*** Valve Steam Machine ***

I wonder how well it will support being connected to a PC monitor and a TV at the same time? I remember having a lot of issues with mismatched resolutions and refresh rates on the official steam deck dock. So long as it can gracefully disable one screen and switch to the other I'll be happy.

I hope there is a way to switch displays using a button combination on the controller because I don't want to have to get up and go switch on the TV or monitor to go into an options menu to switch screens. That would suck.
 
Last edited:
I was quite excited when I heard the announcement as I hoped it would be a bit of a beast (and in turn also hoped that it might result in lower priced graphics cards) however after reading further it sounds rather niche - at those suggested specs. people have posted it's going to have to be £300 or below or it's going to be bit of a non-starter.
 
Last edited:
Putty said:
I was quite excited when I heard the announcement as I hoped it would be a bit of a beast (and in turn also hoped that it might result in lower priced graphics cards) however after reading further it sounds rather niche - at those suggested specs. people have posted it's going to have to be £300 or below or it's going to be bit of a non-starter.
Click to expand...

I am hoping for £300 but I expect £400. Any more than £400 and it just isn't worth it to me.
 
Looking at the engineering of it - how could you even approach building something of similar specs, and most critically, an under-TV form-factor for that kind of money (sub £400?). Someone show me a build spec! If it can be done, that’s cool as if they share the OS for others to use we can make our own. I recently built an all-AMD Mini-ITX Linux gaming box with moderate components and would happily add SteamOS.
 
I would be tempted by this if it had better than PS5 performance, as it stands I don't see it as worth it. I use my Legion Go S w/ SteamOS for older games that never got updates for current gen consoles and PS5 for anything new.
 
Timber said:
Tbf Valve's marketing does say it's a PC and has a picture of a gamer at a desk with mouse and keyboard, so I think they know some people will buy it for desktop use.
Click to expand...
Yeah it is designed intended as a small form factor PC, the main reason for all the talk of it being a console/console killer is because of the kiddies shouting "It looks like a GameCube!!!" when in reality it just looks like a re-envisioned Shuttle cube PC from the late 90s/early 00s.
 
alex24 said:
Looking at the engineering of it - how could you even approach building something of similar specs, and most critically, an under-TV form-factor for that kind of money (sub £400?). Someone show me a build spec! If it can be done, that’s cool as if they share the OS for others to use we can make our own. I recently built an all-AMD Mini-ITX Linux gaming box with moderate components and would happily add SteamOS.
Click to expand...

I think some of these Minisforums, Beelink mini PCs can be quite cheap, particularly if caught at the right time on sale. However they will lack the support and optimisation Valve will inevitably give this box as well as the things that are unique, i.e. waking the PC from one-button press on the controller and proper HDMI-CEC support etc. A great example was when Elden Ring launched and had stuttering problems on PC, to which Valve released their own patch to fix on the Steam Deck. Before anyone else. This sort of thing. I guess Microsoft's new Windows 11 Xbox Console (Magnus) built on this new AMD chip is going to be the real competitor for it, as it will be doing something very similar.

I have installed Steam OS on a Minisforum UM480 XT on my lounge TV and so far it runs flawlessly (2023 release, Ryzen 4800U APU, older tech and a gen behind the Steam Deck). So it is doable even now without official support. That said when I used to run said PC as a desktop my preference was Fedora. But Steam OS is very useable now, on the right hardware with minimal mention of the Steam Deck, or anything you can't do. It's just Arch with Valve's compositor mode for the full-screen usage.

ubersonic said:
Yeah it is designed intended as a small form factor PC, the main reason for all the talk of it being a console/console killer is because of the kiddies shouting "It looks like a GameCube!!!" when in reality it just looks like a re-envisioned Shuttle cube PC from the late 90s/early 00s.
Click to expand...

Indeed. I think the lounge/console setup is the way most people are going to run it, i.e. existing PC owners who already have a Steam Deck, or gaming PC and want something on their big screen. So I think that marketing fits in with that. However I do also see people who just want a small form-factor PC in their office will consider it. And I think the Valve marketing fits in with that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: B&W
alex24 said:
Is there a Steam OS thread?
Click to expand...

I don't think so. That said you have the existing Official Steam Deck thread in PC Games sub-forum. You now have this thread in the Console Games & Hardware sub-forum - although at this stage mostly opinions on the reveal.

Someone in the Linux & Open Source sub-forum did ask if Steam OS should have it's own section, with a few responses (comments around Bazzite etc.). Steam OS could also come up in the relevant original ROG Ally & Legion Go threads when Valve did release official support for those two devices.

I suppose the number of people installing outside of the three devices officially supported is quite small. It's essentially another Linux distro at this point.
 
The Steam machine looks like it was made from a bunch of parts that AMD had lying around from an abandoned project only for Gabe to come along one day and hoover it all up for cheap. Looks a bit weaker then a PS5 so pricing for this will be key, if they priced this at £300 I think it could be successful and given Valve gets a a third of whatever they sell on Steam any losses they make on the console can be made up for in games sales.
 
Last edited:
Just watched the linus tech tips vid as he got his hands on it and yeah the price won't be cheap unfortunately, probably coming in a little under a grand is my guess as he said they expect it be priced competitively with a pc and not the console market. Shame that.

 
C Kent said:
Just watched the linus tech tips vid as he got his hands on it and yeah the price won't be cheap unfortunately, probably coming in a little under a grand is my guess as he said they expect it be priced competitively with a pc and not the console market. Shame that.

Click to expand...
How can it be priced competitively at £1k? The SM is a cheap laptop CPU/ GPU combination with a cheap SSD option. These sort of PCs are cheaper than consoles. Geekom spits outs PC of similar specs for well under the £500 mark
 
C Kent said:
Just watched the linus tech tips vid as he got his hands on it and yeah the price won't be cheap unfortunately, probably coming in a little under a grand is my guess as he said they expect it be priced competitively with a pc and not the console market. Shame that.

Click to expand...
I wouldn’t put much weight on what LTT says.
 
I thought he said it would be ‘priced like a PC’. He dint specify a price.

I’m not sure what’s to take about a pinch of salt with that.

What he basically said it would be priced so that hardware makes a sustainable profit. It wouldn’t be priced like a console which is usually below cost price.
 
Kenai said:
If its anything over £500 they may as well end of life it now and save themselves the hassle of actually making them :p
Click to expand...

If they price them at over £500 they will no doubt sell out initially but once the reality of the actual performance of the Steam Machine hits, interest will wane.

It is really confusing the mixed messages coming from this announcement. Clearly Valve have made a lot of effort to keep costs as low as possible by using lower end parts and you have to assume the intention of the Steam Machine is to give console gamers a nice and easy way to get into PC gaming and by extension give Valve loads of new customers to buy games from them. Yet they are being coy about the price and suggesting (going by what the invited YouTubers are saying) it will be more expensive than the more powerful consoles.

Could just be a tactic to work out how much people are willing to pay for it and they are monitoring the reaction. Thing is though, a lot of people have got the impression that it is some sort of power house machine when the reality is that it isn't really and they are coming out with some ludicrous prices they are willing to pay.
 
Last edited:
Id personally want it as a complete replacement to my 14 year old system assuming it's priced reasonably (£500 and under) but don't expect it to be priced reasonably at all. Even £500 id need to think about it after reviews and testing has happened.

It would also depend how they are going to implement CEC and how that's going to work correctly. Say 2 main monitors+ a TV. Would be a neat combination if the CEC works some magic with how it turns on and how the desktop and steam are separated.

Currently I have my HDMI port on GPU split between second monitor and TV downstairs so it's mirrored and it auto opens Steam big picture on boot onto those screens, works fine. But obviously have to go all the way upstairs to turn the PC on, such a hassle :D
 
Last edited:
Decent video on a DIY project using SteamOS


SteamOS works great from small testing I've done as long as you have hardware that works with it.
If anything I hope this whole thing just pushes SteamOS to be a more viable option standalone.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom