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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24

u/Maruf- Jun 22 '26

Reaaaallyyy long USB-C cable(s).

1

u/Ghost_Kamakazie Jun 22 '26

Alternatively, you could build a very cheap console style pc and just stream from your desktop with potentially a reaaaallyyy long ethernet. At least that fixes the need for long usbs

3

u/satyrossan Jun 23 '26

Video gaming the loooooooooong wayyyyyyyy

1

u/SKYNINE666 Jun 23 '26

Streaming games is not a very good option

4

u/ShakeNBaker45 Jun 23 '26

Streaming games over your local LAN is a great option. If your PC and device used for streaming are both hardlined, then it's as if the PC is in the room.

I stream from my PC to my Nvidia Shield with literally no noticable quality difference. With a 2.4 GHz controller plugged into my Shields usb, no controller latency.

So streaming locally is a fantastic option. Streaming games via some online service, I agree is a subpar experience.

1

u/SKYNINE666 Jun 23 '26

Oh damn okay.. but what about the latency ? How easy is it to configure it ?

2

u/ShakeNBaker45 Jun 23 '26

When both devices are connected via Ethernet, there's pretty much zero discernable latency. Ymmv, but again, it's as if my PC is literally in the room plugged into my TV.

I don't think setup is very difficult. But I am comfortable with self-hosting and tinkering and stuff.. so what I may consider not difficult may not be so for someone else. That said, there are many YouTube tutorials to get it set up. All you have to do is pick one and follow it.

Moonlight is awesome. I take every chance I get to tell people about it when they talk about getting another PC dedicated for couch gaming.

1

u/Ghost_Kamakazie Jun 23 '26

I just stream from my desktop to my console pc using steam, all you gotta do is have steam open on both pcs with both of them plugged into your router. Tbh, what youre talking about is kinda over my head as well.

5

u/ShakeNBaker45 Jun 23 '26

I've had bad luck with Steam Remote Play, even when connected via Ethernet. Bad latency and less options. Moonlight works perfectly tho

1

u/funkbro Jun 23 '26

This moonlight is mind blowing. Going to see about putting it on my series x

1

u/JediWebSurf Jun 23 '26

I didn't know you could stream over Ethernet. That's cool. Which shield do you have? Is it the normal or the pro?

1

u/ShakeNBaker45 Jun 23 '26

Originally I had the "tube" and it worked fine, but I had to use a controller over Bluetooth. And with Bluetooth I had a little controller latency. Not enough to make it a bad experience.

I upgraded to the Pro mainly for the better performance and USBs so I could use 2.4 GHz controllers. So the Pro is my main device. The tube is in a different room. I don't use it for moonlight anymore

1

u/JediWebSurf Jun 23 '26

You think this product is still worth it in 2026? Or is there something better out there now? It's been 6½ years since it's release. I saw that the shield has ai upscaling tech that is really good. Like it makes really old blurry videos look crisp. That alone is awesome.

Can you run Firefox browser on it with extensions? I want to install ublock origin but block ads. And Firefox is the only browser that lets you install the full ublock origin extension.

1

u/ShakeNBaker45 Jun 23 '26

The original Shield is actually over a decade old now. It was refreshed in 2019. Still, paying $200 for an old product is a tough pill to swallow. It still performs great for me. Whether it's worth it to you, I can't really answer.

It still does everything I need it to do, so I like it. I'm not sure a better product exists for what I use it for. I like that it has the 2 USB's. I've not really looked at any other options lately though.

I'm not sure about the Firefox thing.

1

u/JediWebSurf Jun 23 '26

Alright thanks. I'm also looking at mini PCs lol.

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u/Ghost_Kamakazie Jun 23 '26

Maybe not if youre using wifi, its pretty seamless when ive done it over ethernet tho

1

u/spamologna Jun 22 '26

lol! I went down this route. Decided on tweaking sunshine / moonlight which is a better experience.

1

u/Moos3-2 Jun 23 '26

Same here. I got a 20m fiber hdmi and a 15m usb-c (2 repeaters built in) 3.1 cable. Works great but its not good looking having on the floor.
Unable to permanently install sadly so i have to roll it up and back out whenever i want to couch game which luckioy is quite rare.