Steam Machine’s misleading marketing is the main reason it will fail, not the price
This isn’t a system designed for 4K/60fps, as originally advertised
🤷♂️ Valve’s marketing of the Steam Machine as a 4K/60fps system is misleading due to significant performance compromises
🆚 The device underperforms compared to cheaper consoles like the PS5, with its GPU acting as a major bottleneck
💰 Despite its compact, quiet design and the flexibility of SteamOS, the price remains difficult to justify for mainstream gamers
😔 Ultimately, the Steam Machine serves primarily as a niche product for dedicated Steam enthusiasts rather than a competitive console alternative
I was bullish about the Steam Machine’s prospects when it was first revealed last year. I said that its price – which we now know far exceeds what many originally predicted – would determine whether Valve’s mini PC would be “an enthusiast product or a disruptor in the console space.”
Unfortunately, despite the component crisis leading to the Steam Machine exceeding its planned price of $750, it’s actually the marketing and promises Valve made that have really dampened any enthusiasm I had for the black cube. It’s just not powerful enough.
The little box that could
Positioned as having six times the horsepower of a Steam Deck, the Steam Machine was never meant to be the most cutting-edge system on the market. Valve said it based the specs on Steam hardware surveys, claiming it would outperform or match around 70% of people’s current setups.
Judging from the early reviews and testing, it seems the Steam Machine can’t even match Sony’s 2020 console.
Ideally, I’d hoped the Steam Machine would land somewhere between the PS5 and Xbox Series X in terms of power – below the PS5 Pro, but at least competitive. Judging from the early reviews and testing, however, it seems the Steam Machine can’t even match Sony’s 2020 console.
Valve’s approach to Steam Machine marketing
In his review, YouTuber Dave 2D argues that Valve should have advertised the Steam Machine as a 1080p/60fps system. Instead, Valve claims its box can play your entire Steam library and that its CPU and GPU allow for 4K gaming at 60fps with FSR enabled.
Those claims hold up on paper – you can hit 4K/60fps on the Steam Machine with FSR – but often at the expense of image quality, since you’re upscaling from 720p. It looks rough, to put it kindly, and that’s not how anyone would want to experience a game.
Valve should have advertised the Steam Machine as a 1080p/60fps machine from the start.
Compare that to the PS5, where games generally run and look great at either 4K, 1440p, or 1080p, and can take advantage of dynamic resolution scaling – something most PC games don’t support unless a developer specifically includes it. PS5 games are usually far more optimized, too.
The result, as head-to-head tests in Cyberpunk 2077, Forza Horizon 6, and God of War: Ragnarok and other games have shown, is that the Steam Machine’s 8GB GPU is a significant bottleneck despite its more powerful CPU. The PS5 outperforms Valve’s system, often by a large margin.
Valve should have advertised the Steam Machine as a 1080p/60fps machine from the start. Any performance gains above that would have been a pleasant surprise rather than being seen as an unmet expectation.
There’s still a lot to love about the Steam Machine
Even at $1,049, a case could still have been made for the Steam Machine if it were more powerful. SteamOS is a fantastic operating system that delivers a console-like PC gaming experience that’s been sorely missing for decades. The Steam Machine can also double as a Linux-based PC, offering far more flexibility than any console can. It should also work well with the Steam Frame, and those who own a Steam Deck.
The form factor of the Steam Machine also deserves praise. It’s barely bigger than a Nintendo GameCube, whisper quiet in operation, and includes novel features like removable faceplates and an LED light bar. Valve clearly put in the work to make it a compelling little cube.
With the price and performance now laid bare, the Steam Machine will only appeal to diehard Steam users
Developers will also be able to create configurations targeting the Steam Machine’s fixed specs, which could lead to more optimized, user-friendly experiences for major PC releases – something worth celebrating.
However, with the price and performance now laid bare, the Steam Machine will only appeal to diehard Steam users or those who want to back Valve’s push to shake up the console space. For everyone else – even in what feels like an increasingly bleak time for gaming – the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 remain the better options.
It’s a disappointing outcome, particularly given how badly Valve’s first Steam Machine attempt landed. Were it not for the component crisis, things might have turned out differently. Third time’s the charm, perhaps.
Up next: dbrand’s Steam Machine Companion Cube is now available for pre-order
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.