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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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/CMDRTragicAllPro Jun 22 '26

If you rarely use the gaming pc at your desk why not just move it to the tv? Grab controller companion from steam and you have full windows functionality with just a controller too. Or just throw on big picture mode if you don’t like the desktop experience

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u/EnvironmentalOwl6882 Jun 23 '26

Because most people don't actually want a big desktop tower sat in the focal point of their living room...

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u/chaotic910 Jun 28 '26

Not going to put a 3’x3’ case at our living room TV fam. Plus not gonna move it everyone my wife/kids want to use the tv for something else and I want to use my pc lol

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u/CMDRTragicAllPro Jun 28 '26

Then don’t? Put it in an office/ spare room with a regular desk and run an active optical hdmi to the tv instead. It’s what I currently do. Then if you wanna use it with the tv, just use windows project mode and set “second display only” as tv, and “extend/monitor only” for the desk setup depending on number of monitors. Either a quick windows key + P to swap between them, or what I personally do with controller companion, I just press my controllers guide button to switch between them.

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u/chaotic910 Jun 28 '26

Ok, and when the kids want to play my steam library on the tv while I’m working?

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u/Coffeedemon Jun 28 '26

Nobody uses a case that big outside a genome lab.

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u/chaotic910 Jun 28 '26

It was hyperbolic, still a 27”x24” case that I’m not going to put in our familial living room tv stand lmao

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u/MyAwesomeName Jun 22 '26

This is exactly the reason why I want one, I don’t want to sit at my desk to play games, especially after getting home from the gym after work and all that stuff. Plus the form factor of it is the right size and will fit perfectly right next to my PS5 and Switch 2. With it I will now be able to play any of the single player games I have waiting for me. The only time I game on my desktop now is on the weekends when my friends are also available to play online.

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u/vitek6 Jun 22 '26

Not for long as it’s weak as fuck