Steam Machines in 2023 - do they deserve another chance?

[Mandelbo]

I got a Steam Deck a few weeks ago after months of waiting, and although it's incredibly impressive as a handheld, the real reason I wanted one was so I could use it as a Switch, but for my PC games. I've had a gaming PC for a few years and while I love it I've always preferred the general console experience, sitting on a sofa, controller in hand, with minimal fuss to get games working. Using the Dock to connect my Deck to the TV was one of the big draws of the system for me - to be able to access the huge Steam library, with the same ease and in the same place as the eShop or PSN Store was basically the dream. Now, the Dock itself is riddled with issues in my experience, but when it works, it gets very close to that dream. With the Deck, I was expecting to see lots compatibility issues, but almost everything I've played on it has basically worked fine, from RPG Maker games made in the early 2000s, to smaller indie games like Pizza Tower and Pseudoregalia, to bigger games like Dragon's Dogma (on a TV, at 60fps!) from a few generations ago - mostly games without native Linux versions. It really surprised me how often games just work on the Deck, thanks to Proton.

All this work on the Proton compatibility layer and Steam Input really began a decade ago with Steam Machines. When they eventually came out, I remember them being very poorly received; they weren't compatible with very many games, and the games they were compatible with often ran poorly compared to Windows. Additionally Big Picture wasn't as robust or as nice to use as the desktop Steam interface - so overall, Steam Machines launched in a fairly poor state, and they disappeared a few years later. You can't even buy the Steam Controller anymore!

I wonder though, with the huge steps Valve has made since then with Linux gaming and Steam's controller-friendliness, whether Steam Machines should have another shot. I'm imagining if they just put the internals for a Steam Deck inside a small set-top box (maybe with some slight upgrades to account for the lack of portability,) updated the Steam Controller to include all of the Deck's inputs, and released it for like £300, it might be another nice thing to have alongside desktop PCs and handheld PCs as a way to access the Steam library. It's definitely something I'd be interested in buying, and with the Deck constantly selling out it doesn't seem like Valve's commitment to improving Proton will diminish anytime soon, and hopefully support for Linux gaming in general will only get better as time goes on.

I may well be alone here, since Steam Machines came and went once already, but is this something anyone else would be interested in? I'm also aware Valve are more than happy for you to download SteamOS and make a Steam Machine yourself - is this something anyone has done here? If you have made your own Steam Machine, what was your experience like? edit: or maybe not lol

 

[Bentendo24]

Absolutely and I would buy one in a heart beat. Only thing preventing me from getting am Xbox is the lack of a track pad tbh

 

[AHA-Lambda]

Absolutely and I'd buy one immediately

A tv focused steam deck I think would be a game changer

 

[Dest]

I think with the success of the Steam Deck and the work they've done with SteamOS and Proton that yeah, they should absolutely get another shot at life.

But not as something that other companies can make. It should just be Valve and one platform. Obviously other companies can take their shot at small form factor PCs at a decent price, but as a "Steam Machine" it should just be a Valve thing.

 

[Helix]

the thing is, at that point it's just another PC with SteamOS instead of Windows. I would definitely take cheaper hardware for sure but I would not be interested in it if Valve is not controlling the hardware.

 

[Mocha Joe]

Valve should do their own console like hardware. But the most impactful thing would be for Valve to release SteamOS and then other companies like ASUS can do what they want with it (portables, console, PC, etc)

 

[Helix]

Valve should do their own console like hardware. But the most impactful thing would be for Valve to release SteamOS and then other companies like ASUS can do what they want with it (portables, console, PC, etc)

Click to shrink...

didn't SteamOS start as open source software? I'm not sure what happened after the failure of Steam Machines tbh

 

[Mecha Meister]

I would love to see Steam Machines return, this time with Valve's own system like the prototypes that existed.

iFixit opens a Steam Machine prototype, finds a modular computer

Valve's first piece of prototype hardware is easy to open and repair.

arstechnica.com

 

[CosmiKu]

I probably wouldn't get one myself as I already have a good PC hooked up to my TV, but I think PC gaming on the TV needs a good entry level model.

 

[TheWooniestWoona]

A Valve made one with a new controller that emulates the Steam Deck's controls would be amazing.

 

[I KILL PXLS]

If they make another push for them, it really needs to be the Steam Deck approach. Don't leave it open to let anyone who sells prebuilts with SteamOS installed call their product a Steam Machine. They need to be Valve built PC "consoles" with maybe 2 or 3 SKUs with varying levels of power and price point. That way they can expand the Verified certification to those set specs and devs can even have presets made for them if they chose like some do for Steam Deck. I think that's what people want out of a Steam Machine. A PC with a console like experience where they have to do very little research about what it can play or do. The Steam Deck is successful because it achieved that (and at a decent price).

 

[Spinluck]

I am still unsure about these but I always liked the concept. I do not think I would buy one personally and have doubts I could ever convince my friends who are console only to ever get one (so many PC games I want to play with them but they refuse to get a PC lol).

I feel like the handheld PC market has benefited strongly from the Switch being in that space and creating the demand for a super high-end handheld gaming space. Now that this niche is thriving, I wouldn't be surprised to see the idea of Steam Box or PC console boxes become a thing again.

I think a Steam Deck hybrid would be really cool too.

 

[LewieP]

Yep.

Steam Deck hardware/software philosophy applied to a console form factor would be incredible.

Repeating the same strategy exactly as before would not. Valve are very clearly a company who comes up with good ideas, and instead of throwing them away when they don't immediately work, iterate until they do.

 

[Joe Molotov]

I think a cheap box that you could plug into a TV and play Steam games wouldn't be the worst idea.

 

[fracas]

I'm expecting a TV-focused "deck" to exist at some point but I can't imagine preferring that over a Windows machine that just launches Steam big picture mode at startup.

 

[Mandelbo]

But not as something that other companies can make. It should just be Valve and one platform. Obviously other companies can take their shot at small form factor PCs at a decent price, but as a "Steam Machine" it should just be a Valve thing.

Click to shrink...

Oh absolutely agree here, I'd definitely want something made by Valve themselves - that's the whole reason the Deck is priced as reasonably as it is in the first place, the common thread between all the Deck competitors is that they're all significantly more expensive because they aren't taking a cut of Steam's revenue. Plus as others are saying here that means they can easily expand the existing Verified program!

 

[Rassilon]

i already use my deck exclusively in a docked mode, and would love a straight up Valve 'console' type variant with more power or whatever

 

[Roubjon]

If it was just exactly the same thing as a Steam Deck, but permanently docked, bigger, more powerful, and can be turned on with a controller, then yeah that would absolutely rule.

 

[hanshen]

Considering how much steam deck is struggling with new releases at 800p, I don't think they can match the value proposition of current gen consoles for TV gaming.

The strength of steam deck lies in mobility.

 

[SaberVS7]

Yeah, they are getting a second chance.

It's the Steam Deck with a Dock.

Valve is never going back to the "Apple Pippin" model. It didn't work for the Pippin, and it sure as hell didn't work for the first round of "Steam Machines".

 

[LewieP]

Considering how much steam deck is struggling with new releases at 800p, I don't think they can match the value proposition of current gen consoles for TV gaming.

The strength of steam deck lies in mobility.

Click to shrink...

It would obviously be more powerful than the Steam Deck.

And really, the steam library is huge, I doubt many Deck owners bought it thinking it would be the ideal device for the most demanding most recent games.

 

[Deleted member 14089]

I hope more linux native games come out for such a box as performance can be left on the table if using conventional components. It'll essentially be similar to a pre-built otherwise where SteamOS can be offered, but OEMs are responsible for driver/OS support. Could have a discount compared to windows.

Otherwise Valve should indeed do one of their own, perhaps with the upcoming AMD APUs, which are going to have some desktop performance (Strix Halo): info
Then do all their integration for that, while also having an steam deck 2 in the future.

 

[jwhit28]

The smartest move is probably to just emphasize docked gaming. I personally just want an official Steamdeck OS release even if it is AMD only.

 

[Atom]

A small barebones Steam box with the new/upcoming AMD APUs at high TDP for $400 or so would be pretty darn cool. Bring your own controller and SD card for $350. Valve subsidized hardware could help it gain traction like the deck.

 

[Mocha Joe]

didn't SteamOS start as open source software? I'm not sure what happened after the failure of Steam Machines tbh

Click to shrink...

I'm not sure of the specifics myself either haha. All I know is you can download the previous version and use the OS free of charge. But it's very dated.

 

[Zaimokuza]

Once SteamOS gets released to the public I don't doubt some hardware makers are going to make them, but I don't think it should be a Valve led initiative like last time

 

[cardboardboxer]

Just make your own, I did. Took my old Mini ITX gaming PC (like really old RX 480 4770k) and installed ChimeraOS. Other than having to change every game manually to run at "native" resolution its working great!

 

[hanshen]

It would obviously be more powerful than the Steam Deck.

And really, the steam library is huge, I doubt many Deck owners bought it thinking it would be the ideal device for the most demanding most recent games.

Click to shrink...

Based on the questions we get on the discord server daily, I'd say a lot of people do.

Even with the more powerful APUs like 7840U, it's still a struggle at 1080p and costs more than the current gen consoles. The market of a $500+ machine for playing indie and older PC titles on TV is more niche than steam deck.

 

[Spacejaws]

Id be interested. My biggest issue in the past was they seemed to cost more than comparative desktop machines.

 

[Wrighteous86]

I owned an Alienware Steam Machine and I own a Steam Deck with Dock now. That gives me what I need. But a cheaper non-portable one would be good for me too!

I'm the small market for these devices.

 

[OGlol]

yeah the steam deck really highlighted how great steam is (to me).

 

[rckvla]

Sure but I think I want a new iteration of the Steam controller instead.

 

[Lysbith McNaff]

I have my PC connected to the TV as one of the inputs, and I can upgrade it as desired in a full size case, but even if not in proximity I'd use something like Moonlight.

I appreciate what Valve is doing for handhelds with the Steam Deck, but in no way do I want the rigidity of specs that come with creating a Steam Deck like experience. Even if a given Steam Machine was upgradable I'm sure you'd quickly run into issues because they'll be targeting SFF sizes and 'may as well be specialized' parts, especially if Dell gets in the mix. No thanks.

I can't even get a replacement button from Valve without sending in my entire Steam Deck because they've soldered it to a daughterboard that requires special calibration, they're not really someone I trust in the hardware space. The QC on the Deck is pretty bad. My wife's Deck's touch pads are way more sensitive than mine, the dpad feels different, I also had to take hers apart because a piece of foam was in between the membrane and PCB of the X button, I could go on.

 

[Dinjoralo]

They 100% deserve a second chance. But that requires SteamOS to be finalized for other platforms and that might be a problems when some of the foundational tech behind how SteamOS plays games, like Gamescope, is still not working nicely on Nvidia GPU's. I think that's mainly a problem of shit drivers.

I get the feeling once SteamOS is made available, we're going to see a good deal of hardware using it over Windows. It's just better for gaming, and it probably always will be due to Microsoft being dumb of ass in all things PC gaming related. Whether valve tries to push it for that is another thing, but I get the impression they'll at least put in some work for OEM's that might want to use it.

 

[shadowhaxor]

Nope, and here are my thoughts on why.

While the Steam Machine was supposed to bring PC gaming to the living and outside of the office/gaming room, and it eventually didn't become what Valve wanted, it did succeed. Since then, we've had more manufacturers bringing PCs to the living room space, and SFF PCs/cases have been on the rise. Heck, it was Valve that killed the Steam Controller, even though people liked it. Then we have better handheld machines; Steam Deck, Ayaneos, ROG Ally's, all that can be connected to a TV, and away you go.

We don't need Steam Machines, IMHO.

 

[skeezx]

i think the people have more or less spoken about this sort of thing, not just with steam machines but the alienware alpha and 51. they'd rather just manage an HTPC for themselves unless the price point is something super sexy for the value

 

[monstrousvermin]

I see it having it's fans. It might be a harder market to crack with Valve having to eat some cost to keep it close to current Gen consoles.

It would be interesting to see if it can appeal to a mainstream audience. I see it probably being a less powerful, more expensive, and jankier version of a traditional console. In that way I don't think it's much different than their first attempt. Even with Steam OS making great strides.

 

[nded]

I'd go for it, but it probably won't happen until Valve have a Steam Controller 2.0 to go with it.

 

[MrBanballow]

Still have my Alienware Alpha hooked up to my TV.

 

[Dunfish]

Not sure what gap in the market they would fill that would be large enough to justify their existence.

 

[mute]

I'd buy one. I like my Steam Deck a lot and I'd appreciate a small-ish box that didn't have the portable compromises that I could put on a random TV or something.

 

[BeI]

Once SteamOS gets released to the public I don't doubt some hardware makers are going to make them, but I don't think it should be a Valve led initiative like last time

Click to shrink...

Part of the problem last time is that it wasn't fully Valve-led. They let third parties do the (unsubsidized) hardware, leading to wildly overpriced boxes. Valve needs to lead the way with subsidized hardware, then allow third parties to follow with their own versions.

Basically do what they have done with the Deck: release a good-value machine with balanced hardware that does many things well, but leaves plenty of room for third parties to make their own machines that are stronger, more premium, etc.

 

[BetterGraphics]

I'd love one. The strong these APUs get the more excited I get for one that lives in the Series S realm, especially with future support for things like FSR 3.0 and other upscaling tech.

 

[DonnieTC]

I bought this mini PC recently with a Ryzen 6800H APU that has a 680M GPU and Windows 11 for $380 from Amazon (there's a ton of them there with different configurations based on Intel/AMD platforms). The thing fits in the palm of your hand, weighs only a few pounds and can run games a few years old no problem and even newer games if you tweak the settings. It also has Thunderbolt 4 so you can hook up an eGPU if you want. Really this was what I was expecting when Steam Machines were originally announced. Crazy how small they can make full computers that are decently powerful with modern APUs.

 

[copelandmaster]

The Deck and a Steam Machine don't really need to exist at the same time, in the same way that the Switch does the DS and the Wii U's job's much better.

If Valve does SMs again, they should serve a dual purpose of being able to run as a Steam Deck TV box and being a portable 5-35w belt compute device for the Deckard HMD.

 

[LilScooby77]

the thing is, at that point it's just another PC with SteamOS instead of Windows. I would definitely take cheaper hardware for sure but I would not be interested in it if Valve is not controlling the hardware.

Click to shrink...

This is what i want.

 

[chrominance]

I'm not sure I want Steam Machines where Valve controls all the hardware. I know the Steam Deck is basically that but a) not everyone can just conjure up the manufacturing for a bespoke handheld device, versus an SFF PC, and b) we do have other players in that market who are happily building their own stuff and finding hardware niches the Steam Deck isn't filling. But since anyone can make an SFF PC, I don't really see a world where Valve would have to be the only ones making one, unless they do something stupid like lock down SteamOS (and I'm pretty sure Valve has said in the past that goes against their intentions).

I would prefer a Switch-like device that can dock for greater power; the issue is that there's probably only so far you can go with that kind of model right now. You can augment the APU of a Steam Deck with an external GPU solution, but as far as I'm aware you can't really do the same for CPU power, so the CPU capabilities of the Steam Deck will always be limited. So I think until we have hardware that can reliably support 1080p in triple-A games, it's going to be kind of rough trying to get a Deck successor to fill the role a Steam Machine might.

 

[Spark]

I don't think it's viable. With both Xbox and PlayStation releasing games on Steam, Valve going to market with their own direct competitor won't sit well with them. The Steamdeck is a perfect compromise.

 

[calder]

My SD *is* a Steam Machine, but yeah I'd jump on a proper SM instead in a heartbeat although SD does a decently credible job of filling the same role for me.

 

[Spoit]

Yeah, I dunno if the pricing works out. The APUs are fine for mobile gaming, but I'm not sure you can really get something that can do 1440p, much less 4k, gaming for anywhere approaching the console's price