Steam Machine launches today • Hacker News Board

Re: Steam Machine launches today

#541

Post by d3Xt3r » Mon, Jun 22, 2026, 9:31 PM UTC

raffael_de wrote: post #229

What is the appeal of Steam Machine as a dedicated gaming device? Isn't it going to be old in a few years and then you have to get rid of it because upgrading components isn't a viable option? Isn't that quite the opposite of anything that deserves to be associated with them term "hacker"?

I doubt anyone's associating the Steam Machine with the term "hacker". The "hacker" type crowd already game on Linux, they're not the target audience here. This is for the normies, for people who want to play PC games with a console-like experience, without any hassles of manual setup and tweaking that the hacker crowd normally are into.

Re: Steam Machine launches today

#542

Post by noxvilleza » Mon, Jun 22, 2026, 9:31 PM UTC

copx wrote: post #211

radium3d wrote: post #46

I imagine Valve Software wanted to release the Steam Machine for $549-$699. The great RAM hoarding of 2025-2026 killed this product on arrival sadly.

I bought my own version of a "Steam Machine" i.e. a mini-PC powered by an AMD APU for just €676 right before the RAM prices exploded. It is an AOOSTAR GT37 which actually outclasses the €1,039 Steam Machine in most areas except graphics. One cannot blame Valve here though, the hyperinflation of RAM prices is too blame here. AOOSTAR GT37 (€676 a few months ago [now vastly more expensive if you can still get one at all…

They show a 1080p/high benchmark of Stellaris on Gamers Nexus and it took 63.9s on Linux OpenGL and 67.4s on DX11 (https://youtu.be/66QzlDewigE?t=2021). I would guess the AMD R9 HX 370 in your GT37 will smash that.

Re: Steam Machine launches today

#543

Post by Peaches4Rent » Mon, Jun 22, 2026, 9:32 PM UTC

oliver66677 wrote: post #523

This is Framework level pricing. Provides some of the worst value for money on the market ($1,049 with no controller, additional $70 for controller): worse than the PS5 ($599), Xbox Series X ($599), Switch 2 ($449), and DIY PCs.

Framework provides adequate price to value, what are you saying?

This doesn't have the best value

Re: Steam Machine launches today

#544

Post by smcleod » Mon, Jun 22, 2026, 9:32 PM UTC

Yikes twice the price of a PS5 in Australia! I will still be buying one though. I'm looking forward to moving away from Sony after having a PlayStation in my living room for 16+ years. I really like Steam's ethics / how they treat their customers - and the steam deck (while under powered) has been fantastic.

Re: Steam Machine launches today

#545

Post by ZekeSulastin » Mon, Jun 22, 2026, 9:32 PM UTC

Peaches4Rent wrote: post #520

branon wrote: post #428

I respect what Valve is doing here and I loved the Steam Deck but a prebuilt desktop PC with 16 GB system memory and 512 GB storage for $1,000+ is insulting. Those are specs that belong on a laptop or a lowend console offering like the Series S. I think this product is going to be hamstrung by its attempts to present as a midpoint between a PC and a console. The way this is being achieved seems to be by selling a dev…

Nope. Just built a pc this Jan. Ram and GPU prices are insane. This is what you get for the price. Maybe a 100-50 max difference. I've been looking at building a TV box for a while and this was the number it was hitting

You did look at the Steam Machine's specs/benchmarks, right? I'm fairly certain that the build you just made well exceeds what Valve put out.

Re: Steam Machine launches today

#546

Post by Gigachad » Mon, Jun 22, 2026, 9:32 PM UTC

mort96 wrote: post #207

YuechenLi wrote: post #89

Surprised that they have 4 USB-A and only 1 USB-C. With their power profile, Steam Machine should be powerable by a single USB-C cable on extended power range which should reduce the need for the power supply altogether and greatly simplify mechanical as well as thermal design, although the power electronic design would be more complex as a result. I would also be expecting Wifi 7 support as well as unified memory co…

A USB-C PD power supply which supports 130W is probably gonna be more expensive than whatever power supply they're using now...

There’s also the issue that users would plug in their own random usb power supplies and most of them wouldn’t work. Some would work for 15 minutes before overheating and lowering the power output.

Re: Steam Machine launches today

#547

Post by notnmeyer » Mon, Jun 22, 2026, 9:33 PM UTC

anyone talking about hw performance is not the intended market. if you have a gaming pc, like building systems, etc, you are not the intended market.

this is for folks who want steam games in their living room and dont want to build their own system.

Re: Steam Machine launches today

#548

Post by OkayPhysicist » Mon, Jun 22, 2026, 9:35 PM UTC

YuechenLi wrote: post #89

Surprised that they have 4 USB-A and only 1 USB-C. With their power profile, Steam Machine should be powerable by a single USB-C cable on extended power range which should reduce the need for the power supply altogether and greatly simplify mechanical as well as thermal design, although the power electronic design would be more complex as a result. I would also be expecting Wifi 7 support as well as unified memory co…

Xbox 360 controllers (and their knock-offs) are still extremely common choices for PC gamers who want a controller. Xbox because they have good windows plug-and-play, 360 because there are still plenty of $20-ish dollar ones available, as opposed to the ~$40-50 range for the Xbox One controllers.

Wired Xbox 360 controllers (and most of their off brand alternatives) have a non-removable USB-A cable.

Re: Steam Machine launches today

#549

Post by hatsunearu » Mon, Jun 22, 2026, 9:38 PM UTC

eximius wrote: post #366

throwaway21233 wrote: post #345

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get why companies don't take advantage of the demand. For example: Start the bidding at BASE_PRICE (BP) + 2400. Then reduce the price by $1 every 3mins over the course of 5 days. Until the BP is met and then just carry on queuing. You could buy it early if you want it that much or just wait an extra couple of days and end up in the queue at the BP. I don't know if it would create pressure on that second it ti…

Holy fuck, not everything in this life needs to be profit maximized.

It's not really about money or profit.

Society has found out money is a good way to encourage/discourage certain behavior in a predictable, deterministic, and quantifiable way. It really sucks that it has to be money, and maybe this can be solved with some other universal token that cannot be bought with wealth but equitably distributed some other way.

For example the dynamic fees in express lanes in California aren't really for the purposes of paying for the roads. They dynamically adjust it such that the traffic in the lane is operating at peak efficiency. Too few people using it obviously reduces throughput, so the price cheapens to have people using it, and too many people using it causes a collapse in efficiency so the price increases. Having some kind of adjustable cost on it lets the control system appropriately change the demand to keep it efficient.

Re: Steam Machine launches today

#550

Post by mwkaufma » Mon, Jun 22, 2026, 9:38 PM UTC

pseudosavant wrote: post #72

I know the price for PC parts is terrible these days, but $1049 for a 6-core 16GB RAM, with a 512GB SSD, and no controller, is a terrible value. For reference, the PS5 Pro has more than twice the number GPU CUs, an 8-core CPU, a 2TB SSD, a controller, and costs $899.

PS5 sells at a loss & makes up the difference collecting rent on a closed system. With Steam you're buying an open system.