Maybe not the Steam Machine itself, but a dedicated PC plugged into the TV using SteamOS, certainly. That’s going to be my “console” going forward after this gen.
To be fair, i’d say the Steam Machine is relatively cost competitive with other PC pre-builds. DIY will save you money but you’ll never end up with a system that’s as small or quiet, and you have to really know what you’re doing.
The Steam Machine is not such a bad deal really, aside from the fact that every PC is a bad deal in 2026.
You can totally build a system as small and as quiet. You really have to be experienced to do it, for sure, but it can be done. My last build was a shoebox sized mini itx. It was 1" taller and one 1.5" longer than the top of the line video card I put in it. It had 4 SSDs and a full size PSU.
It was whisper quiet until you asked for the absolute maximum output. It was always silent doing anything a console could do.
I get what you’re saying, but it’s worth mentioning that even a Mini ITX board has a larger foot print (6.7" squared) than the Steam Machine’s absolutely tiny 6" cubic form factor. It’s really a very small device!
FWIW, I’ve always found that small form factor parts are a little more expensive too.
Damn. I knew it was small, but I thought it was 9^3" not 6^3". I thought I’d at least matched it on volume, with my ~6.5x7x11". You’re right, hitting that size with those specs is only possible with custom PCBs.
Right now it’s way too expensive for me, but that’s because I currently have a PS5, Steam Deck, Switch 2, and PC that was mid-range in late 2021 that were bought when prices were reasonable. Once games I want to play come out that I can’t play on my current hardware, we’ll see where the market’s at and what makes sense, price-wise. I might have to go without high-end games for a while or even for good if prices never become sane again. Hoping I can squeeze several more years out of what I have now.
If someone had no way to play games and wanted to start gaming on the TV now without having to build something, a Steam Machine still would be a hard recommendation when the Switch 2 exists at a decent price, with the added benefit of being portable. The Steam Machine’s only worth it at its current price for people who like to tinker.
The Steam Machine is a good value for its form factor. Some people prioritize form factor. Some people don’t. That’s really the main factor in whether someone would want a Steam Machine. I feel like both sides of the argument are ignoring that.
Maybe not the Steam Machine itself, but a dedicated PC plugged into the TV using SteamOS, certainly. That’s going to be my “console” going forward after this gen.
To be fair, i’d say the Steam Machine is relatively cost competitive with other PC pre-builds. DIY will save you money but you’ll never end up with a system that’s as small or quiet, and you have to really know what you’re doing.
The Steam Machine is not such a bad deal really, aside from the fact that every PC is a bad deal in 2026.
You can totally build a system as small and as quiet. You really have to be experienced to do it, for sure, but it can be done. My last build was a shoebox sized mini itx. It was 1" taller and one 1.5" longer than the top of the line video card I put in it. It had 4 SSDs and a full size PSU.
It was whisper quiet until you asked for the absolute maximum output. It was always silent doing anything a console could do.
I get what you’re saying, but it’s worth mentioning that even a Mini ITX board has a larger foot print (6.7" squared) than the Steam Machine’s absolutely tiny 6" cubic form factor. It’s really a very small device!
FWIW, I’ve always found that small form factor parts are a little more expensive too.
Damn. I knew it was small, but I thought it was 9^3" not 6^3". I thought I’d at least matched it on volume, with my ~6.5x7x11". You’re right, hitting that size with those specs is only possible with custom PCBs.
It’s not upgradable, it’s a bad deal. One of the main reasons to play on pc is upgradable hardware, which the Steam machine doesn’t have.
Right now it’s way too expensive for me, but that’s because I currently have a PS5, Steam Deck, Switch 2, and PC that was mid-range in late 2021 that were bought when prices were reasonable. Once games I want to play come out that I can’t play on my current hardware, we’ll see where the market’s at and what makes sense, price-wise. I might have to go without high-end games for a while or even for good if prices never become sane again. Hoping I can squeeze several more years out of what I have now.
If someone had no way to play games and wanted to start gaming on the TV now without having to build something, a Steam Machine still would be a hard recommendation when the Switch 2 exists at a decent price, with the added benefit of being portable. The Steam Machine’s only worth it at its current price for people who like to tinker.
The Steam Machine is a good value for its form factor. Some people prioritize form factor. Some people don’t. That’s really the main factor in whether someone would want a Steam Machine. I feel like both sides of the argument are ignoring that.
Giving up every other reason to buy a PC just for the form factor is ridiculous.
That’s not going to be an option for most people on account of SteamOS not betting able to play all of the biggest, most popular games.
The only ones I can think of that don’t work are online ones that use Anti-Cheat. They can use Windows instead, then.
Yeah, and that’s 99 of the top 100 most popular games.
Try selling someone a pc in 2026 that will never be able to play GTA6 lol.
As I said, if those games matter to them, they can simply use Steam’s Big Picture Mode in Windows. This is a non-issue.
So install windows on the steam machine?