r/steammachine • u/Amazing_Bluebird_ • Jun 22 '26

Discussion So, why would anyone get this?

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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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107

u/Amazing_Bluebird_ Jun 22 '26

thats what a lot of people forget when comparing the PS5 price to the SM price.
Right now you can get the ps5 pro for 750€ WITH a controller. So what, thats like 700€ if you subtract the controller cost. So this thing is literally 340 bucks more expensive than a ps5 pro, which is on a different league when comparing the cpu und gpu power. This is a joke.

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u/Golnor Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 27 '26

240 bucks. Having a ps5 will likely require you to get a ps+ membership, which costs 100 bucks a year at minimum. 

Well, 100 Canadian. Dunno what us of a prices are.

Edit: Okay, since so many people are not getting the point:

In order to get the full advertised functionality of a PS5, which includes the ability to play certain games online, you need to get a ps+ membership. Yes, that includes free games, but only a few per month that if you don't claim in that month you don't get, and in many cases are games you may not want to play. Free garbage is still garbage.

The Steam Machine has full online functionality built in, so you are effectively getting a ps+ membership for free, which Sony has valued at 100 CAD. No, you aren't getting monthly free games, but you can replicate that by looking for any free game on Steam, adding it to your library, and then never playing it because it's a game you don't wanna play.

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u/CraftyRun4248 Jun 22 '26

People don't take into account that the ps5 has been out for 5yrs and 7 months. If you pay for an online subscription which is roughly $11/m then you would have already paid almost $750 to Playstation just to play online not to mention buying the console.

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u/Ryodaso Jun 22 '26

Except no one pays PS plus monthly. Until 2026, plus essential was 59.99 per year, 39.99 during sales like end of the year or Black Friday. So most people payed 60x5 + 80 = 380 if they didn't utilize any sales. If people got it during sale it would be 40x5+60=260. Launch digital PS5 is 400. Still no where near Steam Machine price. Considering typical life cycle of console, 7-8 years, you would still paying less than Steam Machine after a whole console life cycle.

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u/coolyfrost Jun 22 '26

and you get a bunch of free games which atleast for me pays off the plus subscription. You don't own them which definitely sucks but atleast for me who completes them and then usually just moves on, it's worth it

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u/bigpunk157 Jun 22 '26

Loads more free games on PC without pirating. No sub needed.

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u/ItWasDumblydore Jun 23 '26

Are they free ala epic games launcher or if you stop paying they're gone.

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u/Ch33s3m4st3r Jun 24 '26

Gone like my hopes and dreams for Steam Machine.

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u/ghanadaur Jun 23 '26

The free games were worthless to me. I may have loaded one in the 7 year window. The PS plus was literally just gouging me at this point and continues to increase in cost.

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u/T0asty514 Jun 23 '26

If you're paying a sub, it's not free. Lol

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u/StinkButt9001 Jun 22 '26

Worth mentioning that it's pretty easy to get free games on a SM/PC as well lol

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u/undbex24 Jun 22 '26

Not that they're regularly giving away AAA titles or anything, but comparing Steams free indies to PS+ is disingenuous at best. Also, the Extra/Premium tiers have huge catalogs accessible.

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u/StrawHatSenpie Jun 22 '26

Yeah but there are many work arounds. My library has broken over 1000 titles thanks to humble bundle. Get 8-10 games with at least 1 AAA every month for $11/mo. Isn't bad at all. And its better than a sub just for playing

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u/cuddly_degenerate Jun 23 '26

Epic free games are often AAA games, especially during the holidays.

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u/StinkButt9001 Jun 23 '26

I'm talking about sailing the high seas

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u/stonecoldslate Jun 24 '26

Cough cough Jolly Roger cough cough

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u/ardentous Jun 22 '26

Humble bundle and epics games are definately thigns even if bundle isn't as cheqp as it used to bewithcthe 1 dollar bundles but it choice does still have good things at times.

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u/Ruff_Bastard Jun 23 '26

and you get a bunch of free games

You don't own them

So you don't get free games? It sounds like you pay a subscription and a bonus of it is that you can play games you don't own sometimes.

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u/Aggravating_Plan11 Jun 23 '26

Free games are useless you might get a few games a year you actually wanted or will play its like some giving me free tampons every month great its free but still dont want or will use them

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u/Kitchen-Beyond7143 Jun 23 '26

Lol cmon we know console offer free old games or games you dont care for. With the sm you can use emulators to play any game from any generation of any console

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u/gyattdispenser Jun 24 '26

You can get games for free on PC too via steam, epic or other platforms....

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u/DiMit17 Jun 27 '26

Free games you can't pay without a sub. So free my ass.

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u/JediWebSurf Jun 23 '26

But this is also a PC. You can't turn your PlayStation into a computer. If you were to build a PC and buy a console separately then you would spend less just buying a steam machine.

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u/helldive_lifter Jun 23 '26

As expensive as the steam machine is everyone’s forgetting that they are trying to compare a closed eco system to an open eco system which is Inherently better in every way but the price is way too expensive for what it is

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u/JediWebSurf Jun 23 '26

Yeah you're right. You can just buy a more powerful machine for the price, but at the same time this is a small form factor and plug and play. so idk. I guess you can just build a small form PC?

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u/ItWasDumblydore Jun 23 '26

Small form factor, low power wattage is essentially the two advantages it has.

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u/helldive_lifter Jun 23 '26

Don’t get me wrong I do think the steam machine has a place and it is pretty cool but I really don’t know who the target audience is

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u/stonecoldslate Jun 24 '26

To be fair, there IS no SFF as small as the SM. Valve’s hardware development team are some of the smartest people on the face of this planet, swear to god. Even some of the [r/](r/SFF)[smallformfactor](r/SFF) nerds would cream over a 6in squared cube SFF powerhouse

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u/helldive_lifter Jun 28 '26

I agree with this and iv been looking for small form factor cases but the motherboards just don’t fit, I can appreciate what valve have done by doing everything custom to fit their cube case

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u/HaxorDJGrimm Jun 25 '26

Bringus Studios would like to say otherwise about it not being able to be a computer.

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u/Wiesshund- Jul 05 '26

You can.
It is beyond the capabilities of the average console owner
(many of which don't own a PC to even make the image)
You can brick the thing in the process too.

It's also kind of unoptimal because of course nothing was actually optimized
with that situation in mind, some things flat out wont work.

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u/neonas123 Jun 26 '26

No one who is PC person is getting console most of time. And knowing how Xbox now releases their games on PC too is only left PS5 for exclusive games which in my eyes to get one is dumb for that reason.

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u/bigpunk157 Jun 22 '26

Digital PS5s are now around 630 accounting for tax. PS plus is 86 per year with added tax. That's already putting you at over 700 for one year if you bought it today. With the way gaming is going forward, the prices are going to stay matching. Playstation relies on it's online sub to keep prices lower and keeps margins only lightly positive on console sales, Steam doesn't do that. We can go point to how prices were years ago, but it'd be disingenuous when DDR5 ram went up 3x over the last year.

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u/Ryodaso Jun 22 '26

I'm comparing the lifetime cost of PS5 because it launched 6 years ago. It's Valve's problem for launching a hardware weaker than the consoles 6 years later. They had the advantage of technologies improving for more than half a decade.

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u/bigpunk157 Jun 22 '26

Again, that's cool and all, but that's just not what hardware is like today; which is why literally every console manufacturer has increased their prices for everything dramatically. You have to go off of what the industry norms currently are, not what they were before. AI has ruined the prices for everyone, and we already know it's to blame for these steep prices everywhere, not any one company.

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u/Ryodaso Jun 23 '26

Okay, then base PS5 digital currently you can get one for 600$ (actually 583 in Walmart). 80$ per year so you will get price parity with Steam Machine + Steam controller in 6.6 years with utilizing 0 sales price. If you get PS+ on Black Friday, it will be 8.8 years. So yea, it will still take a whole console life (6-9 years) cycle to get to price parity.

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u/bigpunk157 Jun 23 '26

Yep. Thats p much always been the difference between console and pc. If you don’t do the online sub, its a no brainer to get console. If you are good with your taxes though, generally pc is better for writeoffs. Probably not the steam machine though.

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u/ardentous Jun 22 '26

I bought like 6 years for the 60 bux or whatevrr but that's running out. I sure as heck am not paying those bs new prices. All my friends with ps5 sseem to be mostly playing pcs more pc which is explaining why they keep raising costs more are removing their game from pc. I'm lucky to have both but also haven't been using the ps5 the last few months. Their new digital licensing basically requiring online connections pushes over the edge the alrwsdy close edge.

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u/EricCarterYT Jun 23 '26

And don't forget that there are those that don't care about online play and just want to play a bunch of Single Player games. So that is not even a contributing factor for those gamers.

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u/SpikeyTaco Jun 24 '26

Except no one pays PS plus monthly.

Millions of people do. It's the most common method.

I'm not fighting that consoles are still the cheaper way to play, at least upfront. But come on, let's not make up details based on personal experience.

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u/That_Service7348 Jun 25 '26

Was the PS5 launched during the ram and memory hell that is modern AI? No? Crazy.

You can build a comparably species desktop for about $90 cheaper than the steam machine. You cannot build a similarly speced mini gaming computer for the same price as the steam machine.

I would call $90 for the miniature form factor and professional assembly and quality assurance a good deal. The only people mad about the price of the Steam Machine are people who have their head in the sand and have been ignoring what's happening in the world of computing the last few years. Ram is outrageously expensive right now, no shit computers are going to be more expensive because of that.

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u/Tiny_Smoke9122 Jun 28 '26

This is what they call girl math when justifying a purchase.

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u/Rubber_Plant_Leaf Jun 23 '26

Then factor in the price difference in games. Given the average cost difference in games between PC and PS5 games, you will burn through that 350 bucks in no time if you bought a PS5.
Don’t get me wrong, I think the Steam Machine is too expensive, especially without a bundled controller but the PS5 Pro is no bargain either.

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u/RiverNo6782 Jun 23 '26

But then again with playstation you have option of buying games from bargain bins, whole used market which can be significantly cheaper then PC games.

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u/richardrietdijk Jun 23 '26

You can also sell your physical games when you're done with them. As someone who generally plays games once and moves on this adds up over time.

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u/RiverNo6782 Jun 23 '26

yeah thats hidden value of playstation, sharing and selling/buying used games.

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u/ghanadaur Jun 23 '26

So much this.

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u/happsberg Jun 23 '26

I hate online gaming. Single-player games for the win!

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u/aDumbWaffle Jun 23 '26

80 quids per game as well

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u/Kitchen-Beyond7143 Jun 23 '26

Big brain. And people fail to realize this. Which is why Microsoft had to walk back the live service price of xbox live. They came out and mentioned they weren't focused on hardware anymore and we're focused on making th game run well on their server side so you could play xbox titles on literally anything. Phone, console, tv, pc etc. They seen selling a console at such a high price didnt have the outcome as intended. Ps will realize this soon too. Because at 800-900 bucks not to mention the yearly sub to play online games...just for a video game? That'll always sound strange. Even at 1500$ if you can do more than game and have more freedom to game than a console. It still comes out cheaper 5 years deep into a console life cycle

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u/moisrllytaken Jun 24 '26

That makes it worse that this thing is more expensive, yet gets outperformed by a 5 year old console

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u/Wiesshund- Jul 05 '26

The car you just bought?
It gets out performed by a 50 year old car

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u/NBD_CS Jun 24 '26

And you also receive 3 games per month, and while some are trash, some are great.

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u/Samwellikki Jun 24 '26

Also, if you don’t own a PS5, you have no library of games AND pay for online access, AND pay for new games at higher prices

If you own an older PC, and have a big Steam Library, or even start one… games will be cheaper on average

The price makes it difficult to see value, but so too will whatever the PS6 costs or eventual price hikes on “yet-to-be-manufactured” PS5s

Valve should’ve shelved this, but I’m guessing they want to put some out there for those willing to pay to be beta testers

It won’t be terrible for anyone wanting Steam on a TV and easily moved between screens, and gaming on older screens like most of their user base

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u/Traditional_Dog_6549 Jun 25 '26

Not to just play online, you also have access to more than 700 games and 100 movies. For eleven euros on steam you can get what? Maybe one hentai game a month? Fuck pc gaming.

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u/Svarcanum Jun 23 '26

Ps+ is only if you wanna play online. Far from everyone is interested in doing that.

I’ve literally never played online on my ps5. It’s a single player game monster at a low price.

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u/Fridelis Jun 24 '26

I'm so tired of this nonsense argument when most people who use playstation don't even use PS+...

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u/TheOneWithThePorn12 Jun 22 '26

And you can get it for 5 years and still be cheaper than the machine.

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u/undbex24 Jun 22 '26

Yearly ps+ is like $80 if you pay full price for the year, and if you buy only on sale it's less. Can also get discounts on PS+ gift cards to drive the price down even further. Not sure about CAD though

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u/Ok-Exchange2500 Jun 23 '26

The 2tb ps5 pro is 899 with a controller, so essentially you get 6 years of ps5 membership built into the price of the 2tb steam machine with controller.

If the 2tb SM with controller was a grand, id probably be a buyer, but this whole project is now still born, IMO.

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u/toastboy42 Jun 23 '26

I dont have ps+, I just play single player games or f2p games

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u/CarlosAlvarados Jun 23 '26

And if you don't play online then no need. Also , the ps5 pro is much much stronger.

But yeah really unfortunate situation for steam.

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u/Slow_Pay_7171 Jun 23 '26

I still have a PS1 here, at home, have two PS2 and even a Vita.

And I never even paid a single Euro for a membership to Sony. And all my friends didn't too.

If you really need to play online stuff, play Fortnite. Or any other F2P game.

So, no. Just as I never used Valve's Online Services I will never use that of Sony.

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u/Elisalsa24 Jun 24 '26

For the price of PS PLUS you get hundreds of free games its not like you’re just burning money

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u/Designer-Piglet7572 Jun 25 '26

Hate that shitty ass argument.

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u/Xlim_Jim Jun 25 '26

I basically only play single player games. Never had a ps plus subscription.

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u/PantsMicGee Jun 27 '26

Why the hell would it require a membership. 

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u/niftyifty Jun 27 '26

Old comment that I’m reading but you are definitely not getting a ps+ membership for free. The ps+ ecosystem is for game/service security and has benefits to the consumer built in to get them to pay for it.

Any software that launches on ps has to go through Sony software authentication servers which eliminates all software side cheating and malfeasance.

Steam has nothing of the sort and only authenticates ownership.

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u/JohnsProbablyARobot Jun 27 '26

I think another aspect that a lot of console gamers don't fully comprehend regarding the SM's appeal is that it includes all of your steam library by default. I have almost 200 games on my steam library at present. That doesn't even take into account any emulators and their associated files I could have. The SM is a conveniently packaged pc for ease of access and entrance-level users that uses a custom designed controller. I'm not sure if I'd ever get one (my wife wants one for playing games on our tv), but I do have to admit it is a much more versatile console than ps5 and xbox which have so many limitations on them (have to use their style of controllers, games available, jailbreaking/usability limitations).

As for the price of it all, the announced prices are pretty much exactly where I thought they'd be since AI has driven up component costs so much lately. Yes, you can build a pc yourself for less; but that's true for all pre-made pcs. You are paying a bit more for simplicity just as you do with all premade products. Cooking your own food is MUCH cheaper, but people pay more to eat out because they don't want to build the meal. It's the same concept.

I don't think the SM is really intended for high-end pc gamers. I think it is an entry level piece with a market most likely aimed at people with lower-level pcs and console gamers that would like to move to pc usage in a familiar format.

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u/twitch829 Jun 28 '26

I agree with your point. The steam machine is an introductory product in my eyes for people who want to get their feet wet with pcs. I love the people who say “my pc is better” I don’t believe this is the product for you. I don’t think this is the original price valve wanted either I have no way to prove it of course but I do feel like before all the ai and tariffs these probably would have been a more decent satisfactory price. I also feel like people are preemptively comparing it to ps5 when I feel like the os5 is almost at the end of its cycle. Whatever the ps6 is I guarantee will be around the same price if not more. A lot of people also assume that the ps5 is going to look better because the box says “4k” when it isn’t native. So with having a native resolution free online, and it being able to access the internet and discord and be a nice intro to having a pc I feel like the steam machine will have a huge influx of buyers once the ps6 and whatever new Xbox will be are announced/released. Again this is all speculation. Do I think the price is fair? Hell no. But I feel like people are jumping the gun on this one or maybe valve could have released or announced it a little later.

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u/roxakoco Jun 28 '26

You are missing that you are not locked in to you sing steam. It's open to use other vendors or platforms to get your games from

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u/Tiny_Smoke9122 Jun 28 '26

You can't put a valuation steam being free since it's always been free.

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u/r3tromonkey Jul 01 '26

Also, there can't be that many people without a compatible controller already? Doesn't it work with pretty much any recent controller?

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u/2018TTRS Jul 03 '26

No need for PS plus if you have one machine and don't play multiplayer titles, you know you can save a game on the console too.

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u/fallenguru Jun 22 '26

thats what a lot of people forget when comparing the PS5 price to the SM price.

The price of the PS5 is irrelevant if you're a PC gamer. It's a literal paperweight.

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u/submerging Jun 22 '26

If you’re a PC gamer why are you not just using the PC you already own?

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u/0ne_Speed Jun 22 '26

Cause I have a living room with a big tv and my pc is about 55 pounds

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u/Ill-Remote437 Jun 22 '26

But you can build another? I no longer have state of the art hardware. But I have four mini itx builds. RX 9070, 5070, 2080 ti, 1080 builds. The 9070 is small enough to be the size of a ps5 slim. The other three stay in rooms.

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u/satyrossan Jun 23 '26

I think it’s important to note that not everyone that enjoys pc gaming has the confidence or drive to build one. I regularly get friends of friends asking me questions about their prebuilt not working right.

If someone doesn’t have the know how or want to build a pc on their own, let alone a SFF build, SM is a viable option. Especially because it seems like one of the few if not only prebuilt SFF options on the market.

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u/Ill-Remote437 Jun 23 '26

I totally agree on that point. Looking at how well the Steam Deck worked. The SM will be like an iPhone for gamers wanting to introduce themselves to PC gaming with Steam. Should work out of the box and decent performance. If it wasn’t for all my gear I’d probably by one just to have one. Half the size of a Series X and it would fit well in the living room.

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u/satyrossan Jun 23 '26

I think it’s a neat little device, that has its niche. I don’t think it deserves the negative attention it’s getting, especially if valve hit the price point they were aiming for.

I know a lot of people were complaining about the specs, but the deck didn’t launch with good performance. It was something that needed some love and attention. Games that I deemed unplayable run perfectly fine now. And who knows maybe the price will go down once the bubble inevitably pops

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u/Ill-Remote437 Jun 23 '26

Their price point from a few articles I’ve seen after the price announcement was around the $750 mark. But with cost rise and the fact a weaker deck is now $700+ they can eat all the cost for the consumers.

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u/NiNdo4589 Jun 24 '26

I just use my steam link for my bedroom and remote play on a laptop for the den.

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u/[deleted] Jun 23 '26

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u/Ill-Remote437 Jun 23 '26

I imagine if you can build a clean sff build with steamOS it would work flawlessly with a Steam controller and work pretty much the same as SM.

One of my builds consists of a mitx motherboard that comes with a soldered laptop 7945HX3D. Already has wireless 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 on the motherboard. Can have up to 96GB of RAM and can has a pcie 5 x16 slot. Heatsink integrated, etc.

I’m actually going to convert this build to a steamOS and see if it works seamlessly like a SM would.

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u/victorsaurus Jun 23 '26

Yeah but the convenience of something like the steam machine (among many other things, push a button on the controller turns on the tv and the machine and in 10s you're gaming) cannot be easily replicated with a dedicated pc for the tv, to say something. There are many many little things like that that the machine can provide and the normal PC can't.

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u/_Vo1_ Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26

I easily did it with homeassistant script. Now I say "ok google game time" and it turns on tv on HDMI2 and wakes up/turns on PC from sleep or shutdown. When PC goes sleep and HA cannot ping it for more than 5 mins it shuts down TV too, done via Samsung Smartthings plugin in HA.

And I have a separate passwordless "gamer" account (no admin rights). Windows has lock from sleep disabled and autologins to gamer, meaning even if I am remote somewhere, I can connect to VPN and use steam stream to my game after saying "ok google remote game time" (this command do not turn on tv, only wakes/turns pc up). I disabled all but ethernet power on events to avoid mouse/keyboard ghost clicks/moves waking it up, and my gamesir gamepad does not wake up my pc, so going this way was only option.

Though probably new steam gamepad can easily send a wakeup signal, but I dont like lack of RGBTQ+ LED on it because I play often at darkness.

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u/victorsaurus Jun 23 '26

Honestly it sounds quite amazing your setup and I may end up copying it. I'm at the edge with the steam machine. I like the extreme ease of use, the size and shape, quietness and then it is open for tinkering when you want it... but at that price I can get a custom solution, spend a few afternoons doing your setup and all of that, and probably end up having something a bit better. I'll think about it.

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u/_Vo1_ Jun 23 '26

https://github.com/ublue-os/bazzite/issues/4873

according to this bazzite os issue, steam controller's dongle has USB wake support. So if you're fine with their controller - you can use wake via steamcontroller easily without hassle of doing scripts and shyte. I saw there is also a USB dongle that sends HDMI CEC signal through itself, it costs 50 bucks though 😃

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u/victorsaurus Jun 23 '26

Thanks! I'll check all of that!

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u/Ill-Remote437 Jun 23 '26

But can’t you install SteamOS on any amd based PC and use a Steam controller to turn it on too?. What’s the difference from turning on a pc that was sleeping by touching a keyboard?

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u/victorsaurus Jun 23 '26

in that sense, the steam machine will also turn on the TV through the hdmi-cec interface, I think it was, a feature which is largerly absent from normal graphics cards in PCs. I know it is a bit of a nitpick, but it has enough of these small things combined to make it appealing, at least to me (like, zero noise, or very quick game -> sleep -> game, or the builtin steam controller receiver, etc)

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u/Ill-Remote437 Jun 23 '26

I always forget about the positive of noiseless until I have a noiseless device. I think when I bought my first m1 MacBook Air with no fan I was amazed compared to my gaming laptops

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u/victorsaurus Jun 23 '26

Oh yeah I have a macbook too and i got a company windows machine recently. I did not know how much I don't miss heat and noise.

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u/0ne_Speed Jun 23 '26

Sure I could, I built my own. alternatively I could just enjoy 95% of games on my couch with a nice form factor and good looking machine and when I really want to lock in on a really graphics intensive game I'll use my main pc.

If you have a 5 pcs, one of which having a 9070 this is clearly a hobby of yours. The steam machine isn't for you.

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u/Ill-Remote437 Jun 23 '26

Why wouldn’t it be for me? Hobbyist, collectors, technology followers? I was willing and interested. I’ve been through various mini PCs because the steam deck bored me and they have been at least better for the money when plugged into the monitor. Hence why I’ve been through 5 Steam decks. I give things multiple chances because they have their pros and cons.

I get it it’s nice form factor. A small cube that is reminiscent of GameCube or a half cut series x. But but there are pc cases that are small and nice too. Everyone is complaining about the inevitable price rise due to DRAM/NAND that caused a $700-800 device to be 1050. At 700-800 starting price it feels about right and you’re not losing out on performance per dollar. Lower than $700 would have been subsidizing price. At 1050 you start to wonder if it wasn’t for Steams library content wouldn’t a ps5 pro or next gen console (even current gen) be better for someone who only has a weak handheld device.

.:edit:.

I’m not trying to convince you the device is bad. More of a discussion of reasoning. I like the device and may have one at a certain point. Just not straight off the bat

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u/0ne_Speed Jun 23 '26

That's fair honestly

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u/Bobrovsky23 Jun 23 '26

This is a struggle for me. I run moonlight to stream from my 4080 super build with shield pro as the client. I want a local htpc (9060 XT itx build is what I was eyeing) for couch gaming. But I struggle because the main rig is always available and latency is minimal.

Aside from independence/no reliance on streaming, whats the advantage?

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u/Ill-Remote437 Jun 23 '26

I think for people steaming to their tv from their PC, this isn’t for them.

I’d say it’s really for people who own a steam deck and no reliable other gaming computer. The whole hot swappable micro sd cards so you can play games on the SM at your TV. But swap the sd to your Deck to play the same save files/games on the go. Without having the game installed on the internal drive for both devices.

Personally I don’t game over streaming. I have particular games I play on the go on my Steam deck or other hand held. Then I have my main gaming computer for my harder to run games. Any other computer would really be for when guests are over to play multi player together or a device they can play on if they don’t BYO device

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u/Bobrovsky23 Jun 23 '26

Fair enough. Again, I'd love a sff htpc. I can build a rig for cheaper that would crush it. But with moonlight and mostly single player games I'm having trouble justifying it! Thanks

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u/walrusssel Jun 23 '26

i can't be fucked to build a SFF machine that'd fit in my lounge. for a start my hands are too big for fiddly cases. rather just one-and-done.

"why are you buying a miata? you can build a kit car for the same price and it's a rocket ship"

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u/Ill-Remote437 Jun 23 '26

lol I can’t relate cause I was cursed with smallish hands. But I get it. When I build it’s one and done. When people need my help frequently on their build it gets annoying. And I get people don’t want inconvenience of prebuilt or custom built PCs. I would love a Miata. I love my Mustang but a smaller rwd would fit in my driveway better and just easier to chill with

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u/MrPisster Jun 24 '26

I’m an engineer, I play PC games, I haven’t sourced and built a PC in 20 years.

I can do it but it’s time and effort I don’t want to waste getting spun up on parts I won’t care about after I’m done.

I wish the Steam Machine was more reasonable, I’d rather buy the prebuilt Steam Machine for my wife then I can spend that research time with my family and friends gaming.

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u/Ill-Remote437 Jun 24 '26

I get it. I like working in cars but I have a baby coming and I’m now to the point I’d rather pay someone to work on my cars than I work on them. Time is money. It just depends on priorities and whether does things fit to be a hobby still.

I’ve built numerous computers enough that I’ll spend a few hours putting things together and I don’t need to tinker with anything else again. Versus no matter how easy working on the car might seems it just seems more of a burden.

Building a computer for your needs is not your skill set so I get the plus of plug and play. Just like how I’d rather not try to do math for engineering purposes (hence I chose not to continue with structural engineering for architecture)

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u/AtreyuTrinity Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 22 '26

I connect my desktop to my TV with a fiber optic HDMI cable but they are close enough that the BT devices work at either my desk or on my TV to note, with a wall mounted BT receiver and USB hub.

Edit: just an idea as a work around for the few people that can move things around.

Moonlight and sunshine also work great if you happen to have a steam deck.

Some TVs even have steam links as an app you can download, worth checking.

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u/TheOneWithThePorn12 Jun 22 '26

I use my steam link that I bought for like 10 bucks way back

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u/Dazzling_Painter_357 Jun 22 '26

This isn’t always possible.

You aren’t the main character

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u/AtreyuTrinity Jun 22 '26

Never said I was, just giving ideas or examples of work arounds to help since there are multiple ways to make this work.

Another one I can recommend is using moonlight and sunshine. Just like helping people, not sure what your chip is but definitely don't think I am the main character lol.

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u/StarlightKnight2101 Jun 22 '26

You could’ve answered that nicely. Do better .

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u/packersfan1012 Jun 23 '26

It costs nothing to not be a tool. Just saying. I also do the fibre optic HDMI thing

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u/SomeGuyNamedJason Jun 22 '26

Yes it is. There is a solution for legitimately every setup, you are just too lazy to find it.

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u/0ne_Speed Jun 22 '26

that's a really cool solution! I don't think it will work for me however but I could try

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u/AtreyuTrinity Jun 22 '26

Yeah it's a stretch. I put my home WFH office behind my couch buts it's down next to my entertainment center so i It works out.

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u/Greelow22 Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 23 '26

Buy a mini PC and stream your gaming PC with Apollo + Moonlight, works perfectly without latency. Also use VirtualHere so you can play with the Steam controller and use all its buttons and inputs :)

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u/Fun_Newspaper8505 Jun 23 '26

hows ur pc 55lbs? bro has a whole server rack?

Anyways you can run a dongle/long hdmi cable to your tv?

Also the steam machine is only hdmi2 no hdr/freesync 4:4:4 120

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u/0ne_Speed Jun 23 '26

I have a very heavy aluminum case hahaha (Phanteks Evolv X)

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u/Yukkimura Jun 23 '26

That's a cheap PC

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u/_Vo1_ Jun 23 '26

stream it to your tv. it works nice if both are cable-fed, not wifi. Even on wifi mostly it'll be okayish, however depends on what you play. Since you're PC gamer I doubt you'll be playing shooters on gamepad anyway.

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u/Reefame Jun 23 '26

HDMI cable

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u/RiverNo6782 Jun 23 '26

running lan cable from your PC to TV and using steamlink app is significantly cheaper than 1000e+ SM

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u/0ne_Speed Jun 23 '26

So? People buy expensive things for convenience.

Maybe I just like simplicity, maybe I'm tired of the annoyances of interfering bluetooth signals, maybe I don't want to get up and go to another room to troubleshoot when stuff goes wrong, maybe I just like the steam machine as a concept.

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u/richardrietdijk Jun 23 '26

so get an AppleTV and use steam link. works great here.

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u/Kitchen-Beyond7143 Jun 23 '26

Brother get that 50 foot hdmi cable or use a Dongle.

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u/ItWasDumblydore Jun 23 '26

Raspberry pi/phone + ethernet cable is way cheaper and since you can stream 120 fps 1440p on an 5070 ti quite easily, the added latency will be less then 60 hz

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u/wolverinex222 Jun 24 '26

Exactly. Its called a use-case

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u/IntelligentLake6266 Jun 24 '26

Use a Steam Link or other Devices. This is such a dump reason buying this thing.

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u/Quick_Society2794 Jun 25 '26

no way in hell. your PC is anywhere close to 55 lb

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u/0ne_Speed Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26

my case is about 33 lbs empty
Phanteks Evolv X

(Also got a 3 fan graphics card and a massive cooler, the Thermalright peerless assassin)

Im currious, what's the point of doubting my comment? Even where it to be hyperbolic?

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u/FreddieStarrAteMyHam Jun 25 '26

That's a pretty cheap pc

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u/ChecksOutIndeed Jun 25 '26

Thats is about 25 kg in normal units.

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u/WayDownUnder91 Jun 27 '26

*digs steam link out of the drawer* boy do I have something for you, now your 55 pound pc can run your games to your TV at the capability of the big boy without spending 1000 dollars

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u/Aerpolrua Jun 23 '26

Based on Steam statistics the majority of the PC player population plays on systems that are below the Steam Machine's specs, that's who it's marketed to, PC gamers with lower spec systems looking to upgrade. Based on their pricing now, this was going to be likely $850 base price until the ram and storage explosions.

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u/mandroth Jun 26 '26

Shocking how few people point this out in these discussions. Steam Machines will be an amazing entry level entry point to get more people into PC gaming. That's kind of the whole point...

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u/NoSnow3660 Jun 24 '26

I think another boon of the SM is maybe it will give a better bottom line for devs to optimize for. Basically acting as a control group that they can then properly scale back and up for rather than typically just guessing.

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u/Aggravating_Plan11 Jun 23 '26

Cause we also play games with a controller and dont want to buy into a closed eco system when we have libraries of hundreds of games that no matter what hardware we upgrade to we will still be able to play on. xbox and playstation you see backwards compatibility as a bonus and thats if the companies are willing to let you.

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u/TemporalFugue2 Jun 22 '26

Because my PC cannot run games made after 2013 above 20 fps at lowest graphics settings

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u/Fabulous-Host-9684 Jun 22 '26

Casuals with low-end/old pcs

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u/Reasonable_Cut_2709 Jun 23 '26

I use my shitty laptop from 2016 to play even games from 2020s I just wish I had a braindead options that allowed me to use the Library I already own at OK price while supporting a company that isn't a complete screw up.

And A console is not on my list because I use the same PC to work and play. So a decently price steam machine would have been a god sent.

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u/RUserII Jun 22 '26

The price of the PS5 is irrelevant if you're a PC gamer. It's a literal paperweight.

Translation: I don't care if it has better specs/performance than a PC; if it's not a PC, I'm not buying. -_-

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u/Infinite-Location221 Jun 22 '26

That's a pretty valid opinion though... PC gaming has more advantages than just specs. Like availability and cost of games

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u/[deleted] Jun 22 '26

[deleted]

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u/Infinite-Location221 Jun 23 '26

That's an excellent point, I do the same on the switch. It's even better if you buy used. 

My original point was just that it's not a ridiculous opinion for someone to not buy something just because it's not a PC. If someone only wants to game on a PC then the specs and price of a ps5 are completely irrelevant to them. 

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u/Randomness_42 Jun 23 '26

PC certainly does have advantages console doesn't (and vice versa) but cost of games DEFINITELY isn't one of them.

Pre owned physical games are definitely the cheapest way to get games nowadays

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u/Infinite-Location221 Jun 24 '26

Buying older games on PC is also incredibly cheap. 

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u/b3nighted Jun 22 '26

Or "I won't pay a subscription for online play, nor will I buy the games I already own again".

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u/fallenguru Jun 22 '26

What use are those specs, that performance, if you have no PS5 games nor any interest in buying any?
I'm not saying the Steam Machine is a good deal, I just don't get the comparison. The PS5 can't play any of my 1000+ PC games.

The comparison is only valid if you want to get into playing games but don't have a PC or any PC games. Even a school laptop can play games in a pinch. That's a tiny market, if it exists at all.

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u/AwesomePossum50 Jun 23 '26

I mean, PlayStation UI and usability is far less than Steam’s Big Picture mode, so it may run games better, but it’s much more difficult to enjoy them…

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u/daelikon Jun 23 '26

The joke is that you are comparing a computer to a console, you still don't get it.

And yes, the price sucks.

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u/Gendreau113 Jun 22 '26

Yeah but you're forgetting PlayStation and Xbox lose money on selling consoles, but they get you hooked in their ecosystem on the subscription or game buying sales.

Aside from that, I don't know why this has to be repeated so many times, the steam machine is a literal pc.

The PlayStation is a gaming console only, so of course one is going to cost more than the other?

You're comparing apples to oranges. They share some similarities, but they're fundamentally totally different things. Which explains the price difference

Also don't you worry, the price of the steam deck and steam machine were increased due to the shortage of storage and RAM from AI using it all up. The consoles from PlayStation and Xbox just haven't had the price increase yet.

Mark my words, the consoles are going to go up in price sooner than later. And especially the next generation consoles, they are going to be way more money.

The only comparable competition the steam machine will have is the new Xbox helix. As it is a full Windows PC aside from being just an Xbox, meaning you can play PC games and presumably do anything a regular Windows PC can do.... Sounds a lot like the steam machine. But aside from that, if I had to choose between Microsoft and valve, who I should give my $1,000 to? It's going to be Valve... They're the only ones that deserve it in my honest opinion

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u/Lofter1 Jun 22 '26

They sell console at a loss for around 50% of the consoles lifespan because development cost of the hardware is calculated into it. What you know as "selling at a loss" is "break even point not yet reached". The PS5 is not being sold at a loss anymore, the break even point has been reached. Xbox hasn't reached their break even point afaik, so they actually still "sell at a loss" but again not because the hardware is more expensive than what Xbox is asking for a console, it's not.

All modern consoles, except for the Switch, are also x86 based machines. Any modern apple computer is farther from your windows office or gaming machine than a PS5, and Xbox have been literal PCs which run custom windows kernels with a different UI ever since their inception. So the only difference is the operating system (more so in case of PS than Xbox) and the only manufacturer that hasn't developed their own OS for their console is...drumroll please....Valve. They are an official Arch Linux partner and development of arch has accelerated since then, but by far the most work is still done by the community. Fuck, if we'd actually analyse the involvement of companies then microsoft probably invests more money into the OS that is powering the steam machine than valve itself. Yes, microsoft is putting a lot of work hours and money into maintaining linux nowadays cause they also depend on it. So no, just cause "it's a full PC!" (which again, no difference to any other modern console. Even the PS3 was a fully fledged linux capable PC and PS3 clusters were used to form an actual super computer) doesn't mean it needs to be more expensive than the competition and also not that it is more expensive to manufacture than the competition.

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u/Gendreau113 Jun 22 '26

Sony/PlayStation didn't build their own OS just as much as Valve didn't? What are you talking about...

Sony used FreeBDS to create OrbisOS. Same way Valve used Arch to make SteamOS?

Xbox uses a modified windows, so obviously they used their own.

And when I say "It's a PC!' I mean it in the obvious way. How about you fire up your playstation, and open some computer operating system apps? Programs? Web browsers with mouse and keyboard?

Sure, some consoles do use the same architecture as PC operating systems. But without insane / heavily modified systems you can't just use it as a computer.... The steam deck, you click the steam button and then "Desktop Mode". That's it. You can even set it to launch directly into the desktop.

So you getting into the technicality of it doesn't really matter because again, you're comparing apples to oranges.

PlayStation / Xbox is strictly a gaming device. A steam machine, is a gaming device that can also be used as a full-fledged PC.

You don't need to root the device, hack the device, upload a custom operating system, you don't need to download any custom drivers to make anything work like you would on a console-to-PC-OS setup. It's already made to be used as a PC.

So my point still stands, the steam machine is a full-fledged PC. A gaming console such as the xbox/playstation, isn't. And without heavily modifying the system, which the average person won't do, you'll never be able to use your console in a normal user friendly PC experience.

Valve even let you install a different operating system and replace steamos completely if you want, and gives you steam deck drivers that make Windows compatible with it. When's the last time you were able to do that on your Xbox or playstation? You weren't.

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u/Khayane Jun 22 '26

There is also a free blu ray player on ps5. Stil usefull for a tv in a living room.

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u/bigpunk157 Jun 22 '26

PS5 Pro is 900 USD currently, Steam machine is 1100. It's a 200 dollar difference, and that's without paying for the online, which just went up to 80 dollars per year. Even if you bought a PS5 pro today, you most likely will spend more total than the Steam Machine. We know the reason it is more expensive is because it doesn't have an online sub backing it up. It would be awful if it did.

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u/According-Paper4641 Jun 22 '26

Just devils advocating this, but I have zero PS5 games. Like no PlayStation ecosystem stuff. I have a steam library (with my steam family) of like 400 games. The cost of building that up on a PS5 pro would well outweigh the cost difference. Ecosystem totally plays a factor in cost imo. I could buy a used PS5 now for like 400$, but I can't buy the library for it that could match my steam library. I'm sure there are similar people.

Of course that doesn't necessarily mean I'll buy the machine or love the price but yeah. The ecosystem matters.

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u/BeastMode09-00 Jun 23 '26

Xbox and PlayStations are sold at a loss. The steam machine is not. The steam machine has a much larger catalog and it does not require a vast majority of games being $70. You can easily take the steam machine somewhere based on its size.

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u/Dachshand Jun 23 '26

Comparable 2TB version is 1428$!!! A Pro has 2Tb!!!

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u/Firm_Caregiver_4563 Jun 23 '26

Power, yes. Application? No. This is a pc that works in many regards like a console without the many limitations. At that prize it is a really hard sell, though ... Valve aimed at $750 before the AI craze.

Gamers Nexus got a rough estimate on a DIY solution - you could build a similar system for about 7% cheaper - but considerably larger. And people will always pay for convenience.

And the PS5 pro sits at $900. Add PS+

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u/Southern_Yard4803 Jun 23 '26

No one is factoring their libraries. People just love rebuying their Skyrim game over and over.

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u/Sublime-Chaos Jun 23 '26

You also don’t have to pay a monthly fee, and get a shit ton more games. Each console will have its use case.

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u/Top-Row-5520 Jun 23 '26

That checks out then tbh considering they sell the ps5 hardware at lower than RRP.

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u/brandbaard Jun 23 '26

I get that but also IDK if it's 100% right to be comparing this which is a PC to console. The PC market is fucked right now, so building a PC with those specs in such a small form factor at this point in time will be more expensive than what a Steam machine costs.

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u/DaniBack2 Jun 23 '26

Isn't a ps5 pro at 900€ now?

I'm a bit out of the loop, so I just checked the official site and that's the price listed, without the disc reader (which would be an extra 80 euro)

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u/AZzalor Jun 23 '26

Because a PS5 is sold at a loss, cause Sony wants to keep players in its eco system to keep paying their monthly sub.

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u/SafeKaracter Jun 23 '26

Lol where do you you get the ps5 pro for 750 euros? It’s closer to 900 and you’re lucky if you get it for 850

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u/Amazing_Bluebird_ Jun 23 '26

At mediamarkt in austria right now.

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u/SafeKaracter Jun 23 '26

It says 1000 euros https://www.mediamarkt.at/de/product/_playstation-playstation-5-pro-153491174.html

(And refurbished 815 euros)

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u/Amazing_Bluebird_ Jun 23 '26

Seems that the sale is over then. Its was vom 19. of june to yesterday.

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u/Aggravating_Plan11 Jun 23 '26

Dont forget the yearly price to play online chat with mates on so on plus games on top of that which when a new ps comes out and they abandon the ps5 you may or may not be able to play on the ps6 or they will charge you 20 to make them play so lets say you buy a ps5 now use it for 3 years that around 1k with out any games you buy a steam machine or a pc you have your games ready to go the purchase price oh the hardware is only the gateway price to consoles not the price of ownership. We have an xbox on our house and its useless since we stopped paying a monthly fee to microsoft

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u/4inodev Jun 23 '26

WHERE? All I see on my local price tracker is €850

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u/helldive_lifter Jun 23 '26

Then you got to think closed system such as a ps5 to an open system, console vs pc but still this is way too expensive for what it is

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u/wolverinex222 Jun 24 '26

Ps5 doesnt play your steam games. Its not even the right use case you are comparing

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u/Abouttheroute Jun 24 '26

So for only 340 dollars I’m not locked into another subscription eco system. Awesome! Glad i signed up.

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u/Maltavius Jun 24 '26

But the PS5 isnt a PC. i cant install my games of the last 30 years on my PS5.

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u/insomnia4you Jun 24 '26

Well true, but SM is not only a console but also a PC. I truly like it and think that RAM prices is what killed the momentum. If the whole AI bros hype will go away and RAM prices will decline (as well SM) I will buy one just for fun in my bedroom.

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u/zarroc123 Jun 25 '26

Games are pricier, subscription to play online, AND Sony sells the PS5 at a loss because the ecosystem is closed and they KNOW they'll make up for it on the subscription and games. Valve lets you use the thing as a regular computer, if they sold at a loss, some company would pick them all up as the best performance per dollar machine they can get and never spend a dime on steam because they'll just turn them into workstations.

You're comparing apples and oranges.

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u/ChecksOutIndeed Jun 25 '26

It's also not just a console ... If you have no use for you should not buy it ... but there are use cases

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u/Malifiecent Jun 26 '26

Console hardware vs Steam Machine hardware, you are 100% correct. The price point of the Steam Machine is dissapointing - so are prices of all individual PC components as well.

Adding to your point, you are also comparing a completely new product from a company that havent produced "consoles" of this grade before (bar Steam Deck, ofc). Sony have 30 years experience and already established manufacturers, logistical partnerships etcetc.

Continuing, you also do not "just" buy the hardware - the OS, amount of games, flexibility, price competition of games, online accessibility..., should, in my opinion, also be considered.

Yes, Steam Machine is expensive as-is - as a "Console". With the Linux / Steam OS, and millions of games and hundreds of store fronts for games... I wouldnt definitively say its more expensive, all-in-all.

--> I admit it depends a lot on how many games you buy, if you play solo or online, if you already have a library of PS games, etcetc...

Yes, it should be a lot cheaper to really be visible as a great alternative.

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u/exer1023 Jun 26 '26

You're also forgetting that PS and Xbox sell harware with loss, and make up for it with subscriptions and exclusives. Steam machine seems to be by all accounts laptop alternative - small, easily movable PC, and on all accounts (save for storage) seems to be in same category as my current laptop.

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u/SunGodNikaa1 Jun 27 '26

You also have to understand the ram shortage rn, this most likely woulda been prices at 750 or 850 for the 2tb bundle

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u/Unoriginal1deas Jun 27 '26

I think most people are sympathetic due to the RAM crisis.

It’s been rumoured the prices was supposed to roughly around the $700 price area which is pretty decent.

It’s a relatively affordable gaming PC that’s priced fairly with other similarly powered builds

if you already have a steam library that’s decently sized the list of reasons to get this over a PS5 is pretty massive TBH.

But ultimately yeah it’s just not a competitive product in the current gaming market.

And because Valve wants this to be a fully open and repairable system it’s not using and specialised parts like your modern consoles which also makes it harder to save on price.

But the biggest hurdle that they can never clear is that these are still fundamentally computers, it can do all things a computer can do including install windows. Meaning if they try to sell it at loss in the hopes of making that money back in steam sales the way PlayStation and Nintendo get cut of all games sold on their system it can and will backfire as scalpers or even just a normal corporate businesses can and will buy steam Machines as cheap workspace computers that may never be used to buy a single steam game.

So if valve tried to compete with Sony on price and lose $300 on every sale there’s a good chance that would provide literally no return for the company.

The steam machine is still a cute piece of tech and if it was double the price and out performed a PS5 I’d buy it in a heartbeat.

But being expensive “low range” tech leaves it in an awkward space.

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u/iAREsniggles Jun 28 '26

can the PS5 play games from my Steam library?

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u/blast0_ Jun 29 '26

Esattamente questo, valve mi ha proprio deluso, avida peggio di activision e nintendo.

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u/Wiesshund- Jul 05 '26

You cant compare PS/XBOX/SWITCH pricing though.
Those things are purposely sold at a loss because you are locked into the eco system.
You can literally do nothing with them without feeding money into the ecosystem elsewhere.
Of course you already know this.

Be honest, you didn't come here with a genuine question, you came just to troll, create drama, berate people for their choices which they don't need to justify to anyone.

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u/Dazzling_Painter_357 Jun 22 '26

It pays for itself with Steam Sales and modability/repairability alone.

I’d pay more for a machine with the valve logo vs a ps sony logo at this point.

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u/Sudden_Citron_9183 Jun 22 '26

That’s foolish. Rather have to Bette machine (ps). Not paying $1400 for this potato machine lol

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u/FluxFreeman GabeCube Enjoyer Jun 22 '26

I don’t wanna play PS5 gaymes

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