Much of the discussion surrounding Valve’s upcoming Steam Machine has revolved around unusual features, a hefty price tag, and a delayed release. People were legal skeptical of the value propositionand Valve didn’t help by declaring that it would be priced like a PC, not a console. However, I feel that a large number of gamers are abandoning the Steam Machine prematurely. Valve is careful not to draw comparisons with consoles given their different price points, but the Steam Machine will absolutely compete with consoles in the living room. It has the power of Steam, the advantages of PC-centric features and the great experience of Valve behind it. Even those in the industry believe that the Steam Machine is ready to become the biggest competitor to the PlayStation. When you look at the real value proposition of Valve’s SteamOS box, in line with recent console price hikes, even pricing starts to look like a non-issue. We may be entering an exciting new era of console wars where Sony, Valve and even Microsoft will make big moves.
The Steam Engine has more unique features than people think
Consoles should start to worry
At first glance, many would assume that Valve’s attempt to take over the living room would be dead on arrival. For starters, it’s just an underpowered and overpriced PC with no exclusive titles. Second, due to SteamOS/Linux restrictions around anti-cheat, many popular games won’t even be supported. Ultimately, PC or console gamers have no incentive to switch to the Steam Machine. These are all valid concerns, but when you dig deeper, they start to evaporate.
The Steam Machine will run SteamOS, an operating system that Valve has proven to be leaner, more performant and tailored to the console experience Valve is aiming for. SteamOS demonstrated how Windows is bloatedpreventing him from achieving the same performance as the former. Plus, since Valve will have strict control over the hardware and software, Steam Machine will punch above its weight despite the budget Zen 4 CPU and RDNA 3 GPU.
As for the lack of exclusives, the huge Steam library alone is a big reason for players to consider Steam Machine. We’ve already seen PC and console gamers lining up for Steam Deck, which has opened up a new frontier for enjoying Steam games. The Steam Machine is capable of replicating that success, giving existing PC gamers not just a separate device, but a different experience to enjoy the same games they’ve been playing forever. Steam Machine doesn’t need to replace your PC with the same capabilities to share your library across devices with your family for free. It can seamlessly connect to your existing stack of gaming devices. Of course, not having to pay to play online multiplayer is a sweet bonus. And despite the lack of core-level anti-cheat support, you can still enjoy tons of popular multiplayer games. Helldivers 2, Counter-Strike 2, Overwatch, Finals, Halo Infinite, Dead by Daylight, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Team Fortress 2, and DotA 2among many others.
It’s all built into Valve’s gamer-first approach and supported by great accessories like the Steam Controller. The company has put a lot of effort into making SteamOS what it is today. The Steam Deck showed off the power of Valve’s operating systemLinux takes gaming into a new golden age. Valve may not want to encourage comparisons to consoles, but that’s the market it’s trying to tap into. Gaming on Linux is completely different than it was even a few years ago, and Valve is perfectly placed to take advantage of it and bring SteamOS to more devices.
I’m not the only one who says Steam Machine is a console competitor
What’s in a name?
If you think I’m making all this up, former Xbox executive Mike Ybarra recently claimed Sony sees Valve as a new competitor. Ybarra believes that since Xbox is no longer active in the console wars (Project Helix is still a long way off), Sony is bringing back true console exclusives because they stopped releasing them on PC. He also thinks Sony was smart enough to see the promise of the Steam Machine and its potential to become the biggest competitor to the PlayStation. In fact, most of the points I described above were made by Ybarra in the same comment.
He highlighted Steam’s 3-hour, no-questions-asked return policy, another gamer-focused feature that will naturally be extended to the Steam Machine. He also highlighted Valve’s status as a private company without shareholder pressure as a major moat against gaming corporations that are increasingly being forced to make questionable, anti-player decisions. Valve has already shown off its hardware chops with the Steam Deck and the new Steam Controller. There’s no reason to expect anything different from Steam Machine, or for that matter Steam Frame headset. Valve might have had to delay Steam Machine for a few months, but gamers are happy to expect a seamless SteamOS console experience.
The Steam Machine’s higher price tag may not be as much of a deterrent as it seems
Prices have risen across the board
Many critics expect the Steam Machine’s high price tag to be its biggest downside. Valve has already announced that the device will no longer be priced as a console hardware prices are reaching record highsthis price will be higher. The thing to remember is that consoles have not been immune to recent price increases. The PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro are already close to $650 and $900, respectively. If Steam Engine’s value proposition is realized, its A $1,000 price tag is expected It won’t be that far from the PS5 Pro. For gamers who like the idea of a SteamOS console connected to their TV, a $100 premium won’t be a big deal for a device with so much more you can do.
Another angle is that third-party vendors will likely launch cheaper (and more expensive) options, further strengthening the price argument against the Steam Machine. Players will be able to choose the model that suits their budget and requirements. With prices rising between devices, the Steam Machine will be a far cry from the PS5 Pro or budget gaming PC in 2026. It will be interesting to see how Sony reacts to the launch and what Xbox will announce as part of Project Helix. Regardless, consoles won’t be boring anytime soon.
- CPU
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AMD 6-core Zen 4 x86, up to 4.8 GHz, 30 W TDP
- Graphics
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Semi-custom AMD RDNA3 28CU (8GB GDDR6, 2.45GHz max continuous clock, 110W TDP)
- Memory
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16 GB DDR5 SODIMMs
- Storage
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512GB or 2TB models, microSD card slot
- Ports
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DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, Ethernet (1Gbps), USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB Type-A Gen 3 (front), 2x USB Type-A Gen 2 (rear)
- Operating system
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SteamOS
Does Steam Engine Make Sense For You?
Whether you’re the right customer for Steam Machine or not, you can’t ignore it. Valve’s upcoming device has enough overlap with consoles as well as PC that almost everyone will have an idea about it. There is a value proposition, a loyal fan base awaits, and prices may not be as big an issue as they seem. What remains to be seen is how many people believe that Steam Engine makes sense in the living room.
