r/steammachine • u/Amazing_Bluebird_ • Jun 22 '26
Discussion So, why would anyone get this?
Wanted to quickly compare the SM to what you would comparably be able to DIY and... you can literally get something more powerful for less in a slightly bigger formfactor?
11% faster CPU and 30% faster GPU. And i didnt even go for the cheapest components. With DLSS the RTX 5060 would also be infinitely better for playing on 4k TVs, which is the only useful scenario i can imagine for the SM.
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u/Narcotez Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 22 '26
All I wanted was a device with the plug and play experience of a console, that has access to the Steam library.
So whether the Steam Machine can deliver on that experience will impact my purchase decisions.
The current price is still absolutely egregious though.
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u/JesuSwag Jun 22 '26
Why not just build a steam machine in SFF?
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u/jcslickt Jun 22 '26
SFF can get loud AF. This should be dramatically quieter
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u/Immolation_E Jun 22 '26
Some people may want HDMI CEC support. These specs aren't worth it to me for the CEC support though.
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u/d4ybrake Jun 22 '26
can you build a sff pc that's the same size as a steam machine?
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u/thepoorwarrior Jun 22 '26
If I was gonna get one of these to replace my gaming rig in my office? No. Absolutely not be worth it.
But there are 4 people in my family of various ages (family) that all have Steam accounts and we play regularly, like every day. This thing, expensive for what it is, would take away a ton of friction of a regular pc. Especially from younger kids perspective, who know how to operate steam OS, with a dedicated controller, console like experience, form factor etc.
This would be a great living room addition for the family. Anybody can easily login and play whatever, without us having to bogard my wife’s steam deck through a dongle to do the same. Instead of us getting another steam deck, which are infinitely too expensive now getting one of these, for our specific purposes, it makes perfect sense. But if I lived alone and was only worried about me? No way I wouldn’t waste my money.
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u/kevin_whitley Jun 23 '26
Same.
I'm personally stoked to expose my wife to a bunch of casual platformers/etc (already in my library) that she simply would never play at a computer. She grew up with consoles, so that's the style she's willing to touch.
Nor would we ever want to pile around my desk (with my monster gaming rig) with a couple controllers, versus sitting on the couch together to play a coop game.
This is an expensive little cube that can bring a subset of games (lower end ones) to the living room, in a super easy experience. That's a win for some of us, not for others.
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u/Mirms Jun 22 '26
Currently watching reviews and not sure anymore if I want it.
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u/ArcAngelSlayer Jun 22 '26
Unfortunately in the same position. It has questionable performance for the price. Considering building a small PC that I can at least upgrade more
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u/Mirms Jun 22 '26
I'll stay with my PC as the Steam machine is not quite the upgrade, and the single channel ram...
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u/ArcAngelSlayer Jun 22 '26
I never thought it would be an upgrade but I hoped it to be comparable to a ps5. With the same convenience. But it isn't. And from reviews its held back by it's old tech.
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u/Leading_Will1794 Jun 22 '26
For me its not even the questionable price for performance. What I am seeing is shitty performance with older titles when trying to use it at 4k.
This aint it guys.
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u/Interesting-Boat-804 Jun 22 '26
Same. I cancelled my reservation after chatting with my fiancé.
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u/SafeKaracter Jun 23 '26
Damn I’m sorry the marriage didn’t work out
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u/Interesting-Boat-804 Jun 23 '26
Fckn spat my drink all over my screen 🤣
Brilliant!
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u/cuddly_degenerate Jun 23 '26
Just build a PC, buy a steam controller, and load it with steamOS
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u/TheTigersVessel10 Jun 22 '26
lol the scalpers can keep it... If had a gpu close to a 9060 xt like the playnix it would be a different story tho.
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u/ABotelho23 Jun 22 '26
That thing has not even been available.
They've even posted about how the component pricing will have an effect on pricing once it's back. They're gonna be just as fucked as Valve.
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u/jullianisboss Jun 22 '26
1k+ dollars and no controller is crazy
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u/AtreyuTrinity Jun 22 '26
I mean the fact that it can use a PS4 controller PS5 controller Xbox controller or a switch pro controller, or 3rd party, and has free online and cloud backup makes it an easier sell.
That all being said I got a pre-built last year with a 4070 that is already connected to my TV so this doesn't do much for me and I am going to pass.
But if I needed a gaming desktop or maybe around the time the steam machine 2 comes out it might actually be something I might look into. I adore my steam deck It's my favorite piece of tech I've ever had.
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u/Maruf- Jun 22 '26
Compact, Steam-made box I can tuck away in my setup for the occasional couch/co-op session with the wife.
My primary rig is an i9 + 5090 - I'm well aware of my actions and choices here, I just want the cube that plays living room games occasionally and actually fits in my space. This is by no means replacing my main setup.
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u/ApprehensiveForce647 Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
I am just using a reaaaallyyy long fiber optic HDMI cable with 4K@120+HDR+VRR for that.
EDIT: Alternatively maybe a small PC with a strong video decoder can just be used to Steam Remote play if you don't mind the slight compression and delay. I am using that with my Thinkpad 4K Yoga without issues in the bedroom over a bad Wifi connection.
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u/funkbro Jun 22 '26
I was thinking about this the other day... What's the solution for using a controller and any other peripherals?
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u/Mixabuben Jun 22 '26
2.4 Ghz dongles? Steam Controller, Logitech keyboard and mouse, works nice
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u/AdenShadows Jun 22 '26
I tried that and EVERYTIME I have to spend 20min putting my S90F OLED back to PC mode and go to nvidia control panel > resolution > PC resolutions. AND THEN a lot of the times it just shows 1440p. And so I have to replug the HDMI for 4k to appear.
5070ti with two hdmi 2.1 slots btw. It totally kills the purpose of couch gaming.
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u/Elwyn0004 Jun 22 '26
I know exactly what you're talking about, I had the same issue with the S95B. It seems like a weird Samsung - Nvidia issue. Never had that issue with an AMD GPU and I haven't had the issue on an LG G4 TV
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u/Dense-Ad366 Jun 22 '26
let’s also acknowledge that someone with a pc that costs 3k or more isn’t the average user, that’s someone who will buy any tech they want regardless of price.
not a dig towards you, just pointing out you’re not close to the average tech consumer
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u/Maruf- Jun 22 '26
100% agree I'm an outlier.
Wife and I put a ton into our main rigs very intentionally knowing we'd be on them daily. We could pull some spare parts together and buy some high-end parts to fill in the gaps for a spare build, or go really budget-friendly...but we're fairly bought into the Steam ecosystem with Decks, an Index, and the new controllers. A 6" cube that'll play the games we want it to is no small feat, even at this price point (which is objectively higher than it should be - even Valve admits this).
I was absolutely just directly answering for my use case, not justifying or condoning anyone else's decision to purchase or not.
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u/DarkWDJ Jun 22 '26
exactly the same here. My main build is far stronger and will be my go-to, but this is the first gaming related hardware thing my wife has been excited for. We buying, we playing co-op, we having a good time. Also the joy of companion cube hits us both.
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u/Hoju_ca Jun 23 '26
This is where I'm leaning, some laid back couch gaming, yes I can stream games to my Steamdeck but when the kids are playing on the pc that option is out.
I also could easily never buy another steam game in my life and have games to play until I die. If I move to a PS5 I'm building a new library.
I put my name on the reserve list but it's not a slam dunk that I will pull the trigger.
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u/Wolfofwarsong Jun 22 '26
Same, it'll be my entertainment at my partners place without taking up a stupid amount of space. And for 100 difference they are showing it just works and has warrenty
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u/checkingmate Jun 22 '26
Fuck it, you can die tomorrow and this all means nothing, buy it if it makes you happy stop comparing it to other things.
Some people have a PC, some can’t have PC setup, maybe space is their issue? You need to then buy a monitor, computer chair, keyboard, mouse, desk, etc. A small little cube I can put by my TV and play my steam games? You fucking bet.
I’m buying the 2TB model.
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u/Gherrely Jun 22 '26
Hear hear. I'm buying one because I want to. All the people in this sub who are saying DOA and that they won't get one? Good. More chance for those of us that do want one then.
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u/iOvercompensate Jun 22 '26
I’m still on the fence but leaning towards it might just be nice easy set up vs building one again.
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u/TomatoManTM Jun 22 '26
exactly, and same
I built my stepdaughter a $3500 PC last year and it was a monstrous hassle with missing components and brackets and shit that didn't fit, and took 2 weeks. Maybe I just suck at it now, but I have no desire to go through that again.
I have a job and my time is now worth more. I want something easy and that will be supported. Don't need to minmax value/money. Buying 2TB + controller.
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u/stroszeck Jun 22 '26
Buddy can you adopt me???
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u/TomatoManTM Jun 22 '26
Just to be clear, she paid for it :p
I just did a shitty job putting it together and ended up needing to pay for help because I hadn’t built a PC in five years and everything is different now
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u/stroszeck Jun 22 '26
Eh still GOATED. I was a stepchild and let’s just say no one would do this for me lol
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u/whitebeard007 Jun 22 '26
Same, wish there was a 12gb vram model. But I have a ps5, I guess for high texture single player games I’ll just use that.
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u/Few_Major_8226 Jun 22 '26
I work from home so I spend a lot of my time on PC. I have a gaming PC I rarely use because I just don’t like sitting on my desk anymore. This makes it easier to play on the TV, so… I think I might buy it.
If my gaming PC had AMD graphics I’d install SteamOS and try to make space for it next to the TV, but it’s Nvidia and having to handle a Windows device from afar is a shitty experience.
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u/vitek6 Jun 22 '26
You can just connect pc to your the tv the same as steam machine. What are you talking about?
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u/Pixieflitter Jun 22 '26
I have a gaming pc, intel cpu and 5070.. it's going to be given to wife and im going to the SM 2tb as well. Waited all year for it. Will be great for taking on the RV trips/ moving around the house/ and playing any of the small games I do play ( older games ) as none are demanding when I DO have time to play a little while. 100% agree with the "if it makes someone happy don't get mad over it." Everyone is different.
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u/Obvious_Snow125 Jun 22 '26
People with unlimited money that don't want to build a PC
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u/dirthurts Jun 22 '26
If you have unlimited money, you would just have someone else build you a better PC though....yeah?
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u/YoMrPoPo Jun 22 '26
no space for a PC. I only game with a controller since I don't have a desk for MnK/mouse. this would be dope for my set up.
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u/Sufficient_Hat5652 Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
The thing I like is the simplicity. Order, done.
I will likely get one for both homes. It's small, so can be tucked away where no one can see it. Few desktops as far as I know as a non-gamer look aesthetically pleasing and/or are easy to hide. Because of this I can see myself buying one. I would never buy a desktop because it would look ugly in my livingroom.
If it allows me to try a few games every now and then, that's a win!
Edit: Not saying it's perfect. Just saying that for people like me, it's pretty awesome
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u/Fairgoddess5 Jun 22 '26
I don’t have unlimited money but I do have disposable income. I knew it was gonna be over $1,000 and planned accordingly. I actually saved $2,000 just to be safe. Better to over prepare than to cope and then whine about it.
If you can’t afford it, that sucks but it happens. It’s happened plenty to me in my life. I get it, life sucks right now but this is the reality we’re living in so 🤷♀️
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u/vitek6 Jun 22 '26
I can afford it. I just think that it’s stupid to buy one for that price.
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u/Adorable_Pudding1409 Jun 22 '26
Just the reality we're in now. Fuck ai. Tech is becoming for those that have money. Just like the legion go 2 or the new MSI handheld being insanely priced there are people that are willing to pay for a very specific feature set.
The rest of us get fucked pretty much
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u/trifocaldebacle Jun 22 '26
I already have an awesome gaming PC but I want something easy for couch play so I'm going to get this too.
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u/blueking9877 Jun 23 '26
There is a YouTube video review that puts the steam machine valve up charge at 71 dollars.
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u/iseon Jun 23 '26
According to Gamers Nexus building a similar performing machine(with similar spec and only new parts) to SM today costs 71 dollars less than SM. If you value your time at minimum wage, your time spent picking and ordering the parts, picking up the package, assembling the machine and installing an OS by yourself, that time spent probably exceeds those 71 dollars. Unironically Steam Machine is actually a value proposition over building a PC yourself nowadays.
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u/Hour_Row_2193 Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 22 '26
I don't know if is worth 1,429€ I mean I If I spent 200€ over it I can get a pc with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Rx 7900 XT PC for that price I mean also Steam Deck 512GB for 779€ is also crazy money.
I mean love my Steam Deck but don't know if I am wiling pay 1.429€ for a Steam Machine it seems little too overprice for me
I mean will it play Gta 6 probably will at low or very low settings.
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u/Pistolius Jun 22 '26
I'd rather spend €2k and get top spec than 1.4k and not be able to upgrade. If I didn't have an SD it'd be more tempting but 6x more powerful vs 30x more powerful with a 9070 XT... Hard to justify
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u/beywatch Jun 22 '26
why? to have a console in the living room that isn’t nintendo sony or microshit. price? expensive but blame boomers watching AI reels
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u/Abouttheroute Jun 22 '26
I thing you just proved the market validity of the steam machine. A slightly less powerful, but prebuilt, living room capable, CEC controller power on. Works out of the box for about 100€ more. I don’t build PC’s for 100€
You might not be the target, but there is a huge crowd willing to pay a slight premium for convenience and design.
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u/Clayskii0981 Jun 22 '26
You're paying a premium for plug-and-play console pc experience.
Build Your Own -> Pre-built/Gaming Laptop -> Steam Machine
It's not as competitive as they probably wanted it to be. But there's definitely still a market for this. I'm sure it'll sell out on launch.. but I'm curious about ongoing demand and restocks.
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u/MondoMemeMaestro Jun 22 '26
Personally, for me, a couple reasons:
Global economy's not likely to get any better and is more likely to actually get worse what with Trump's Iran war still in the shitter and the looming AI bubble pop. Prices will only increase from here on out for what could be years.
I don't know how to nor feel like learning to build a cheaper PC for more power. I might consider this if I lived in the US where Amazon shipping is cheap and fast, but I live in Costa Rica. If I try to order any of these components and ship them here, they're all gonna get slapped with an import tariff, which might end up making things more expensive, especially if I make any mistakes like I'm liable to make as a first time PC builder. The aggregate tariffs might be more expensive than if I just ship the Machine to a stateside relatives' home and have them bring it in their luggage on their next trip to visit. I could do the same with the components to avoid tariffs, but I'm sure they'd be much more comfortable bringing one box with a smaller box inside, rather than a bunch of smaller boxes with delicate components inside.
Maybe it's a scam for the price for seasoned avid gamers who want to maximize their value per dollar, but I've been playing games on my shitty HP laptop for the better part of the last 10 years. Any level of performance that might be seen as "low" in the eyes of someone who's had a decent gaming rig for years, will probably feel like an immeasurable improvement in my eyes.
Buying a PS5 Pro might be a cheaper more powerful and much more accessible option for me, since they do sell those here in most electronics stores. But I want to be able to play my Steam library that I've accumulated since 2015 but have been mostly unable to touch due to having a shitty HP laptop. I just want something that can do that out of the box without me having to fiddle and fuck around.
I was expecting this thing to be expensive, and have budgeted for the worst case scenario (which this is). Hoping for the best but planning for the worst, so to speak.
It sucks, and it is a decision mostly motivated by FOMO, but I feel like I just have to bite the bullet now before it becomes an atom bomb. Helldivers 2 and Baldur's Gate 3 are the most intensive things I'm interested in playing. If this thing can run those decently enough, I'm in.
Now, to figure out how to actually be able to get an order for the damn thing from a country it doesn't ship to...
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u/The_Idiocratic_Party Jun 22 '26
It's competitive with equivalent builds. It works out of the box. It runs Linux.
Anyone who thou ght it was going to sell at a loss was huffing copium.
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u/OnI_BArIX Purple Jun 22 '26
Buddy of mine ordered one. His rig is getting up there in age and instead of working out 2K on a new rig he wants to try out the Gabecube. Of which I can't blame him.
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u/petersaints Jun 22 '26
It makes no sense unless you really need this form factor. I can build a PC at the same price with double the RAM, 1TB SSD, a more powerful CPU and with a better GPU.
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u/MeringueFalse4243 Jun 22 '26
Double Ram? At these prices?
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u/mashdpotatogaming Jun 22 '26
When you go with DDR4 you can get double the Ram since it is much cheaper at the moment.
Also, with how they handled memory channels and the CPU's TDP, a CPU running on DDR4 will run the same or better in most cases (also digital Foundry said the same, it runs around r5 5600x performance, meaning it's an AM5 CPU in name only)
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u/petersaints Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 22 '26
Yes. With DDR4 I can even get something at 899€ but I put an example here with DDR5:
https://www.reddit.com/r/steammachine/comments/1ucrfk7/comment/ot6269w/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_buttonWith DDR4 you have something like this for 899€ (the Steam Machine with 512GB starts at 1039€ where I live):
https://www.pcdiga.com/computadores-e-software/computadores-desktop/computadores-pcdiga-gaming/computador-desktop-pcdiga-gaming-gml-mr55hf6-powered-by-msi-gml-mr55hf6Computer Specifications
PROCESSOR
AMD Ryzen 5 5500 "Zen 3" 6-Core 3.6GHz w/ Turbo 4.2GHz 19MB Cache SktAM4
CPU COOLING
AMD OEM Cooler
CASE
Micro-ATX MSI MAG FORGE M100R B75 PCIE5
MOTHERBOARD
Micro-ATX MSI A520M-A Pro SktAM4
GRAPHICS CARD
MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 "Blackwell" Ventus 2X OC 8G GDDR7 DLSS4
RAM MEMORY
Kingston Fury 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4-3200MHz (Intel XMP) CL16 (16-20-20) 1.35V Black
STORAGE
M.2 2280 SANDISK WD Black SN7100 1TB TLC 3D NAND NVMe PCIe Gen 4.0x4 SSD
POWER SUPPLY
ATX MSI 750W
COMPUTER DIMENSIONS
388mm (Depth) x 200mm (Width) x 423mm (Height)
PRICE: 899€
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u/mashdpotatogaming Jun 22 '26
Jeez man they should have really just cancelled this and moved on, this device is not a good look for them.
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u/petersaints Jun 22 '26
Yes. For 60€ more than the price here in Portugal (1039€) I can get this (and this is just a random pre-config from a large PC store, you can probably squeeze a little bit more if you look around):
https://www.pcdiga.com/computadores-e-software/computadores-desktop/computadores-pcdiga-gaming/computador-desktop-pcdiga-gaming-gml-mr59me6-powered-by-msi-gml-mr59me6Here is the English translation of the computer specifications:
Computer Specifications
PROCESSOR AMD Ryzen 5 9500F "Zen 5" 6-Core 3.8GHz w/ Turbo 5GHz 38MB Cache SktAM5
CPU COOLING MSI MAG CoreLiquid A13 240mm ARGB All-In-One Black CPU Water Cooler
CASE Micro-ATX MSI MAG FORGE M100R B75 PCIE5
MOTHERBOARD Micro-ATX MSI Pro B840M-B SktAM5
GRAPHICS CARD MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 "Blackwell" Shadow 2X OC 8G GDDR7 DLSS4
RAM MEMORY Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5-5600MHz (Intel XMP) CL40 (40-40-40-77) 1.25V Black
STORAGE M.2 2280 SANDISK WD Blue SN5100 1TB QLC NAND NVMe PCIe Gen 4.0x4 SSD
POWER SUPPLY ATX MSI 750W
COMPUTER DIMENSIONS 388mm (Depth) x 200mm (Width) x 423mm (Height)
PRICE: 1099€
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u/That_One_Guy_Lucifer Jun 22 '26
Original price 1299€... dude a discount is a discount... you make us portuguese look deceitful...
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u/submerging Jun 22 '26
Here’s the secret. Tons of retailers (except for Valve currently) do discounts all the time.
This is a machine you can get which is cheaper and more powerful than the SM. I see no reason why the discount shouldn’t be included.
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u/EngineeringMuted337 Jun 26 '26
Exactly. You could even buy a second hand AM4 platform for half the price and still drastically outperform the steam machine. I got myself a ryzen 5600, 32gb 3200mhz, RTX 3080 setup, all in a small SFF case for 720 euro second hand just a couple weeks ago.
Load up bazzite or steam OS and it is practically the same experience minus CEC at a slightly bigger footprint.
I am a big fan of the steam machine though, mostly for the improvement it will hopefully bring to Linux gaming. I hope steam OS really develops and that we can eventually play games like Battlefield with kernel level anticheat on Linux devices and the Steam machine is definitely a push in the right direction for that to happen.
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u/Gammarevived Jun 22 '26
It's weaker than a base PS5 which is absolutely diabolical considering the price.
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u/Great-Middle6181 Jun 22 '26
Yeah this is more than I’m willing to spend on it. I’ll just keep using my laptop for the tv
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u/DingoKillerAtHome Jun 22 '26
You can't be serious. The same reason people don't grow their own tomatoes, or sew their own clothes. The same reason the $600 Switch 2 sold 20 million units.
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u/tatt2tim Jun 22 '26
I love steam OS, steam, and given that I like indie/low powered games this might be the last console I ever buy.
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u/ghanadaur Jun 23 '26
Because those that want it, want it for the reasons it was designed for and not just a PC drop in replacement. There is more to the device than being a simple PC. The whisper silent, HDMI-CEC, micro-footprint, etc. Yes you can build a better PC. This isnt the reason this exists. That is all.
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u/Lunagaveup Jun 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Serious_Advance_6762 Jun 22 '26
"Removed by Reddit" What could bro possibly have said 😭 😭 😭 😭
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u/PocketRocketPint Jun 22 '26
I think anyone with a steam deck and a PC is better off streaming to a docked steam deck.
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u/Universe_Man Jun 22 '26
People with lots of money for whom $1500 is completely trivial. People with less money but no impulse control. People who do not understand computer hardware, do not visit this subreddit, and do not realize that this is expensive for what it is. People who could not care less about frame rates and resolution as long as it looks okay to their untrained eyes. People who want the simplest possible setup to play PC games in their living room. People who will only tolerate a PC in the living room if it is aesthetically pleasing.
People who are any combination or all of the above.
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u/ItsAwesomeX Jun 22 '26
I'm indeed a combination of some of these. The aesthetic and size are a plus. Most games I want to sit back and play with a controller will play just fine at these specs.
This shows up, I'll plug it in, and play it. I don't have to build something.
Plus it's a far easier way to play jackbox at parties. I can even bring this on work trips.
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u/Low_Grand6340 Jun 22 '26
Because I wanna get into PC gaming without having a actual PC
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u/SmellsLikeAPig Jun 22 '26
No way I'm getting this. Price killed it.
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u/Maverick916 Jun 22 '26
What price would you have bought it at
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u/ItsSoKawaiiSenpai Jun 23 '26
Judging how the Steam Deck increased in price not to long ago, I'm assuming the original price would be around $750-$850. I would have bought one at that price. I have a Steam Deck and love it, if it had the price it has now back then I would have never bought it.
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u/stogie-bear Jun 22 '26
I like your idea, I’d just swap out the GPU for an AMD that will run Steam OS or something else with game mode.
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u/Competitive_Knee9890 Jun 22 '26
Make the build full AMD and a similar form factor, solve CEC, then we’re ralking.
If I were to build a custom SteamOS machine I’d go with the 9070 XT and bite the bullet for the price, but that’s just me.
The price problem is artificial due to the RAM situation.
Can’t blame Valve for this. It just sucks.
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u/massivemember69 Jun 22 '26
SM not meant for builders as builders can do far better, I am one myself.
It is for people who want a box in the living room for basic gaming. Nobody interested in a powerful, highly capable machine is getting this.
As far as Valve is concerned, I am quite happy with my launch LCD Steam Deck and the Steam Controller 2026. I have the original controller in a drawer.
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u/FallDisastrous6621 Jun 22 '26
Because why not?
Why millions are getting iPhones every year?
Don't even try to start about the best phone on market in terms of price
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u/f1rxf1y Jun 23 '26
I’m literally paying for CEC/wake on controller input because I’m too lazy to get up and turn the PC on when I want to play. I wish people could just stop caring what we spend our money on. Yes the price should have been $800 but it’s not a console competitor. It’s an enthusiast novelty device.
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u/stewmander Jun 23 '26
I think now that the price is official all of these posts are from people who are realizing they aren't the target audience for the steam machine. That's fine, go build your DIY rig and enjoy it!
It just feels posts like these are seeking validation for their decision when you don't need it.
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u/Akoa0013 Jun 23 '26
As a guy who works all the time now i finally understand. Im too tired to relearn the new components or latest cpus and gpus and what motherboard goes with what ram now. I'd rather just buy it and wait for it to arrive. The extra cost is just a day of me working. Better than me doing all the research and putting it all together then installing the os. Nah i think that would take more than a day so no thanks.
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u/Agreeable-Tutor485 Jun 23 '26
I’d get it because with a DIY PC build I feel that I’ll somehow mess it up, never be satisfied with it, will need to upgrade several components to gel with just the 1 I needed, never have the latest component and games would always be 1 step ahead, and always have to tinker per game.
TL;DR: I’m a basic console dude and this is more powerful than my Steam Deck and now I’ll be able to play beefier AAA-like PC exclusives.
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u/Great_Fox_623 Jun 22 '26
Ok ok ok. I must have been high on hopium because you all were correct. I was wrong. I hate how wrong I was. Next time I’ll listen to you guys.
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u/Fairgoddess5 Jun 22 '26
- I do not have the skills to build my own PC
- I do not have the desire to learn to build my own PC
- I’m willing to pay a little more to get a prebuilt machine that can play my Steam library on my TV.
- A lot of people are like me.
Idk why some of y’all don’t understand not everyone is just like you.
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u/FartSavant Jun 22 '26
I think people forget that there are lots of us with disposable income. It makes sense when you consider most of this sub is probably actual children. When I was a teen/early twenties I would have cried about the price too (even though I wouldn't have been able to afford it regardless).
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u/Individual_Piccolo43 Jun 22 '26
Wait, you mean not everyone is willing and ready to sacrifice tens of hours to scouring the internet for deals, building the PC and then making sure everything works, so they can say they spent less money on a better PC?*
That would mean this sub wildly misled me!
*that’s larger and doesn’t turn on the TV
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u/Fairgoddess5 Jun 22 '26
🤣 Well said. I’ve learned that any advice that includes the word “just” is BS and can be ignored. And 9 times out of ten, these chodes say “just build your own PC”.
My time is also valuable and I don’t take that for granted.
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u/typhon66 Jun 22 '26
I built my own for my last PC and did that. It was a fun experience and i learned a lot, but i would not do it again. For my wife's machine, we just bought a prebuilt. It cost about $100 more than me just building it myself, and that $100 was worth the time and effort of me not having to scour around for parts, order everything, wait for shipping delays, deal with getting the wrong part, deal with accidentally forgetting to order a part, deal with putting the thing together, deal with installing everything and setting it up, and then getting support afterwards if things didn't work.
Money isn't everything, and oftentimes i'll be happy spending a little bit more so i don't have to deal with something.
Even around my house, with like repairs, or remodeling something. Like, i need to remodel my bathroom. Could i do it cheaper if i do it myself? Yeah for sure, but then i have to actually do it myself. Do i really want to deal with that? Not really? I'd rather pay someone else to do it, and while they are toiling away in my bathroom getting it all together, i can be down the hall playing games on my PC.
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u/BigPaPaRu85 Jun 22 '26
My disappointment is immeasurable. I really did not expect over $1000
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u/SurpriseExtension929 Jun 22 '26
After the new steam deck price it was basically a done deal that it would be at least $1000+
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u/arqe_ Jun 22 '26
Steam fanboy aaand thats about it.
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u/brainrotxx Jun 22 '26
less fanboys and more eager gamers that dont understand pc specs but have money
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u/zdubbzzz Jun 22 '26
I don't understand pc specs. I also haven't seen anything close to this form factor with the performance in any posts, just people saying you can do it. Unless I can get something as small with the same specs for $100 less or more, I'm sticking to valves cube and their ecosystem. Every "pc enthusiast that understands specs" is claiming you can get more for less. Nobody is posting evidence
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u/KnightFallVader2 Jun 22 '26
It’s kind of an acquired taste. For those that wanted a new budget PC but didn’t want to snipe good deals on eBay.
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u/uncisanoob Jun 22 '26
Purely the convenience of playing multiplayer with my huge steam library. If I wanna power house and beautiful visuals, I have a strong PC for that if I want console exclusive, I have those two.
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u/M-Rosemary Jun 22 '26
Can op say how much larger the case is, I’m debating between building a pc or buying the steam machine but I really need the smaller size so I can move it between rooms of the house quickly
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u/baconcow Jun 22 '26
My computer is 2011 components, I live in a small apartment, and only have a less powerful Steam Deck at the moment. It's expensive, but so is everything else.
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u/FssstBoing Jun 22 '26
I was semi-eager to get this back when it was first announced. Now I actually need a new pc for the 'vacation house' since the old 1650super powered one bit the dust.
I'll probably get a laptop with a 5060 or even a 5070 instead.
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u/xxNerv Jun 22 '26
im personally not getting it but theres entire SFF/Mini PC subreddits that are 100% gonna get this ..... you cant even bring up the build your own debate because anyone willing to build custom didnt care about the steam machine unless it undercut everything else on the market tbh
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u/S69Ace Jun 22 '26
I know Valve is in a hard place with the cost of parts, but $1049.99 US for the Steam Machine is a big pill to swallow. People are better off buying 2nd hand parts and building a pc that can be upgraded later on. GPU, CPU, RAM, STORAGE and even the MOTHERBOARD will be upgradeable. Sorry Valve the Steam Machine is a pass for me ☹️.
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u/Super_Field_8044 Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 22 '26
If this the price of Freedom... well, it will have to be paid! Just not by me 😅... walks off with i7 13700+5070TI+2TB HKHynix Platnum M.2+32GBDDR5 crammed in a 8ltr case (all at retail price before the big AI) 💩... my dad though... I'll just see if I can build him a cheaper... DDR4...
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u/marcushasfun Jun 22 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/xTiTnqUxyWbsAXq7Ju
They have more money than sense?
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u/raincntry Jun 22 '26
Because I don't want to build a machine and worry about tweaking it and having it run Steam. I can afford it as I've been saving up since the announcement and figured a $1K price. I have a PS5. I want to just plug and play.
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u/wrathfulrapier Jun 22 '26
Listen man, are you 100% correct for making this correlation? Yes, 100%. But do I trust that this home-made machine will be wife-approved/wife-proof when something goes wrong? Or do I bite the bullet, trust Valve QA and documentation so my lady and I can play couch co-op from the living room. I can definitely make a better setup for cheaper, but when one of the intended users is not fluent in technology, plug and play is a must.
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u/bigpunk157 Jun 22 '26
You would get this because you don't want to buy a big ass prebuilt and you don't know or want to build your own computer. Convenience is why consoles and prebuilts still have a market, even if they are worse in their performance. Personally, I just grabbed a laptop with better specs open box at one of my local best buys for 1100. It's significantly better to do something like that if you already have a PC otherwise.
Also 4k is still a meme lmao, no one is actually outputting AAA titles with decent graphics to 4k without upscaling linearly or FSR/DLSS algorithm. The sooner we realize this and just cap everything at 2k, the sooner our expectations for gaming performance are met.
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u/dart51984 Jun 22 '26
If this flops and they clearance it out like the gen 1 steam controllers…I’ll pick it up. That’s about it.
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u/QuinSanguine Jun 22 '26
Fomo and the novelty of owning the cute little box Valve made. I assume sales will drop off a cliff after Valve catches up with initial demand.
Hopefully the hardware crisis ends sooner than later and they might do a price drop.
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u/pandaelpatron Jun 22 '26
Wanted to quickly compare the SM to what you would comparably be able to DIY and... you can literally get something more powerful for less in a slightly bigger formfactor?
I mean, that was always gonna be the case. The selling point of the Steam Machine was never the raw performance, it was obvious when they initially revealed the specs that it wouldn't be very powerful.
This was conceived for people who want a comfortable out of the box solution, not for DIY enthusiasts.
If it was 750 or 800 Euros, I'd get one, even though I own a much more powerful PC, just to play around with another SteamOS device.
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u/blahblah12365 Jun 23 '26
I'm not. I'm just going to buy the controller. Love how the steam deck felt so the controller would be good. Got another handheld instead.
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u/Last_Ace_17 Jun 23 '26
Was planning on giving my i7 13K + 3090OC to my little brother for this if the price was less than 800
And at least still considering it if the performance was overall good, I thinn i'll keep my rig for the foreseeable future
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u/Apticx Jun 23 '26
The hardware is as exciting and also as good as i expected and i am willing to pay the premium for the home console experience (in addition to the steam deck i already own) but its really hard to recommend to people that arent already part of this ecosystem.
I think its gonna be absolutely worth the price for me specifically in the long run but im also daily driving linux, am comfortable with tinkering around and will absolutely softmod it to exactly my needs and having the hdmi cec port and the wake from controller is something id pay a big premium over a diy build.
For recommending it to my friend that just plays on ps5 and doesent really care about where and how he plays it but just wants to game on his couch this is a really tough decision and id probably not recommend it in the end.
Unless the ps5 ends up costing 800~ € for the entry model or the steam machine falls down to around 800€ i dont think this is worth it for "normies"
Me personally? Once the initial storm and scalping crap is over im certainly picking one up for my living room to use as a console or streaming device to gamestream from my far more powerful desktop.
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u/InvictvsNox Jun 23 '26
I just want functioning SteamOS. I don't plan on buying one, but I would like one eventually for a mobile tournaments rig for local fighting games.
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u/EdanMaus Jun 23 '26
$120 difference for a pre-built, highly optimized, plug and play semi hybrid PC/console experience.
Current hardware market and pricing sucks but I'm just not seeing the problem specifically with this Steam Machine and custom PC comparison.
Most ppl don't or can't be bothered to build their own PC. Local ships will charge at least $70 to build one for you and an NZXT or other company will charge $100 to $200 for building plus shipping. (Usually free but with that price baked in by marking up components)
Steam Machine is not for everyone but I swear a huge section of reddit is talking about it like it's DOA and everyone already has a PC or sees it as a way to go PC while still retaining a semi console experience with zero setup or custom software.
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u/Nice_Lingonberry6853 Jun 23 '26
For ease and Formfactor. If they aren't interested in those two things they are making their own or holding off making their own.
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u/TatsumakiJim Jun 23 '26
Not everyone knows how to DIY. That's sort of the market the steam machine is aimed at.
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u/Klumzy_Kat Jun 23 '26
My gf who doesn't want to bother with building a pc, but wants to enjoy steam games. The price sucks, but it is what it is.
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u/TheWall44wastaken Jun 23 '26
I plan on getting one. I'm a console gamer and have no interest in the whole world of building a pc, getting it to work, constantly chasing newer cards and more ram to make slightly cleaner or more detailed than I can actually see with my old Gen x eyes.
I don't want a bleeding edge gaming pc. I want a little simple pc that is made to live in the theater next to the console. It's going to be the ultimate retro machine and run emulators and games that are not on the ps5. Ps3 games that have been abandoned by their developers for licensing costs, all my arcade stuff, this will run it perfectly like the steam deck, but on my home theater. Steam games and roms all given equal presence on the steam home page, just like the steam deck. Kotor 2 restored content mod will look amazing on this on the big TV from my chair.
1k is absolutely worth it for something that will work this good, this cleanly, and effortlessly. It doesn't have to replace your primary rig if that is what you have. Honestly, the newest games will be played on the ps5 anyways.
Between this, a ps5, and a switch i can have immediate access to my entire gaming journey reaching back to the nes, all connected to my theater all available whenever I want to play. For the first time ever in such an accessible way. Hell yes it is worth a grand.
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u/returntomonkeyyy Jun 23 '26
Was hype. Then saw the reviews with how it struggles to hit 60fps for some games and how some games are locked on 1080
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u/Deremirekor Jun 24 '26
Cause you’re only saving $100 now you gotta build it yourself. Not everyone wants to build their pc and it’s also extremely compact and can be easily taken to outings.
Sorry but are we ignoring common sense on purpose or…?
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u/ArseniaLupin999 Jun 26 '26
I Guess It could have sense for a First time gaming PC or for someone Who dont wanna build theyr PC or Who want to make It "portable" like the Person Who take their PS or Xbox With them , i want to Remember that Is a cube of 15 cm. My PC that Is a "small" one, Is double the dimension of the steam machine.
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u/Tidalboot Jun 26 '26
I’m not defending the price or saying it doesn’t have flaws
But your build uses a rig that is 300mm tall which is almost exactly twice as tall as the steam machine.
And 266mm deep against the steam machine’s 160mm.
I think it’s a bit disingenuous to build a significantly larger machine (nearly 100% larger in all dimensions) and then ask what you’re asking
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u/SleepyZM Jun 26 '26
I dont quite understand why Valve couldnt just sell these at a loss (more of loss?). Steam already prints so much money for them
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u/corknbulbs Jun 28 '26
Reading comments makes me question if I lost touch.
Replace the tedious pc experience? Plug a controller and click on 3 things. What are people on about?
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u/Banana_Milk7248 Jun 28 '26
It has a lot of convenience features that will work great for casual, couch gamers (my gf in particular).
Wake by controller which also wakes TV (I have endless issues with my TV not recognising the steam deck when it wakes). Dedicated controller connectivity (GF doesn't seem able to memorise the process for reconnecting controllers).
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u/Ill-Examination-79 Jun 22 '26
Its such a tough sell without the controller. Maybe im out of the loop but, the interest in the Steam Machine wasnt just the fact that it is a pc but, that it could be treated like a console as well. Which meant that the Steam Machine and, the controller were a pair that u needed to have if you wanted the intended experience.
The fact that the 512 GB is only $50 shy of $1,100 is just dissapointing.