Valve has the coin to be able to take this one on the chin and sell it cheaper even at a loss for a while until memory prices stabilise, at least they would sell and people would look forward to it. Now? The first impression is "no thanks", only have to look at the community feedback. Reddit is wondering how they will damage control this lol.
*** Valve Steam Machine ***
- Thread starter kakarott
- Start date
$1428 for a 2TB steam machine and controller
Don't be surprised guys, the consoles are already expensive and both Sony and Microsoft are still selling consoles at a loss, Valve doesn't do subsidies
If you want value for money go buy a PS5 Pro, Sony is still willing to sell you hardware at a massive loss
Don't be surprised guys, the consoles are already expensive and both Sony and Microsoft are still selling consoles at a loss, Valve doesn't do subsidies
If you want value for money go buy a PS5 Pro, Sony is still willing to sell you hardware at a massive loss
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Soldato
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I am getting one day one. I'm not sure why people seem so down on the Steam Machine. Can you guys not see that it has a Valve logo on it? It even comes with a single stick of RAM. You do realise that it is a PC right. A PC. Not a console. I mean why would you even consider a base PS5 Digital along with 6 years worth of Playstation Plus Extra for the same price as a 512GB Steam Machine with Controller? I mean you have to go down to Argos like a peasant and pick up a PS5 to take home today versus the exciting experience of being entered into a lottery by the people who brought you Ricochet which gives you the possibility of being selected sometime possibly this year to maybe be invited to enter the probably very exclusive ownership club of the Steam Machine. You guys just don't get it.
Valve just shot themselves in the foot.
I don't know how much the rest of you know about PC gamer culture (I'm an expert), but honor and shame are huge parts of it. It's not like it is in console manufacture where you can become successful by being an *******. If you screw someone over in PC gaming, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is repentance.
What this means is the PCMR, after hearing about this, is not going to want to purchase Steam Machine or either system, nor will they purchase any of Valves games. This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but Valve has alienated an entire market with this move.
Valve, publicly apologize and cancel Steam Machine or you can kiss your business goodbye.
I don't know how much the rest of you know about PC gamer culture (I'm an expert), but honor and shame are huge parts of it. It's not like it is in console manufacture where you can become successful by being an *******. If you screw someone over in PC gaming, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is repentance.
What this means is the PCMR, after hearing about this, is not going to want to purchase Steam Machine or either system, nor will they purchase any of Valves games. This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but Valve has alienated an entire market with this move.
Valve, publicly apologize and cancel Steam Machine or you can kiss your business goodbye.
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People wanted cheaper, but unfortunately Valve's buying power (most likely) and desire not to subsidise it means we are where are. There was also definitely some unrealistic expectations from the get-go around pricing though. As someone already mentioned LTT did say that whilst Valve wouldn't comment on the original planned price, the recent Steam Deck increases are indicative of the sorts of increase here.
If you want the form factor, CEC support w/automatic switching, power on from the controller, proper hardware support and are embedded in Steam. It looks like a lovely machine and from a noise and power pov competes with the consoles - way smaller, more energy efficient and quieter than a DIY built PC. And even in some of the games benchmarks it gets close to the PS5 in performance. Good enough for some people, where they aren't going to care. Plus you have all those advantages of PC; joypads, accessories etc. Whilst I love Linux I have recently gone through having to install it on a number of machines and it can be a pain. I've got a two-week old AM5 PC that where it has the amdgpu page-flip bug and I've had to deactivate dynamic power management (may be fixed fully by 7.2 kernel). And even in Bazzite I've had small issues on my older PC (although for the most part fine). This will work OOTB with none of those issues.
Although my recently repurposed into a lounge PC running Bazzite is a 5600X & 6650XT so it's quite nice to see in the benchmarks it's probably about the same performance wise, minus the RDNA 3 advantages. Unfortunately I never did order a Steam Controller so that's next year before I can get one.
If you want the form factor, CEC support w/automatic switching, power on from the controller, proper hardware support and are embedded in Steam. It looks like a lovely machine and from a noise and power pov competes with the consoles - way smaller, more energy efficient and quieter than a DIY built PC. And even in some of the games benchmarks it gets close to the PS5 in performance. Good enough for some people, where they aren't going to care. Plus you have all those advantages of PC; joypads, accessories etc. Whilst I love Linux I have recently gone through having to install it on a number of machines and it can be a pain. I've got a two-week old AM5 PC that where it has the amdgpu page-flip bug and I've had to deactivate dynamic power management (may be fixed fully by 7.2 kernel). And even in Bazzite I've had small issues on my older PC (although for the most part fine). This will work OOTB with none of those issues.
Although my recently repurposed into a lounge PC running Bazzite is a 5600X & 6650XT so it's quite nice to see in the benchmarks it's probably about the same performance wise, minus the RDNA 3 advantages. Unfortunately I never did order a Steam Controller so that's next year before I can get one.
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The average PC gamer just doesn't get it. I thought Valve's reply to the price question today should help to resonate with the market:
"While asking for price subsidies might seem like an easy solution, it doesn't align with our beliefs about how ecosystems are built," Valve told The Verge. "If there's anything we're religious about at Valve, it's our belief that open systems are better for ourselves and customers."
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Associate
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Up until recently at least, the console manufacturers have not been selling at a loss. They have taken a different approach this gen, especially late in the cycle.
I don't believe Nintendo, or Sony are selling at a loss.
I think Microsoft have been. A few years ago Phil Spencer talked about $100-200 loss per Series X is one of the interviews. And Asha Sharma & Matthew Ball at the recent Bloomberg conference indicated even bigger loses and the conundrum they find themselves in with hardware.
Soldato
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Says the company with an near monopoly on PC game sales! Take a look at the Steam Deck for Valves true feelings on open systems, windows drivers that are hardly ever updated and that are pretty buggy. Installing a Windows / SteamOS dual boot is a monumental pain. Using other game stores on SteamOS is kinda of a pain having to use third party apps like Heroic. Technically the Steam Deck is an open platform but really it pushes Steam use hard which is fair enough being a Valve product but it might as well not be an open platform for people who are not tech savvy.
It can never do that as the open ecosystem is also the curse of it. Sony can lock-in a discount price because of the closed ecosystem. How many people would buy a Steam Machine and never buy a game from steam. Because A. they have a massive backlog B. They pirate. C. Use the machine for something else.
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I really want it, I really don't need it, but it's so cool!!
Getting a PC to be small and quiet with decent performance (aka just works) is all older man me wants, despite how fun pratting about building one can be. Got a few months to talk my self down and just get a switch 2 for OOT instead
Getting a PC to be small and quiet with decent performance (aka just works) is all older man me wants, despite how fun pratting about building one can be. Got a few months to talk my self down and just get a switch 2 for OOT instead
Soldato
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3 months ago I built an AM4 Ryzen 5600 / RTX 5060ti 16GB system for £750.
You're an expert?
They are business that's sole purpose is to make money...You expect them to lose money to cater to you? If the going rate for hardware is such, it is what is. They do not have a closed ecosystem so can not offer a discount.
Blame the AI companies buying up all the hardware, not Valve.
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Dead on arrival. Should have held out until prices got sensible again. Who on earth is gonna buy this overpriced ageing hardware cube!?
People with more money than sense probably
Don't get me wrong I love Steam OS and if this was matched with at least 1440p at 120hz hardware and a sub £550 price point I'd be interested
People with more money than sense probably
Don't get me wrong I love Steam OS and if this was matched with at least 1440p at 120hz hardware and a sub £550 price point I'd be interested
Soldato
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They could easily limit the device to 1 unit per Steam account and make it so that the Steam account needs to be at least a month old. The vast majority of Steam Machine owners will buy their games through Steam. The Steam Machine is as close to a closed ecosystem as you can be whilst still technically being open.
Caporegime
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Valve is not obliged to sell it at a loss, it’s their prerogative to sell it what they think it’s worth/peofitable.
It’s up to the each customer/market to decide if it’s worth it.
That’s it really.
For me, I am just going to skip this iteration, if the AI crap ever dies down before I get the next one or just give up gaming altogether.
It’s up to the each customer/market to decide if it’s worth it.
That’s it really.
For me, I am just going to skip this iteration, if the AI crap ever dies down before I get the next one or just give up gaming altogether.
Associate
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I don't think they could wait. The hardware is pretty measely in md-2026. Waiting another 4-5 months would have made little/no difference and the same hardware in 12-18 months time at a lower price is not much more appealing.
Steam people are always saying what a huge backlog they have. If this is the case that could translate into little game sales. Especially since the Steam Machine can barely play the latest games i could imagine a lot of people will use it as a off-ramp to sell their PC and settle down in front of the T.V playing their backlog. Which is why Valve can not sell at a discount.
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