Steam Machine: Should You Buy It Now?

“if I had to give a blanket answer it would be no.”

Money can be tight, especially right now. Who has the money to spend one one piece of hardware that’s upwards of a grand? While there are reasons that you may want a steam machine; today I’m going to explain why you probably shouldn’t get one.

Before I start, I should say I don’t think the steam machine is a bad piece of hardware. At least in a vacuum. The problem is, we don’t live in a vacuum. If it was more affordable, and you weren’t able to make your own; it would be a great deal. However that is not the case.

What Is The Steam Machine And Why The Price?

This is something I don’t hear enough in the conversation of the steam machine; even though it is a big part of the general debate. For some reason people seem to usually be in one of two camps about the steam machine. They either think it is a PC or a console. Neither of these are true.

Sort of.

The truth about the steam machine is that it is a niche object that is growing in popularity called a living room pc. These are a bit of a hybrid between PC’s and consoles and, in my opinion, this is part of why the steam machine is so expensive. I also believe that this is a part of the reason of the negativity around the steam machine.

The main critique I’ve seen about the steam machine is the price. While I am not defending it, I do believe there are reasons as to why the price is so high. The first one is something that comes from valve and implies that they are not comfortable selling at a loss, as most hardware manufacturers do.

“The strength of PC gaming is the ability to play the games you want on the hardware you want. Steam Machine is a solution to these problems (and we think it’s a great one), but it’s not the only solution, and we don’t want it to be.”

This makes sense from valves point of view but It doesn’t make the price sting any less.

The next obvious reason as to why the steam machine is so expensive is the is the part shortage. According to IGN’s interview “Valve Engineers Pierre-Loup Griffais and Yazan Aldehayyat” According to this interview they were originally going to charge significantly less. (Ballpark 750) This means that the price is not entirely steams fault. It is the fault of the current ai apocalypse.

So Should You Buy One?

The answer to this is a little nuanced but if I had to give a blanket answer it would be no.

To get into the nuance of it, if you already have a PC the answer is a definitive no. While that isn’t exactly what the steam machine is, your PC can do everything the steam machine can and then some. If you’re in the market for a new PC I would say probably not.

You can (Believe it or not) buy or make a PC for less than the steam machine. Or make one for the same price that is better. If you want a new console, you shouldn’t even have it on your radar.

The only ways I can see it possibly being worth it is if you are looking specifically for a PC for your living room and you can afford it, or, if you are looking to get into PC gaming but don’t want a handheld or a actual PC and can afford it.

In general I would not recommend getting a steam machine.