5 ms·

What is the draw of the Steam machine though? They say the price is comparable to similarly specced PC. So why not just buy/build any mini PC? There's plenty of

by andoando 11mo ago

What is the draw of the Steam machine though? They say the price is comparable to similarly specced PC. So why not just buy/build any mini PC? There's plenty of options for that

spopejoy 11mo ago
PC gaming on the couch at last
baggachipz 11mo ago
A good while back I abandoned PC gaming because I was sick of driver issues, compatibility, and always having to update hardware to play the next game. Instead, I embraced consoles and haven't considered PC gaming since then. This, however, has me reconsidering that. I want it to "just work". When I want to play games, I don't want to deal with all of that other crap. I'm old, ain't nobody got time for that.
- theshackleford 11mo ago
  It's wild how experiences can vary so wildly. That's the nature of PC's though I suppose that you are trying to avoid. I've had no driver or compatibility issues in longer than I can remember. Maybe Vista? I also rarely upgrade because playing at console level settings means I can easily get effectively the same lifetime out of my hardware. Though I do tend to upgrade a little earlier than console users still leaning a bit more towards the enthusiast side.
- andoando 11mo ago
  I mean I just don't see the difference between this and getting any PC and slapping SteamOS on it.
  - kevinqi 11mo ago
    probably the "slapping steamOS" part of that
  - rtkwe 11mo ago
    There's not currently a way to officially put SteamOS on Steam* hardware. Plenty of people have done it but there's the usual compatibility issues where the image is built for the very specific hardware Valve installs it on so there's often wake from sleep and fan control issues. All solvable but it's not the level of turn key of even a mainline linux distro.
    - rtkwe 11mo ago
      Too late to edit and I think it's clear from context but I meant non-Steam* hardware.
- barrkel 11mo ago
  I guess you abandoned PC gaming some time in the early 2000s?
  - rtkwe 11mo ago
    I'm quite confused too, that doesn't align with my experience in the last couple years as well. There's notably been a few very good and long lived video cards and also as time goes on there's an ever deepening library of older games that can be played with very affordable cards. I'm wondering when and with what hardware they had that bad experience.
  - kakacik 11mo ago
    Drivers are not an issue for quite some time (but its always good to have latest nvidia ones for example for optimizations focused on given game). But its trivial to run into some .NET or Visual C++ redistributable hell when you just get a cryptic error during starting and thats it. Just check internet. I have roughly 20 of them installed currently (why the heck?) and earlier versions would happily get installed over already-installed version of same for example as part of game installation process, not a stellar workmanship on MS side. Whats wrong with having latest being backward compatible with all of previous ones, like ie Java achieved 25 years ago? Talking about fully updated windows 10 and say official steam distros of the games.
    - baggachipz 11mo ago
      > Drivers are not an issue for quite some time > its trivial to run into some .NET or Visual C++ redistributable hell when you just get a cryptic error during starting and thats it. Just check internet. Thanks for making my point for me.
  - niek_pas 11mo ago
    I'm guessing you have a very positive experience with gaming PCs; I wish I could say the same. My Windows PC: - Randomly BSODs because of (I think) a buggy Focusrite audio interface driver (that I can't fix and Focusrite refuses to) - Regularly 'forgets' I have an RX 5600 XT GPU and defaults to the integrated graphics, forcing me to go into the 1995 'Device Manager' to reset it - Occasionally just... stops playing audio? - Occasionally has its icons disappear from the taskbar - Regularly refuses to close applications, making me go into the Task Manager to force-quit them. These are just the issues I can think of off the top of my head. I've been playing PC games for like 15 years and this is just par for the course for my experience.
eptcyka 11mo ago
Some people really don't want to spend time exchanging parts when the memory they buy turns out to be incompatible or that the GPU doesn't fit the sleek mITX case. There's a lot of research to ensure all parts are compatible and optimal when building a PC - for some it's time that could be better spent on using the PC instead of building one.
- andoando 11mo ago
  You can still buy prebuilt though and slap SteamOS on it and youre there. Dont get me wrong this looks very a nice product, but its nothing revolutionary.
  - _aavaa_ 11mo ago
    The hardware is not, but the implications are pretty close (major gaming company is pushing a first party product of open hardware + open software with a linux box). It is literally the year of linux desktop.
  - mjrpes 11mo ago
    This thing is meant for a living room media center. A prebuilt PC with discrete GPU is a much bigger profile (and probably cost). You could say, fine, go buy a small Mini PC. But a system with the current best AMD Strix 890m GPU not only is expensive at $700-1000, but would only have half the performance of the Steam Box if its conjectured performance is similar to an RX 7600.
remir 11mo ago
It's a console basically. It comes ready to play without much maintenance needed from the user.
- baq 11mo ago
  One can argue consoles are pcs that the manufacturers try super hard to not allow you to root them. This steam machine here is a PC with steam preinstalled for a console-like setup and direct boot to your game library - but it’s still a pc. The point is, computers are computers I guess ;)
rbits 11mo ago
It's tiny. It runs SteamOS which is built to be used with a controller on a TV. And it will probably be a performance target for many developers. But I think the biggest feature might be the quick suspend and resume. Every modern console has that, but not PCs. You can try to put a computer to sleep, but many games won't like that.
- baq 11mo ago
  My Windows desktop doesn’t like that. It wakes instantly, no idea why. Not to mention windows laptops waking up in bags or backpacks in the middle of the night seemingly for the only purpose of burning themselves up.
foresto 11mo ago
As someone who has been building my PCs for decades, I have to admit seeing some appeal here: It's apparently small, quiet, capable, and easy. I'll keep building my own, but most people don't, and the value of saved time and reduced hassle should not be underestimated. If comparing this device to other pre-built systems, consider that this one is likely to be a first class target for game developers, while others are not.
archagon 11mo ago
I love SFF PCs, but you can’t get the same density as a manufacturer doing a fully bespoke design. Just look at those innards: no space is wasted.
- baq 11mo ago
  Yeah the heatsink filling the whole silicon-less volume is… something.
notatoad 11mo ago
i've spent plenty of time building custom PCs, but life changes and that's really not something i have any interest in doing any more. there's plenty of people who just want to play games without researching what CPU and video card to buy.
Normal_gaussian 11mo ago
The experience of using a custom build is terrible. The best experience you can get atm is to use Steams big picture mode, and that doesn't give you pause/resume, and you will sometimes need to use keyb & mouse to solve issues, plus you need to manage the whole OS yourself etc. Valves SteamOS which already runs on the Steam Deck gives you all the QoL that you expect out of a console. Pause / resume with power button press, complete control via controller, fully managed OS. What's missing are "in experience" native apps like Netflix/AppleTV/etc. as well as support for certain games which are blocked on anti-cheat. My wife is a research scientist who uses linux with her day job, but she isn't interested in dealing with any nonsense when she's relaxing at the end of the day. The Steam Deck has been a wonder for her - suddenly she's playing the same games as me with none of the hassle. The Steam Machine will suddenly open a bunch of my friends and family up to PC games as well. It won't be long until you can put SteamOS on any machine you make yourself, but the Steam Machine will serve as reference and "default" hardware for the majority.
Steltek 11mo ago
Lots of companies tried to recreate the Steam Deck and quite frankly, they're just not as good as the original. SteamOS is a super controller-friendly desktop that would be right at home in a living room. Like the Deck, the Steam Machine could become a target profile for developers.
Codazoa 11mo ago
For me it would be the small size and CEC capability. A custom built PC can't currently use CEC on HDMI to have a seamless experience the entire home theater like a console can.

What is the draw of the Steam machine though? They say the price is comparable to similarly specced PC. So why not just buy/build any mini PC? There's plenty of options for that

spopejoy 11mo ago

PC gaming on the couch at last

baggachipz 11mo ago

A good while back I abandoned PC gaming because I was sick of driver issues, compatibility, and always having to update hardware to play the next game. Instead, I embraced consoles and haven't considered PC gaming since then. This, however, has me reconsidering that. I want it to "just work". When I want to play games, I don't want to deal with all of that other crap. I'm old, ain't nobody got time for that.

theshackleford 11mo ago
It's wild how experiences can vary so wildly. That's the nature of PC's though I suppose that you are trying to avoid. I've had no driver or compatibility issues in longer than I can remember. Maybe Vista? I also rarely upgrade because playing at console level settings means I can easily get effectively the same lifetime out of my hardware. Though I do tend to upgrade a little earlier than console users still leaning a bit more towards the enthusiast side.
andoando 11mo ago
I mean I just don't see the difference between this and getting any PC and slapping SteamOS on it.
- kevinqi 11mo ago
  probably the "slapping steamOS" part of that
- rtkwe 11mo ago
  There's not currently a way to officially put SteamOS on Steam* hardware. Plenty of people have done it but there's the usual compatibility issues where the image is built for the very specific hardware Valve installs it on so there's often wake from sleep and fan control issues. All solvable but it's not the level of turn key of even a mainline linux distro.
  - rtkwe 11mo ago
    Too late to edit and I think it's clear from context but I meant non-Steam* hardware.
barrkel 11mo ago
I guess you abandoned PC gaming some time in the early 2000s?
- rtkwe 11mo ago
  I'm quite confused too, that doesn't align with my experience in the last couple years as well. There's notably been a few very good and long lived video cards and also as time goes on there's an ever deepening library of older games that can be played with very affordable cards. I'm wondering when and with what hardware they had that bad experience.
- kakacik 11mo ago
  Drivers are not an issue for quite some time (but its always good to have latest nvidia ones for example for optimizations focused on given game). But its trivial to run into some .NET or Visual C++ redistributable hell when you just get a cryptic error during starting and thats it. Just check internet. I have roughly 20 of them installed currently (why the heck?) and earlier versions would happily get installed over already-installed version of same for example as part of game installation process, not a stellar workmanship on MS side. Whats wrong with having latest being backward compatible with all of previous ones, like ie Java achieved 25 years ago? Talking about fully updated windows 10 and say official steam distros of the games.
  - baggachipz 11mo ago
    > Drivers are not an issue for quite some time > its trivial to run into some .NET or Visual C++ redistributable hell when you just get a cryptic error during starting and thats it. Just check internet. Thanks for making my point for me.
- niek_pas 11mo ago
  I'm guessing you have a very positive experience with gaming PCs; I wish I could say the same. My Windows PC: - Randomly BSODs because of (I think) a buggy Focusrite audio interface driver (that I can't fix and Focusrite refuses to) - Regularly 'forgets' I have an RX 5600 XT GPU and defaults to the integrated graphics, forcing me to go into the 1995 'Device Manager' to reset it - Occasionally just... stops playing audio? - Occasionally has its icons disappear from the taskbar - Regularly refuses to close applications, making me go into the Task Manager to force-quit them. These are just the issues I can think of off the top of my head. I've been playing PC games for like 15 years and this is just par for the course for my experience.

eptcyka 11mo ago

Some people really don't want to spend time exchanging parts when the memory they buy turns out to be incompatible or that the GPU doesn't fit the sleek mITX case. There's a lot of research to ensure all parts are compatible and optimal when building a PC - for some it's time that could be better spent on using the PC instead of building one.

andoando 11mo ago
You can still buy prebuilt though and slap SteamOS on it and youre there. Dont get me wrong this looks very a nice product, but its nothing revolutionary.
- _aavaa_ 11mo ago
  The hardware is not, but the implications are pretty close (major gaming company is pushing a first party product of open hardware + open software with a linux box). It is literally the year of linux desktop.
- mjrpes 11mo ago
  This thing is meant for a living room media center. A prebuilt PC with discrete GPU is a much bigger profile (and probably cost). You could say, fine, go buy a small Mini PC. But a system with the current best AMD Strix 890m GPU not only is expensive at $700-1000, but would only have half the performance of the Steam Box if its conjectured performance is similar to an RX 7600.

remir 11mo ago

It's a console basically. It comes ready to play without much maintenance needed from the user.

baq 11mo ago
One can argue consoles are pcs that the manufacturers try super hard to not allow you to root them. This steam machine here is a PC with steam preinstalled for a console-like setup and direct boot to your game library - but it’s still a pc. The point is, computers are computers I guess ;)

rbits 11mo ago

It's tiny. It runs SteamOS which is built to be used with a controller on a TV. And it will probably be a performance target for many developers. But I think the biggest feature might be the quick suspend and resume. Every modern console has that, but not PCs. You can try to put a computer to sleep, but many games won't like that.

baq 11mo ago
My Windows desktop doesn’t like that. It wakes instantly, no idea why. Not to mention windows laptops waking up in bags or backpacks in the middle of the night seemingly for the only purpose of burning themselves up.

foresto 11mo ago

As someone who has been building my PCs for decades, I have to admit seeing some appeal here: It's apparently small, quiet, capable, and easy. I'll keep building my own, but most people don't, and the value of saved time and reduced hassle should not be underestimated. If comparing this device to other pre-built systems, consider that this one is likely to be a first class target for game developers, while others are not.

archagon 11mo ago

I love SFF PCs, but you can’t get the same density as a manufacturer doing a fully bespoke design. Just look at those innards: no space is wasted.

baq 11mo ago
Yeah the heatsink filling the whole silicon-less volume is… something.

notatoad 11mo ago

i've spent plenty of time building custom PCs, but life changes and that's really not something i have any interest in doing any more. there's plenty of people who just want to play games without researching what CPU and video card to buy.

Normal_gaussian 11mo ago

The experience of using a custom build is terrible. The best experience you can get atm is to use Steams big picture mode, and that doesn't give you pause/resume, and you will sometimes need to use keyb & mouse to solve issues, plus you need to manage the whole OS yourself etc. Valves SteamOS which already runs on the Steam Deck gives you all the QoL that you expect out of a console. Pause / resume with power button press, complete control via controller, fully managed OS. What's missing are "in experience" native apps like Netflix/AppleTV/etc. as well as support for certain games which are blocked on anti-cheat. My wife is a research scientist who uses linux with her day job, but she isn't interested in dealing with any nonsense when she's relaxing at the end of the day. The Steam Deck has been a wonder for her - suddenly she's playing the same games as me with none of the hassle. The Steam Machine will suddenly open a bunch of my friends and family up to PC games as well. It won't be long until you can put SteamOS on any machine you make yourself, but the Steam Machine will serve as reference and "default" hardware for the majority.

Steltek 11mo ago

Lots of companies tried to recreate the Steam Deck and quite frankly, they're just not as good as the original. SteamOS is a super controller-friendly desktop that would be right at home in a living room. Like the Deck, the Steam Machine could become a target profile for developers.

Codazoa 11mo ago

For me it would be the small size and CEC capability. A custom built PC can't currently use CEC on HDMI to have a seamless experience the entire home theater like a console can.