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[StereoVsn]

Maybe making it PS5 Pro price and using RDNA4 would have been the right move. Not having access to FSR4 natively is big.

There is no RDNA APUs, laptop graphics or alike. Basically AMD got nothing till sometime in late 2027 with RDNA 5 devices.

That's the real issue and also why all the handheld devices are kind of iffy performance per $/€/¥/£.

And it's out like you can get an Nvidia design for a reasonable price unless you can rebadge some older stuff like Nintendo did. And the issue with that is that Linux side is kind of shit.

Even the super expensive AMD laptop APU, AI 395 + Pro or whatever it is, that starts at $1800, is still RDNA 3.5.

 

[Mister Wolf]

There is no RDNA APUs, laptop graphics or alike. Basically AMD got nothing till sometime in late 2027 with RDNA 5 devices.

That's the real issue and also why all the handheld devices are kind of iffy performance per $/€/¥/£.

And it's out like you can get an Nvidia design for a reasonable price unless you can rebadge some older stuff like Nintendo did. And the issue with that is that Linux side is kind of shit.

Even the super expensive AMD laptop APU, AI 395 + Pro or whatever it is, that starts at $1800, is still RDNA 3.5.

I see. Seems rushed to market then.

 

[Ar¢tos]

All I want is a device to play small indie games without the smelly turd of Windows 11. The Steam machine is perfect for me, as long as it isn't crazy expensive.

 

[Brakum]

Also how microsoft thinks play anywhere is a huge fucking deal. Guess what else has play anywhere? This, and unlike xbox, it's for all games ever, they dont need to go ask for permission to every developer. If your handful of play anywhere games are a selling point, then why would i not get the box that has play anywhere for 20k games instead?

 

[mckmas8808]

Plenty of people are shitting on the Steam Box for being weak.

If Valve announced a $1000 monster instead people would have complained it is too expensive.

That's just the internet being the internet.

The problem with non-upgradeable PCs is kinda obvious, no?

 

[Rocinante618]

I'm just dreading the negative reviews by Steam Machine owners because a third party game isn't certified and runs on poorly on their weak hardware.

 

[Montauk]

It's crazy how hysterical and over the top so much of discussion around gaming is.

Why can nobody - including publications like this - actually WAIT to try something like this out before making these insanely broad and confident statements?

 

[Plague Doctor]

Microsoft doesn't care...

unless TikTok comes out with PC gaming hardware.

Then they are worried.

 

[adamsapple]

Plenty of people are shitting on the Steam Box for being weak.

If Valve announced a $1000 monster instead people would have complained it is too expensive.

That's just the internet being the internet.

You're right, but again, 8GB VRAM is such a big sticking point.

Like DF and co routinely poopoo on 8GB GPU's when doing their videos. This is gonna be in the same venue.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

The absolute hard-on people have for Valve is pretty groan-worthy at this point. They shit out the most boring product of the year and people rush to call it revolutionary. Microsoft hasn't been a good steward of PC gaming, but let's call a spade a spade here.

 

[winjer]

This is just another clickbait nonsense by PCGamer, with a ton of hyperbole.
But at least Valve is trying to make PC gaming better. Microsoft just tries to make PC gaming worst.

 

[RoboFu]

Curated list of games the Steam Machines will never play out of the box.

• Fortnite
• Call of Duty/Warzone multiplayer
• Roblox
• Minecraft

thats the real list. and its a good list... but I wouldn't say never.

 

[Durin]

I mean Microsoft already lost the storefront war on PC, and all they can do for a while is find a niche. Burned some of that possibility with the Game Pass price hike though.

Only limitation I'm curious to see how this device works around is the 8gb of VRAM, and what the price will be. Definitely seems like something they'll price around the cost of the Steam Deck or console than anything close to $1000. Not sure if they have some way to share GPU tasks to make up for the VRAM, or some optimization on memory usage, since the chip is listed as semi-custom.

Is this using an APU?

Given it has an actual GPU, I would assume it's a CPU in this Steam Machine.

 

[tr1p1ex]

The race to 10m lifetime sales starts now.

Being generous.

 

[Guilty_AI]

The problem with non-upgradeable PCs is kinda obvious, no?

Doesn't stop having like 2/3 of the PC market being laptops

 

[StereoVsn]

I see. Seems rushed to market then.

Well, it's their desktop MVP (minimum viable product). If the price is right, it may not be too bad. Witness all the folks buying mini-PCs with integrated 780m graphics.

We will likely see updates in late 2027 to both this device AND Steam Deck.

Edit: What's going to be interesting if any of the bigger integrators like ASUS, Lenovo or MSI will follow suite with a small Linux gaming oriented PC, perhaps with beefier hardware.

 

[bender]

Being generous.

That's me, bender .

 

[tr1p1ex]

All I want is a device to play small indie games without the smelly turd of Windows 11. The Steam machine is perfect for me.

There's the marketing line for it!!!

 

[ZehDon]

... Valve making an under-speced pre-built PC is suddenly re-inventing the entire concept of gaming on a computer? Please, pretend journalists, take Gaben's balls out of your mouth.

 

[Skifi28]

If I were Microsoft, I'd be more worried from the Windows side of things than fucking Xbox. OS near-monopoly is the sole reason for Microsoft's dominance, you really don't want Linux getting market share and gaming is a huge drive. When most people on windows hate windows and just use them because they have to, any viable alternative becomes a big threat.

 

[Kacho]

The problem with non-upgradeable PCs is kinda obvious, no?

Explain so I don't have to guess what you're getting at.

You're right, but again, 8GB VRAM is such a big sticking point.

Like DF and co routinely poopoo on 8GB GPU's when doing their videos. This is gonna be in the same venue.

Rich said he doesn't think Valve is chasing the DF crowd with this machine. They have data that shows the VRAM won't be a problem for the audience they're targeting. This is not a console/PC replacement. It's a supplementary device just like the Steam Deck.

 

[Mister Wolf]

All I want is a device to play small indie games without the smelly turd of Windows 11. The Steam machine is perfect for me, as long as it isn't crazy expensive.

You can do that now with a Steam Deck and generic dock.

 

[Miyazaki’s Slave]

Two of the mini/micro pcs in my house would trounce 80% of what PCMR think they have. This form factor is great for gaming and this device will do quite well priced at $599 and $699 (but...buy the cheap one and upgrade the storage yourself...duh).

This is "Steam Deck: The Appliance". It plugs into your TV (or monitor) and it plays AAA games at respectable FPS and fidelity levels at 1080p and 1440p...with some AA and below games performing extremely well in 4k. This is MORE than enough for the folks currently suffering the battery life of the Steam Deck or having to settle for what is offered up as "AAA Console experiences" today.

Also, Valve doesn't need this (or ANY of their hardware) to sell 80million units...they will be laughing all the way to bank when it sells 8 to 10 million units and they will be taking baths filled with liquid gold when it sells double or triple that.

 

[Ar¢tos]

You can do that now with a Steam Deck and generic dock.

I have no desire to pay for a screen I'll never use.

 

[Three]

... Valve making an under-speced pre-built PC is suddenly re-inventing the entire concept of gaming on a computer? Please, pretend journalists, take Gaben's balls out of your mouth.

Some journalists yesterday : "Consoles are dead". Today valve makes a "console". Same journalists:

 

[salva]

Curated list of games the Steam Machines will never play out of the box.

• Fortnite
• Call of Duty/Warzone multiplayer
• Roblox
• Apex Legends
• EA Sports multiplayer
• GTA Online
• MLB The Show
• NBA 2K multiplayer
• Destiny 2
• Minecraft

 

[adamsapple]

Rich said he doesn't think Valve is chasing the DF crowd with this machine. They have data that shows the VRAM won't be a problem for the audience they're targeting. This is not a console/PC replacement. It's a supplementary device just like the Steam Deck.

Sure but that depends on the price. if this is < $500, better, if this is closer to the high 3 digits, it's gonne be criticized.

 

[Kerotan]

This runs a version of Linux doesn't it?

 

[ZehDon]

If I were Microsoft, I'd be more worried from the Windows side of things than fucking Xbox. OS near-monopoly is the sole reason for Microsoft's dominance, you really don't want Linux getting market share and gaming is a huge drive. When most people on windows hate windows and just use them because they have to, any viable alternative becomes a big threat.

Oh, I'd bet a small fortune that Microsoft are at red alert with regards to SteamOS showing up Windows for gaming. Valve is trying to use gaming to push the operating system. If you offer up the hardcore gaming crowd an immediate 30% performance improvement on their existing hardware for free, they'll jump at the chance. And once they're in Linux-land, they'll be tired of swapping back and forth between operating systems, so the more industrious of the hardware crowd will get to work making sure they can just stay in Linux where their games run so much better. New apps, new wrappers, new tools. And once Linux has captured the hardcore, it's just a matter of time before Linux gains widespread support from developers, which starts the snowball. I'd bet that Microsoft is at red alert because they know this exact plan very, very well - it's their plan that they used quite successfully with Windows 95. They need to desperately strip back Windows for gaming performance before that snowball gets rolling - and they know it.

 

[Darsxx82]

"PCGAMER"....and that's where I should have stopped reading... but no, I decided to read the article... and confirmed that I was stupid and should have stopped reading there

What a piece of garbage PCGamer is these days, my God

 

[The_Mike]

I am hyped on Steam Hardware.

Got my Deck recently and loving it so far. I am also certain I am gonna grab that controller when it launches.

However, for this to really pull off, they need to make games like Fortnite, Battlefield 6 and the new GTA to run on the machine, otherwise the SteamOS is not gonna take off

 

[Killer8]

Because Valve actually gets it.

Microsoft are chasing $1000+ "most powerful ever" hardware which nobody actually wants or can likely even afford. Their selling points are:

1. Maintaining access to the Xbox library (the rats already fled that sinking ship, see the sub-30 million sales this gen)
2. Steam integration (which of course is never going to be as good as what Valve does themselves)

Meanwhile, Valve are creating a highly accessible, likely pretty affordable, attractively designed and compact device, with best in class software and a massive ecosystem of games. Much like the Steam Deck, it's not bleeding edge, but it's going to be good enough for the vast majority of people. Remember that most PC gamers in the Steam hardware survey are using mid-range hardware. PC gaming is much more than just FPS and RTX cock measurement.

Also much like Steam Deck, this Machine reduces almost all of the friction of PC gaming for the casual user. The original Steam Machines failed a decade ago because the software wasn't there yet. Now it is. Valve already solved a massive amount of issues with the Deck. It's frankly absurd how well the software layer makes PC gaming on a handheld feasible. It's why people who are buying competing devices which use Windows come crawling back to the Deck.

Translating that back to a console-like home device is going to be incredible easy. Meanwhile Microsoft are going to be on their very first attempt at a device like this. It's going to be powered by software written by retards and AI, if Windows is anything to go by. Valve, on the other hand, have already learned from their failures with over a decade of experience under their belt.

 

[mckmas8808]

Doesn't stop having like 2/3 of the PC market being laptops

Good point. I was thinking Gaming Desktops that aren't mobile. Once you introduce mobility, people are willing to sacrifice (i.e. Switch, Switch 2, Steam Deck, PS Portal).

 

[rodrigolfp]

I have no desire to pay for a screen I'll never use.

Then build a mini PC and install Bazzite and you can do everything this thing can plus have better specs and upgradable components.

 

[reinking]

If I were Microsoft, I'd be more worried from the Windows side of things than fucking Xbox. OS near-monopoly is the sole reason for Microsoft's dominance, you really don't want Linux getting market share and gaming is a huge drive. When most people on windows hate windows and just use them because they have to, any viable alternative becomes a big threat.

I agree. This isn't going to be about the Steam Machine competing with the Xbox directly. This is going to be about the OS/OEM market similar to what we see in the handhelds right now. Get a similar spec machine with Steam OS cheaper than the Windows counterpart.

 

[Spukc]

Curated list of games the Steam Machines will never play out of the box.

• Fortnite
• Call of Duty/Warzone multiplayer
• Roblox
• Apex Legends
• EA Sports multiplayer
• GTA Online
• MLB The Show
• NBA 2K multiplayer
• Destiny 2
• Minecraft

 

[Proelite]

True. Just saying it won't have mass appeal if it doesn't have the compatibility and the pricing down.

 

[mckmas8808]

Explain so I don't have to guess what you're getting at.

There's a limit to the Total Addressable Market for a non-upgradeable PC. It's not a bad thing to target mind you. We all just have to realize that it's supplement to the video game space and not meant to replace anything.

 

[Proelite]

1. Steam integration (which of course is never going to be as good as what Valve does themselves)

You realize that Steam OS devices plays a subset of games that Steam does on PC and Steam integration is done by Valve themselves on PC? Technically the statement should be that Valve's Steam integration on Steam OS is never going to be as good as what Valve does themselves on Windows.

 

[Mercador]

The irony is that I will probably sell my XSX to get the Gabecube instead because I doubt the XSX will support a Steam Controller (I play mostly CRPG and 4X so trackpads will be quite helpful!).

 

[CrustyBritches]

Article is a bit hyperbolic. I don't think this thing will have nearly the impact that the steam deck had, or even Xbox series s for that matter.

It looks cool though, and I like the controller they made. It's just lame that it's RDNA3.

 

[Sophist]

... Valve making an under-speced pre-built PC is suddenly re-inventing the entire concept of gaming on a computer? Please, pretend journalists, take Gaben's balls out of your mouth.

Valve is now offering an entire gaming package out-of-the-box with hardware (custom chip), operating system, and a store/gaming platform. The os being open source and non microsoft is already a little revolution.

 

[Js562]

Nice piece from PCgamer?

 

[Sooner]

I continue to laugh at people who still believe PC gaming = Microsoft/Xbox.

PC gaming = Valve. Microsoft is just the operating system. The games (and money) go through Valve.

 

[GoldenEye98]

This piece is a bit tryhard imo. I mean Valve devices typically sell a fraction of Microsoft devices even if they have a higher brand favoritism in gaming discourse.

I mean if I had to bet today. Magnus would probably outsell this device.

 

[R3TRO]

Lmao no…

 

[icecold1983]

They didn't redefine anything. This and the future Xbox PC are going going to be irrelevant in the market.

 

[yet_another_alt]

Valve shills are truly something else.

 

[Last Hearth]

ridiculous. 98% (I left a little wiggle room there) of "PC gamers" will never own a non-upgradable device like this due to the ever increasing needs of games and the eventual need to upgrade hardware.

if they want a "console" they will buy an actual console.

Nobody "wants" a console, they just want to play the games that are available on that console. If the steambox allows one to do that, they'll want it.

 

[reinking]

There's a limit to the Total Addressable Market for a non-upgradeable PC. It's not a bad thing to target mind you. We all just have to realize that it's supplement to the video game space and not meant to replace anything.

Yeah. This is just competing with the mini-PC market when it comes to hardware. The thing about that is that the mini-PC market is growing at a significant pace. I'm not saying people are replacing gaming rigs. Just that it is growing and moving people from desktop PCs for daily tasks like web browsing, shopping and email.