Steam Machine vs PS5: which system is right for you?
The PS5 will face new competition in early 2026 from the Steam Machine
💪 The Steam Machine offers PC-like versatility, running SteamOS and providing access to a vast PC game library and other clients, while the PS5 is a traditional, locked-down console
🆚 The PS5 offers greater raw graphics power, but the Steam Machine uses more modern RDNA 3 and Zen 4 architectures
📏 The Steam Machine is significantly smaller and more portable than the PS5 and offers greater flexibility and peripherals
🤔 Choosing between them depends on preference: the Steam Machine is for PC gamers seeking living-room convenience and versatility, while the PS5 is for those wanting a traditional, high-power console experience
Valve’s long-awaited Steam Machine is finally here, and it looks like quite a compelling device ahead of its release early next year.
The obvious question to answer is to see how it compares to the console you likely have by your television at the moment – potentially a PlayStation 5, PS5 Slim or even the more expensive PS5 Pro.
Valve’s Steam Machine is a different kind of proposition to the PS5. Despite its console-like nature, it’s still a PC as opposed to a locked-down console, which makes this comparison quite interesting, as you’ll see below.
The question then is – should you buy the Steam Machine or a PS5?
If the Steam Machine isn’t right for you, then you can also read our guide on the PS5 vs Xbox Series X, plus the comprehensive breakdowns of the PS5 Disc vs Digital and Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S to find out exactly which version is right for you.
Steam Machine vs PS5: price
We already know the PS5’s price, which has only increased since the console first launched back in 2020. Since the latest price rise in August 2025, the PS5 costs $550, with the Digital Edition at $500 – the PS5 Pro is way up at $750.
Gauging the Steam Machine’s price is a bit more difficult to predict, as Valve won’t disclose it until closer to launch. It’s likely to be in and around that of the PS5 Pro, judging by the components inside and the comparable price for building a PC on similar hardware.
Steam Machine vs PS5: specs
The Steam Machine and PS5 differ in specs by some magnitude. Here are the raw numbers below:
PS5 specs:
Price: $550
4K Blu-ray disc drive: Yes
Size: 15.4 x 10.2 x 4.1 inches
Weight: 8.6 pounds (3.9kg)
CPU: 3.5GHz, 8-core AMD Zen 2
GPU: 10.3 teraflop RDNA 2 GPU, 36 CUs
RAM: 16GB GDDR6
SSD: Custom 825GB SSD, upgradable
PS5 Slim specs:
Price: $550
4K Blu-ray disc drive: Yes (detachable)
Size: H 14.1 x D 8.5 x W 3.7 inches
Weight: 3.2kg
CPU: 3.5GHz, 8-core AMD Zen 2
GPU: 10.3 teraflop RDNA 2 GPU, 36 CUs
RAM: 16GB GDDR6
SSD: Custom 1TB SSD, upgradable
PS5 Pro specs:
Price: $750
4K Blu-ray disc drive: No
Size: H 15.3 x D 8.5 x W 3.5 inches
Weight: 3.1kg
CPU: 3.5GHz, 8-core AMD Zen 2
GPU: 16.7 teraflop RDNA 3 GPU, 60 CUs
RAM: 16GB GDDR6
SSD: Custom 2TB SSD, upgradable
Steam Machine specs:
Price: TBA
4K Blu-ray disc drive: No
Size: H 6.0 x D 6.4 x W 6.1 inches
Weight: 2.6kg
CPU: 4.8GHz, 6-core, AMD Zen 4
GPU: 8.9 teraflop RDNA 3 GPU, 28 CUs
RAM: 16GB DDR5-SODIMM
SSD: 512GB/2TB SSD, upgradeable
microSD slot
Valve’s console is running more modern hardware than the PS5, and is six times more powerful than the Steam Deck. Valve says it will be capable of running any game at 4K/60fps with FSR upscaling.
The Steam Machine, on the face of it, is a little weaker in terms of raw graphics power, with fewer Compute Units than the PS5. However, the Steam Machine’s GPU is based on the more modern RDNA3 architecture against the RDNA2 inside the original PS5. Its closest desktop competitor is the rare RX 7400, but for an actual consumer card, look to the last-gen RX 7600 XT.
As for its processor, the Steam Machine features a Zen 4-based semi-custom six-core chip, whose closest relative is the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F. Storage options are 512GB or 2TB, depending on the model selected, and you can swap that out for bigger drives.
By comparison, the PS5 has a Zen 2-based eight-core processor, and depending on the model selected, comes with either an 825GB, a 1TB SSD or a 2TB internal SSD.
You can add more storage to both systems, with the PS5 supplemented with a PCIe Gen 4 M.2 2280 drive that fits Sony’s stringent requirements. With the Steam Machine, Valve has provided more options. It supports 2280 and smaller 2230 drives, and you can get even more expandable storage via a microSD card, which you can’t do with the PS5.
The Steam Machine also doesn’t come with any form of disc drive, arguably owing to its nature as a system built around Valve’s own digital marketplace for games. Depending on how you configure the PS5, it’s possible to get it with or without a 4K Blu-ray drive.
Steam Machine vs PS5: size
The PS5 was ridiculed for its gigantic size at launch, and it’s still significantly taller and wider than the Steam Machine.
In some dimensions, the Steam Machine is smaller than a PS5, certainly in its height and depth. It is doubly thick, though, making Valve’s option a neat little cube. In press interviews about the device, Valve said they wanted to make it as small as the largest fan that could sufficiently cool its internal components, hence why it’s only narrowly larger than a 140mm computer fan.
As much as Sony has lightened the PS5 with its subsequent revisions, it still weighs significantly more than the Steam Deck’s 2.6kg, meaning Valve’s option is somewhat portable.
Steam Machine vs PS5: games
The Steam Machine provides access to thousands of PC games from Valve’s Steam marketplace (including PlayStation and Xbox games). Plus, you can also install games through other clients such as the Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect and more, albeit with some workarounds.
Not every game is compatible with Steam’s Linux-based operation system, however. Games that need an anti-cheat are also incompatible, which means you won’t be able to play games like Battlefield 6.
By comparison, the PS5 lets you play PS4 games and titles released specifically for the PlayStation 5. This is a solid offering, especially if you have PlayStation Plus as a subscription as you access classic games from previous PlayStation systems. The library of games, while dwarfed by Steam, has grown significantly since Microsoft started putting Xbox games such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Forza Horizon 5 onto the system.
Steam Machine vs PS5: features
The Steam Machine has a vaster set of functionality than the PS5, owing to its PC-like functionality, as with the Steam Deck that sits alongside it. It comes running SteamOS – a form of Linux – that unlocks the flexibility of a PC on your TV and offers a console-type experience by default with Steam Big Picture mode.
The benefit of the Steam Machine over the PS5 is that it isn’t locked down – you can access games and services from other providers or from Steam itself, giving you thousands of games and apps. Indeed, you also have the ability to use virtually any peripherals you wish to, and can use other operating systems or emulation software.
By comparison, the PS5 is purely a home console designed for playing PS5 and some PS4 games, and gives you minimal customization on the system itself. The Steam Deck is essentially a PC, so you could even install Windows 11 on it, if you like.
An oddity with the PS5 is that it doesn’t support Bluetooth headphones, but the Steam Machine does have Bluetooth functionality with Bluetooth 5.3, plus Wi-Fi 6E networking. Its wireless adapter is built into the system, so as with a console, you can turn the Steam Machine on with its controller.
Steam Machine vs PS5: controllers
The Steam Machine doesn’t come with the new Steam Controller, which houses some clever features, but you can use whatever controller you have to hand, even Sony’s DualSense.
If you do pick up the Steam Controller, its thumbsticks utilize TMR technology to make them more responsive and durable than Hall effect sticks, and have support for capacitive touch to enable motion controls. There is rumble support, plus the capacitive touch feature can be used for clever gyro aiming.
Its layout is somewhat similar to a PS5, with two thumbsticks in the middle, plus four ABXY face buttons and a D-Pad on the left. Below the thumbsticks are a pair of trackpads, and you’ll also find four shoulder buttons on the rear, along with four back buttons.
The Steam Controller is also pre-populated with community configurations for thousands of games from day one, or you can make and share your own.
Sony’s DualSense 5 controller also has haptic feedback and its clever adaptive triggers, plus a touchpad, speaker, motion controls and a lightbar. It also comes in more colours and custom variants.
Should I buy a Steam Machine or PS5?
There’s a lot to pick between the Steam Machine and the PS5, which makes them quite different propositions.
The Steam Machine is designed for folks who want to take their PC gaming experience to a bigger screen without losing out on the PC-like functionality that the device provides or giving up a large library of games they may already own. It might not be as powerful as the PS5, but it is much more versatile.
However, if you want a traditional console experience, then the PS5 is for you. There’s good support for PS5 and PS4 games, plus lots of additional accessories to elevate your experience.
Without knowing the price of the Steam Machine just yet, it’s hard to give a definitive judgment as to which one you should go out and buy. The Steam Machine is for those who want versatility, whereas the PS5 might offer you more in the way of raw power.
Up next: Steam Machine just put the PS5 and Xbox on notice – if Valve nails one more thing
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.