Steam Machine review roundup: 'an expensive curio, rather than a gaming device for the masses'
Valve's Steam Machine review are a mixed bag
👀 Reviews for the brand-new Steam Machine have started rolling in
🙌 Reviewers have praised the device’s cute and clever design, plus the powers of SteamOS
💰 They have reservations over the amount of power on offer, though, especially for its higher price tag
🤷♂️ Overall, it seems like a compelling purchase if size and convenience are important, although raw power isn’t its strong suit
After literal months of delays, Valve’s long-awaited Steam Machine has finally arrived, albeit at a price that’s more expensive than we’d have liked.
However, the dearer price tag hasn’t stopped the machine from getting some rave reviews, while others feel it’s now too expensive to justify the power on offer. If you’re still on the fence, we’ve rounded up some Steam Machine reviews for you below.
Eurogamer’s user-focused review praised the Steam Machine’s flexibility as a living room PC, its fun looks, and the affordability of PC vs console, although the reviewer had reservations on the amount of power you get for the high price tag:
“So the short answer to how it sits versus a console, or indeed an HDMI cable or actual PC of your own is: there is no real short answer. For upfront cost, performance, plug-and-play simplicity and smart features, at the cost of more expensive games and services over time and a console that looks like a hellish mid-00s leisure centre extension dubbed “the future of our town centre” - and is also roughly the same size as that - get a PS5 Pro.
However, for flexibility and breadth and cheapness over time, and something you’ll love people asking about when they come round - something that you can genuinely carry with one hand (LAN parties! If only it had a handle…) and which looks normal or dare I say it even cool next to a nice set of speakers or a stack of coffee table books or something you actually want to see in your home - the Steam Machine absolutely has a place.”
In Digital Foundry’s review, they noted the performance of the system’s semi-custom AMD silicon to be similar to a PS5, and praised the usability of SteamOS and the premium feel of the cube itself. It too had reservations on the price tag of the device versus a console, but noted you have the option to build your own comparably specced PC for a similar cost:
“When Steam Machine was first revealed, the question was all about price and performance. Based on the specs, we’ve arrived with a piece of hardware that pretty much runs as expected - and it’s fine. Technology-wise, it doesn’t shift the needle, but I love the package. The form factor is beautiful, it’s wonderfully put together and it’s virtually silent in operation. To see it is to want it.
However, it’s going to cost you. I guess pricing is relative in the current environment and ultimately, you’ll have to make the call on whether the value proposition works for you. Assuming you can get a Steam Machine at all, of course.
That said, the good news is that not having a Steam Machine won’t lock you out of PC gaming - the PC remains the ultimate open platform and even in these difficult times, there’s a lot of choice out there in the hardware space, while SteamOS and other gaming-friendly Linux distros like Bazzite and CachyOS ensure that a range of kit is covered.”
The Verge praised the overall package as a lovely piece of kit in principle with some clever features and very pleasant looks, but had reservations over price versus what happened with the Steam Deck, and spent a lot of time troubleshooting issues:
“Valve explains that it’s not subsidizing the Steam Machine because of its “beliefs about how healthy ecosystems are built.” Sure, but that means with the Steam Machine you’re paying normal PC prices, instead of what you’d pay for a console. I still think this package is special and is an incredible deal — if you plan to use it as a PC and not just a game console. I wish it existed back when I went off to college and needed a compact setup for work and play in my dorm room.”
LTT’s video review of the Steam Machine praised the polish of SteamOS as an operating system and some of its clever features, such as native HDMI CEC support, but felt the raw power on show wasn’t enough for the price tag.
The PC Gamer review was much harsher than others out there, with the Steam Machine only getting a three-star-equivalent score. It praised the small form factor and the fact that the PC runs cool and quiet, but felt its raised price was too high, and therefore the device felt underpowered:
“Valve’s attempt to bring PC gaming to your living room is well-intentioned, but the ugly realities of the memory crisis have left it with a hefty price tag. If it had more grunt, it’d be easier to recommend—but an off-the-boil GPU and plenty of software quirks leaves it feeling like an expensive curio, rather than a gaming device for the masses.”
Tom’s Hardware also gave the Steam Machine a middling 3.5 star review, praising its small size and clever design, the integration with SteamOS and strong port selection. It too had similar reservations over the hardware inside and the disappointing price tag:
“The Steam Machine is a nice device for Steam Deck owners who want to have a more powerful system to play their games at home, but you won’t get the strongest performance that PCs can offer, and there are some bugs that Valve is still ironing out.”
You can reserve the Steam Machine now, starting at $1,049 for the 512GB model. Sign-ups close Thursday, June 25 at 10am PT/1pm ET.
Up next: Steam Machine’s misleading marketing is the main reason it will fail, not the price
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.