My gaming PC has been my absolute pride and joy for close to a decade, but it can quickly become a never-ending chore having to rectify compatibility issues, driver timeouts, and Windows 11 bloatware. While I absolutely love my PC, it's a pain to maintain, on top of ensuring that I'm up-to-date with each hardware cycle.
In comes Valve with its Steam Machine announcement, a 6-inch cube that claims to be 6x more powerful than the Steam Deck. This has got me thinking. If the Steam Machine really can live up to the expectations I've got then it might kill my gaming PC. And just to get things straight, I'm not abandoning PC gaming; I'm abandoning the chore of the PC. The Steam Machine offers the console simplicity we've always craved without the console prison we've always feared.
You don't have to wait for the Steam Machine - I built my own
I'm too excited to wait until preorders open
What sets the Steam Machine apart?
I'm at the edge of my seat waiting for it to release
It feels like in recent years Windows 11 has become an ad-riddled, resource-heavy operating system that treats gaming as a secondary background task. While it feels like it's a great operating system because everyone uses it, that's because for many there's not really another choice.
This is where SteamOS 3.x comes in. It's a lean, immutable Linux-based operating system where every single CPU cycle is dedicated to the game you're playing. If it works as intended, then I certainly won't miss the alt-tab lottery or the random background Windows update stutters. The Steam Machine can provide a game-first experience that makes a mid-range AMD chip with the performance of a high-end Intel rig, simply by getting rid of the Windows 11 bloatware we're all so accustomed to.
The Steam Machine has absolutely fantastic hardware synergy. This upcoming model uses a semi-custom AMD Zen 4/RDNA3 chipset designed specifically by Valve.
Because Valve controls the hardware and the software, it can implement system-wide frame rate matching and TDP limiting that actually works. This is what set their Steam Deck apart from the other gaming handhelds that were on the market, with alternatives like the Asus ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go lagging and stuttering thanks to the bloated Windows OS and lack of optimization.
Many games will detect the Steam Machine and then auto-apply Steam Machine Verified presets — the same process that currently occurs with the Steam Deck, ensuring that every compatible game you play is smooth and an enjoyable experience. This will eliminate the 30 minutes of menu time you spend when first booting into a game and figuring out what settings work for your computer.
The world of PC gaming is riddled with price hikes
Shortages don't seem to be slowing down👁 Image of a gaming setup.
Thanks to the current memory crisis, building a DIY PC right now feels like a massive financial investment. So much so that many users are actually completely put off and waiting for price hikes to blow over.
Whilst we don't have a confirmed price point for the Steam Machine just yet, we can assume that Valve will subsidize the Steam Machine the same way they have with the Steam Deck, because they make the majority of their money on the Steam store. This means we can pin an estimate at somewhere between the $700-$900 mark. If this is the case, this will put the Steam Machine on top because you literally cannot build a comparable PC for that price in the current market.
Some people might argue that investing in a Steam Machine isn't the right decision because, even though a PC might cost you more, it is significantly more future-proofed with the ability to upgrade. However, the Steam Machine features swappable front plates and, more importantly, an accessible M.2 NVMe slot and potentially LPCA MM2 memory modules. It's not like your typical console; it's more modular.
The Steam Machine won't be a locked box like the PS5; it's more like a PC in a console's body. If I want to install Windows or a different Linux distro, Valve has made that easy and simple, and I'm completely able to do so. I'm trading infinite upgradability for rational modularity.
The Steam Machine will be the king of consoles
As well as the king of PCs
The Steam Machine has set itself apart from alternative consoles by being a lot more customizable and still takes the crown when it comes to PC gaming, thanks to a hopefully subsidized price point. When this thing finally releases, it might kill my gaming PC altogether. Why would I spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars maintaining my rig when I can play all the same games at the same quality on the Steam Machine for significantly less money?
I also don't have to worry about the chore of maintaining my PC, rectifying compatibility issues, dealing with driver timeouts, and being bombarded with adverts built into my Windows operating system. Instead, I get a clean and dedicated operating system in the form of SteamOS, and I can feel reassured that every single CPU cycle is dedicated to gaming rather than a flurry of background Windows updates.