only buy it if you don't need to go on the highway.

 

[mckmas8808]

Yea. Freesync is VRR.

Oh okay, so yeah I get the technicality part now. Tough that they can't properly market what it can truly do on that end though.

 

[Humdinger]

Yes, it appeals to you. But not to most gamers, accept it.

You sure sound confident. I've learned to be suspicious of people who sound confident -- especially about what "most people" think or want. Dunning Kruger and all...

 

[FIREKNIGHT2029]

It will be niche AF just like the Steam Deck. It will sell a couple of million but it's not going to sway the masses away from the PS6 or a full gaming PC. It's a niche device for people with niche reasons to own one.

 

[CentralScrutinizer]

Oh okay, so yeah I get the technicality part now. Tough that they can't properly market what it can truly do on that end though.

People who pop on here and say "hdmi 2.0 is a deal breaker" are people that were never gonna get it. They're just drive by posting. A vast majority of PC gamers understand the nuance of HDMI specs.

 

[Humdinger]

It will be niche AF just like the Steam Deck. It will sell a couple of million but it's not going to sway the masses away from the PS6 or a full gaming PC. It's a niche device for people with niche reasons to own one.

True. Similar to the next-gen MS/Xbox.

Which is fine with me, since I happen to land in that niche -- the Gabecube one, that is. I am not expecting it to sell tens of millions. I doubt Valve is, either. However, if it's a modest success (in line with their expectations), it will pave the way for other models.

 

[RoboFu]

It's interesting how some people completely miss what makes pc gaming so great and it's not bleeding edge gpus. Though it is a part of it.

Pc gaming is so great because you can play the SAME games on a variety of different hardware and have that same game for 20+ years.

 

[Topher]

It will be niche AF just like the Steam Deck. It will sell a couple of million but it's not going to sway the masses away from the PS6 or a full gaming PC. It's a niche device for people with niche reasons to own one.

Pretty much. This thing ain't for everyone by any stretch.

 

[Hector Hall]

Accept what? A good number of PC gamers game on PC for mods and emulation. That's just a fact.

Well, for sure there's a bunch. How many, IDK.
Right now more than half Steam is China, and as for played games after Newzoo data most are usually F2P and GAS games. Maybe they play those modded too?

I consider games a work of art and creation and don't appreciate too much people changing other peoples work.

I know some people do, but I personally think modding and player who want to play with mods over the original vision of the creators aren't so many... I think there are like maybe 50,60 or 70 million core/hard-core gamers worldwide, not so many really, and even among those I don't think even a 10% consider this a vital thing.

Maybe I am wrong, but I think mainstream gaming, even core gaming, cares very little about mods and modding games.

 

[poppabk]

You forgot Banana.

Only idiots with nothing better to do and AI play banana.

Bongo cat is the new hotness.

 

[StueyDuck]

Steam machine is literally going to cure all the diseases on earth and solve world hunger

 

[SScorpio]

People who pop on here and say "hdmi 2.0 is a deal breaker" are people that were never gonna get it. They're just drive by posting. A vast majority of PC gamers understand the nuance of HDMI specs.

I thought most PC games could give a rats ass about shitty HDMI. And just wonder why the hell TV manufacturers can't give them the better DisplayPort connectors.

 

[mckmas8808]

People who pop on here and say "hdmi 2.0 is a deal breaker" are people that were never gonna get it. They're just drive by posting. A vast majority of PC gamers understand the nuance of HDMI specs.

See, that's an issue. This device is supposed to also be targeting at more people than the PC gaming crowd. I wouldn't consider it just drive by posting.

 

[poppabk]

Yeah... as much as I love Valve, the specs don't make a lot of sense.

It looks like they absolutely wanted to make it sub-$500, but if they did, they should've waited till they can at least afford 16gb on the GPU. It's poor timing.

You may not have noticed but prices are going up not down especially for memory.

 

[Topher]

Well, for sure there's a bunch. How many, IDK.
Right now more than half Steam is China, and as for played games after Newzoo data most are usually F2P and GAS games. Maybe they play those modded too?

I consider games a work of art and creation and don't appreciate too much people changing other peoples work.

I know some people do, but I personally think modding and player who want to play with mods over the original vision of the creators aren't so many... I think there are like maybe 50,60 or 70 million core/hard-core gamers worldwide, not so many really, and even among those I don't think even a 10% consider this a vital thing.

Maybe I am wrong, but I think mainstream gaming, even core gaming, cares very little about mods and modding games.

Doesn't really matter. Whether is mods, emulation, certain kinds of games, hardware options, whatever.....bunch of different reasons why folks game on PC.

 

[CentralScrutinizer]

I thought most PC games could give a rats ass about shitty HDMI. And just wonder why the hell TV manufacturers can't give them the better DisplayPort connectors.

Because you read "hdmi 2.0" and whine while others read the actual specs and are fine with the 4k VRR 120hz hdr output. Care to look like an ass some more?

Sorry to be a jerk. Not sure if you're being sarcastic or dense. Hard to tell online.

 

[Gamer79]

can confirm. got outta PC gaming in 2012 (RIP Hawken), mostly played on PS4 and PS5, found a good deal on a 4060 tower last november for black friday... i wouldn't say my mind was blown, but its certainly a huge step.

Once you get a taste of all the cheap games, free mods, and out of that console eco-system, one never wants to go back. PC gaming is where its at! I was a hardcore console geek for most of my life. Once I built a custom gaming rig and experienced PC gaming, I sold my consoles and will never go back.

Yes the initial cost is higher than a console but after a couple of years it becomes cheaper. NO ps plus, no xbox game pass, I actually own the games I play and won't be taken off the moment I stop paying for a subscription, I don't have to pay to play online, I get tons of DLC (mods) free, I have multiple ways to pay for the games I want and can often times get them for a fraction of what console platforms sell them at, etc.

 

[poppabk]

Once you get a taste of all the cheap games, free mods, and out of that console eco-system, one never wants to go back. PC gaming is where its at! I was a hardcore console geek for most of my life. Once I built a custom gaming rig and experienced PC gaming, I sold my consoles and will never go back.

Yes the initial cost is higher than a console but after a couple of years it becomes cheaper. NO ps plus, no xbox game pass, I actually own the games I play and won't be taken off the moment I stop paying for a subscription, I don't have to pay to play online, I get tons of DLC (mods) free, I have multiple ways to pay for the games I want and can often times get them for a fraction of what console platforms sell them at, etc.

Don't forget the big one - Concord.

 

[Joramun]

Of course it's current gen. How else are they going to up sell you with next gen when they release it then following year?

 

[SScorpio]

Because you read "hdmi 2.0" and whine while others read the actual specs and are fine with the 4k VRR 120hz hdr output. Care to look like an ass some more?

Sorry to be a jerk. Not sure if you're being sarcastic or dense. Hard to tell online.

You assume I care about specs when HDMI plugs just suck. DP is far nicer to work with.

HDMI 2.1 is also limited to 48 Gbps, while DP 2.0 is 80 Gbps.

4K 120Hz? Why not 4K 240Hz with HDR.

The only thing HDMI brings to the table is eARC (so many random audio issues with ARC over the years), auto low latency switching (PC monitors don't do all the processing garage TVs do, just display the damn picture as you're told the fastest you're able to), and Quick Frame Transport (double the frame rate or more and latency is even lower).

I wasn't complaining about the HDMI on the Steam Machine. It already has a Display Port. I just want TVs to have Display Port connectors that auto disable any processing. I haven't tried finding 75"+ monitors. I know they are out of my price range.

 

[Shogmaster]

Ryzen 5 - 8540U and RX 7600M. Lower end gaming laptop parts from 2023. It's already dated now, it's gonna be even more dated in 2026, and will be completely demolished by Magnus APU in 2027.

It'd better be $400 or it will be a disaster.

 

[Chan]

The specs are fine for a good emulation machine with some exclusive PC games/indies sprinkled in between. If it's 500 bucks I would be interested. Over 500 and I'm pretty much out. I would rather take Steam OS than Windows for sure.

 

[SScorpio]

Once you get a taste of all the cheap games, free mods, and out of that console eco-system, one never wants to go back. PC gaming is where its at! I was a hardcore console geek for most of my life. Once I built a custom gaming rig and experienced PC gaming, I sold my consoles and will never go back.

Yes the initial cost is higher than a console but after a couple of years it becomes cheaper. NO ps plus, no xbox game pass, I actually own the games I play and won't be taken off the moment I stop paying for a subscription, I don't have to pay to play online, I get tons of DLC (mods) free, I have multiple ways to pay for the games I want and can often times get them for a fraction of what console platforms sell them at, etc.

Console users just don't understand the full scope of the mods. While they begging for things like a re-release of Simpsons Hit and Run. PC players are playing.

 

[Bonfires Down]

The pre-built gaming PC market is kind of a crapshoot. I can buy something at a similar price as the Steam Machine will be, but it would come with a 3050, so that's substantially weaker. Steam Machine also fits nicely into entertainment centers and such. You might be able to build it yourself for the same price, but if you don't get the appeal of not having to do so then I don't know what to tell you.

 

[PaintTinJr]

You assume I care about specs when HDMI plugs just suck. DP is far nicer to work with.

HDMI 2.1 is also limited to 48 Gbps, while DP 2.0 is 80 Gbps.

4K 120Hz? Why not 4K 240Hz with HDR.

The only thing HDMI brings to the table is eARC (so many random audio issues with ARC over the years), auto low latency switching (PC monitors don't do all the processing garage TVs do, just display the damn picture as you're told the fastest you're able to), and Quick Frame Transport (double the frame rate or more and latency is even lower).

I wasn't complaining about the HDMI on the Steam Machine. It already has a Display Port. I just want TVs to have Display Port connectors that auto disable any processing. I haven't tried finding 75"+ monitors. I know they are out of my price range.

It isn't. That bandwidth advantage is because passively DP is limited to about 3m-5m even with the best cables, but can't get anywhere close to hdmi run lengths at higher resolutions - passively or actively repeated - so it brings a little more than eARC/CEC for a lot of practical setups, particularly with projectors, and it is also a unified standard that has robust certification, hence the issue of the Steam Machine being outside of hdmi 2.1 that is common place on home consoles.

 

[64gigabyteram]

There are a lot of potential PC gamers out there who don't jump in because it's too complicated.

there's no "potential PC gamers" in that statement. The "complicated" parts of PC gaming are the juicy bits. Modding games, upgrading hardware, customizing setups, older games and emulation, all of that requires some base level knowledge of computers and tolerance of their quirks. That's where the best stuff lies and while the Steam Machine will be able to do some of that it's not going to be the same extent a home built PC you have assembled and maintain will, not to mention it's going to be a lot harder on a controller (trust me, i've done some of this stuff on the steam deck, it can be uncomfortable)

If you don't think the juice (mods, new servers for old games, easy, customizable, and accurate emulation) is worth the squeeze (copy and pasting folders into files, changing text files, downloading/dumping BIOS and roms) you weren't going to be a PC gamer in the first place. Consolizing the experience to get players who are already satisfied with their current systems to come over ain't gonna do much.

 

[Hector Hall]

Doesn't really matter. Whether is mods, emulation, certain kinds of games, hardware options, whatever.....bunch of different reasons why folks game on PC.

Yeah, of course, but for that they don't need Steam Machine, just a plain old PC. I also tinkered and played with emulators and mods myself, but when I was a teen or early 20s. When you are a grown up with work, responsabilities, family etc you barely make time to keep gaming, let alone playing mods of old games.

I myself could buy maybe the Steam machine, already have an arcade cabinet in upper floor with Raspberry, but could find some use for this. Have 30 or 40 current Steam games, my older PC games are CD/DVD (and some even floppy) wouldn't work but could download some If I really wanted, maybe some current RTS. It's small, sleek, controller seems OK, it just wouldn't be the main platform and the one I spend big on it. I don't think it will run very well the games of 2027 and beyond.

 

[SScorpio]

It isn't. That bandwidth advantage is because passively DP is limited to about 3m-5m even with the best cables, but can't get anywhere close to hdmi run lengths at higher resolutions - passively or actively repeated - so it brings a little more than eARC/CEC for a lot of practical setups, particularly with projectors, and it is also a unified standard that has robust certification, hence the issue of the Steam Machine being outside of hdmi 2.1 that is common place on home consoles.

HDMI 2.1 max cable length falls between 10-15ft, the same 3-5m of DP.

Display Port repeaters are also a thing, not sure sure how long the runs you're talking about are though.
https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-102039-DisplayPort-Repeater/dp/B07D949F59

 

[reinking]

People are losing their freaking minds. This device was made with a market in mind. They are not going after Xbox (hardware wise anyway) and they are not going after consoles. They are expanding on the Steam market and providing a device SOME people have been asking for. That is why they used their internal Steam data to determine the target specs. SteamOS will be available for those that want something with a little more horsepower.

According to Valve President Gabe Newell, the expansion comes in response to continued demand from PC gamers. "We've been super happy with the success of Steam Deck, and PC gamers have continued asking for even more ways to play all the great titles in their Steam libraries," Newell stated. "Our work over the years on other hardware and even more importantly on SteamOS has enabled Steam Controller, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame to do just that."

The success of SteamOS on Steam Deck proved crucial, with many users already docking their devices to TVs for a console-like experience. According to Valve, 10-15% of Steam Decks are connected to an external display at any given time, and these users specifically requested more "crispness and graphics horsepower." Valve saw an opportunity to provide a better experience for that use case without the weight and battery life constraints of a portable device.

Even when Valve says exactly what the device is and who they are marketing it toward, some people are still going to argue against it. It is interesting to watch the reactions.

 

[Topher]

Yeah, of course, but for that they don't need Steam Machine, just a plain old PC. I also tinkered and played with emulators and mods myself, but when I was a teen or early 20s. When you are a grown up with work, responsabilities, family etc you barely make time to keep gaming, let alone playing mods of old games.

I myself could buy maybe the Steam machine, already have an arcade cabinet in upper floor with Raspberry, but could find some use for this. Have 30 or 40 current Steam games, my older PC games are CD/DVD (and some even floppy) wouldn't work but could download some If I really wanted, maybe some current RTS. It's small, sleek, controller seems OK, it just wouldn't be the main platform and the one I spend big on it. I don't think it will run very well the games of 2027 and beyond.

Yeah, Steam Machine certainly isn't required, but depending on the price, it may be a good starter for a lot new gamers. Plenty of use cases, but can't emphasize the lack of price enough at this point.

 

[RainblowDash]

It's going to be like the Steam Deck.

It's going to be able to play the majority of games at good enough performance.

People who want to waste their money playing the awful AAA games that need stronger hardware will know to build their own machines.

 

[Kacho]

but can't emphasize the lack of price enough at this point.

!!

The price will make or break it

 

[Shogmaster]

It's going to be like the Steam Deck.

It's going to be able to play the majority of games at good enough performance.

People who want to waste their money playing the awful AAA games that need stronger hardware will know to build their own machines.

This is on point, but depends highly on what the price is. $400? No brainer. Sell like hotcakes. $500? A bit tough at that performance. PS5 is more enticing for a bit more. $600? Definitely buy PS5 instead. $700? No one cares about Steam Machine at that point.

 

[reinking]

Yeah, Steam Machine certainly isn't required, but depending on the price, it may be a good starter for a lot new gamers. Plenty of use cases, but can't emphasize the lack of price enough at this point.

Price will determine it for me. If they come out at a good price comparable to an equivalent Mini PC I will get it ($600-ish base). It has a cool enough form factor and I think the magnetic plate will lead to some great customizations. If they price it too high, I will either build a SFF or pick up a comparable mini-PC. SteamOS is an easy enough install.

 

[The Mad Draklor]

And the mods, and the community patches, and the hundreds of exclusive indie games...

Hell you could leave me on an island just with GZDOOM and full access to all DOOM WADs in existence and I would never be bored.

And the unofficial PC ports of classics like Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Jak and Daxter, and Jak II.

 

[RainblowDash]

This is on point, but depends highly on what the price is. $400? No brainer. Sell like hotcakes. $500? A bit tough at that performance. PS5 is more enticing for a bit more. $600? Definitely buy PS5 instead. $700? No one cares about Steam Machine at that point.

I expect a base model to be $600.

Unlike the Steam Deck, there won't be costs for a screen, battery, or controller layout. So this is why I think this price would be reasonable.

 

[SoloCamo]

PS6 and next Xbox will also be out of date day 1.

They are already out of date and they haven't launched yet... People have big dreams if they think either console is going to pack even remotely close to high / very high end pc hardware in it.