• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

What category should Steam Machine be classed under?

Which category?

  • PC

    Votes: 241 67.3%

  • Console

    Votes: 44 12.3%

  • Hybrid

    Votes: 73 20.4%
  • Total voters
    358
Seems to me it plugs into a TV for people sitting on a couch using controllers using a small box, looks like a Console to my eyes regardless what OS is on it, but my vote isn't the popular one lol.
 
Last edited:
Kokoloko85 said:
With UI and OS made mainly for games. Like a console

Yes it can use other operating systems but out the box Im guessing it will be like Steamdeck

Its a hybrid if there ever was one
Click to expand...

The only difference between this and any other PC with Steam installed is that big picture mode is on by default. I don't see what is "hybrid" about a single setting. All the other differences that make a PC a PC are there.
 
I find it funny that Valve has a chance to slowly take over the living room in the next couple of decades as they continue to innocently say "Oh whatever do you mean? We are just a little old PC 🤷‍♂️"

And people just nod along with it, quote their website phrasing, and then say to others "See? It's just a PC! There's nothing other console makers have to worry about"

really-please.gif


It's clearly a hybrid
 
Topher said:
The only difference between this and any other PC with Steam installed is that big picture mode is on by default. I don't see what is "hybrid" about a single setting. All the other differences that make a PC a PC are there.
Click to expand...
What's the purpose of the Steam console?
 
Topher said:
The only difference between this and any other PC with Steam installed is that big picture mode is on by default. I don't see what is "hybrid" about a single setting. All the other differences that make a PC a PC are there.
Click to expand...

This comes out the box as a default and cant be upgraded hardware wise like most gaming PC's.
Depends how you label Steamdeck. A portable gaming PC, Hybrid, Handheld. Portable PC?

Either way.
They are obviously trying to cater to multiple types of gamers, whatever you want to call these devices. Desktop, living room,portables, VR etc.

These new Steammachine are obviously Valve's attempt at also competing for the living room space
 
It's just a PC, and honestly what I'd really love to see is a full SteamOS system to use on my own PC, completely ditching Windows. That would be way more interesting and useful to me than this thing. In the end, everyone could just build their own plug-and-play Steam Machine with whatever PC hardware they want.
 
Kokoloko85 said:
This comes out the box as a default and cant be upgraded hardware wise like most gaming PC's.
Depends how you label Steamdeck. A portable gaming PC, Hybrid, Handheld. Portable PC?

Either way.
They are obviously trying to cater to multiple types of gamers, whatever you want to call these devices. Desktop, living room,portables, VR etc.

These new Steammachine are obviously Valve's attempt at also competing for the living room space
Click to expand...

Don't necessarily disagree with what you are saying here. I will point out, however, that both the system RAM and the SSD can be upgraded in the Steam Machine. Plenty of gaming laptops have less upgrade options than this.
 
L*][*N*K said:
if it runs games on preset settings and you can upgrade its hardware then it is a console
Click to expand...

Don't you mean "can't upgrade its hardware"?

Games on Steam Machine will have all the available settings that it has on any other PC. You can upgrade the ram and SSD.
 
It's a PC. They specifically call it a PC. You can install Windows on it if you want. The games it plays? PC games. Doesn't matter if 33.5% of people in this poll think it's an Xbox or something...
 
Topher said:
Don't necessarily disagree with what you are saying here. I will point out, however, that both the system RAM and the SSD can be upgraded in the Steam Machine. Plenty of gaming laptops have less upgrade options than this.
Click to expand...
Being able to upgrade the Ram makes it even better. I didnt know you could do that.

My Laptop was troublesome to upgrade to 64gb, but I would probably do that with Steammachine too if I get one.
Im not sure if I need this and my Laptop. Gaming on a laptop screen or handheld doesnt hit the same for me as a large screen. But I can connect my laptop to the big screen too
 
It's a console really but one that lets you install other OS that does other things. The Ouya was still a console, the PS3 was still a console too.
 
PC with a gaming front end. It's pretty much no different from most of the mini PCs you can buy outside of being customized. That said, most consoles these days are essentially PCs locked to an specific OS with minor user upgradable options.
 
Last edited:
Parazels said:
What's the purpose of the Steam console?
Click to expand...

Whatever purpose you assign it. Just like any other PC.

"Yes, Steam Machine is optimized for gaming, but it's still your PC. Install your own apps, or even another operating system. Who are we to tell you how to use your computer?"
~Valve

If You Say So Shrug GIF
 
Kokoloko85 said:
This comes out the box as a default and cant be upgraded hardware wise like most gaming PC's.
Depends how you label Steamdeck. A portable gaming PC, Hybrid, Handheld. Portable PC?

Either way.
They are obviously trying to cater to multiple types of gamers, whatever you want to call these devices. Desktop, living room,portables, VR etc.

These new Steammachine are obviously Valve's attempt at also competing for the living room space
Click to expand...
Very portable handheld PC.
 
Topher said:
Again, SSD and ram are upgradeable just like most gaming laptops. Are gaming laptops consoles to you as well?
Click to expand...
No, storage is changeable on consoles too.

The fixed configuration is really about CPU+GPU. Gaming laptops have many possible configurations. AMD or Intel chips. Nvidia or AMD GPUs. Many sizes and configurations.

This is a single CPU/GPU config and that's it. Console.
 
Last edited:
phant0m said:
No, storage is changeable on consoles too.

The fixed configuration is really about CPU+GPU. Gaming laptops have many possible configurations. AMD or Intel chips. Nvidia or AMD GPUs. Many sizes and configurations.

This is a single CPU/GPU config and that's it.
Click to expand...

I wasn't talking about consoles. This has the same interchangeable components as most gaming laptops. I don't see why the number of SKUs offered makes any difference.
 
Topher said:
I wasn't talking about consoles. This has the same interchangeable components as most gaming laptops. I don't see why the number of SKUs offered makes any difference.
Click to expand...

the fuck are you on about? that's literally what you're arguing against

phant0m said:
Should've been a poll choice

Anyway, it has a fixed hardware configuration and is not upgradeable so it's a console to me.
Click to expand...

Topher said:
Again, SSD and ram are upgradeable just like most gaming laptops. Are gaming laptops consoles to you as well?
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
phant0m said:
the fuck are you on about? that's literally what you're arguing against
Click to expand...

Jesus...calm yourself. That was in reference to the first line in your post:

"No, storage is changeable on consoles too".

I wasn't referring to the upgradability of consoles.
 
phant0m said:
The fixed configuration is really about CPU+GPU. Gaming laptops have many possible configurations. AMD or Intel chips. Nvidia or AMD GPUs. Many sizes and configurations.

This is a single CPU/GPU config and that's it. Console.
Click to expand...
Just a buy a laptop or another mini pc with an AMD/AMD config, put SteamOS on it and you have the same pc as this "steambox". If this laptop is now a console for you...than I cant help you anymore.
 
phant0m said:
No, storage is changeable on consoles too.

The fixed configuration is really about CPU+GPU. Gaming laptops have many possible configurations. AMD or Intel chips. Nvidia or AMD GPUs. Many sizes and configurations.

This is a single CPU/GPU config and that's it. Console.
Click to expand...
So Macs are consoles lol
 
pudel said:
Just a buy a laptop or another mini pc with an AMD/AMD config, put SteamOS on it and you have the same pc as this "steambox". If this laptop is now a console for you...than I cant help you anymore.
Click to expand...

Holy shit. No. At the time of purchase, you have MANY options available to you.

You can get an MSI laptop with a 4070. An Asus with a 5060. 16 gigs of ram. 32. 64! Etc etc.

The Steam Machine, has NO options other than storage amount.

AZRoboto said:
So Macs are consoles lol
Click to expand...

No, same reason above. You can get a Mac with an M2, M3, M4. Even those chips have various options (base/pro/max/ultra). Various amounts of RAM.

Why the hell is this concept so hard for GAF to understand?
 
pudel said:
Just a buy a laptop or another mini pc with an AMD/AMD config, put SteamOS on it and you have the same pc as this "steambox". If this laptop is now a console for you...than I cant help you anymore.
Click to expand...
The device you are describing has a built-in display and keyboard. So this is obviously a laptop, not a gaming console.
 
Zacfoldor said:
It's funny, because I know this is a thing but it's always been very silly to me. You call things console and PCs.

They are both computers.

Console vs PC is a social construct.

All video games are computer games.
Click to expand...

The fact that a concept comes from human agreement tells you how it started, not whether it is currently useful, coherent, or predictive. Money is a social construct. So is contract law. You would still be foolish to ignore either when paying rent. All classification is a tool. We build categories to track patterns that matter to us. Consoles and PCs are both computers, but they differ in hardware openness, operating systems, user expectations, and ecosystems. The differences is what the labels are trying to capture. Saying "they are both computers" is true, and it also misses the point. It's like saying, "Cars and trucks are both vehicles, so the distinction is silly."

Besides, it's sometimes fun to see how people's opinions differ when it comes to classification, especially when there is a right answer and you can ridicule the idiots who get it wrong. For example, if people didn't say PC, they're wrong.

The Office Finger Guns GIF
 
Last edited:
phant0m said:
The neckbeards in this thread are REALLY butthurt about me calling it a console and keep making shitty bad faith strawman arguments.
Click to expand...

The only post I'm seeing as "butthurt" at all in this conversation is this one by you^^^^
 
Last edited:
Topher said:
You can think they are bone-headed all you want, but the only one getting hostile about any of this is you.
Click to expand...

Just disappointed. There are several good arguments against calling it a console, which I expected to get.

Instead it's just a pile of zero-effort drivebys

sO mAcS aRe CoNsOlE?!?

But I should know better on GAF.
 
Last edited:
phant0m said:
Just disappointed. There are several good arguments against calling it a console, which I expected to get.

Instead it's just a pile of zero-effort drivebys

sO mAcS aRe CoNsOlE?!?
Click to expand...

I hear ya man. Probably time to let this one go, and I'm talking to myself as well, since a lot times folks just won't see eye to eye on something.
 
March Climber said:
I find it funny that Valve has a chance to slowly take over the living room in the next couple of decades as they continue to innocently say "Oh whatever do you mean? We are just a little old PC 🤷‍♂️"

And people just nod along with it, quote their website phrasing, and then say to others "See? It's just a PC! There's nothing other console makers have to worry about"

really-please.gif


It's clearly a hybrid
Click to expand...

Well, what do you wanna call it? If consoles were wide open to do with as you please like this will be, I would like consoles much more.

Since actual consoles and PCs are so similar structurally now, what really defines a modern console are all the downsides that won't be here like paid online and being locked into a single storefront.

Not like we're dealing with exotic hardware anywhere anymore.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Playnix launches Steam Machine competitor
2
52
501
Jet Set Willy replied
  • Poll
Will there be an Apple "Steam Machine" ?
2
99
2K
nial replied
What is Valve's ultimate goal with Steam Machine?
2
98
1K
thicc_girls_are_teh_best replied
  • Poll
What is the most you would pay for the Steam Machine?
Poll  2 3 4
174
2K
rodrigolfp replied
Valve launches the Steam Controller without the Steam Machine - It’ll cost $99 on May 4th.
4 5 6 7 8
357
972
Durin replied
Top Bottom