Anytime Valve has an announcement, it’s big news in the video gaming world, and the Steam Machine is certainly no exception. A product that lowers the barrier of entry for PC gaming has the potential to substantially expand the PC gaming market, making it a more viable option to gamers who lack the technical know-how to build their own PC or who don’t want to worry about figuring out the best specs for their next PC.
It’s early days for the Steam Machine, but what do early signs say about what gamers should expect and what does it mean for the never-ending PC vs. console debate?
What Is The Steam Machine?
The Steam Machine is a PC gaming hardware device designed to provide allow PC gamers to invest with the confidence that their current rig is not going to be left behind in short order as games get bigger, higher definition and generally more demanding on the systems playing them.
Having a standardized setup for developers to build against, similarly to how designing for console versions means knowing the exact parameters of the console being used to play the game, can benefit both players and developers if done well.
If the Steam Machine gains real market share, major studios will have to design games that run smoothly on it — even if not at max settings. For developers, that keeps the potential audience broad. For players, it offers a console-like investment: buy a Steam Machine once and trust it will handle new releases for years.
A major distinction between the Steam Machine and traditional consoles is Valve’s choice not to sell it at a loss. Consoles are usually underpriced to boost software and accessory sales, but PC hardware isn’t — and Valve appears intent on keeping the Steam Machine aligned with PC economics.
The Steam store offers a potential avenue for Valve to have employed this approach; however, reports are that the Steam Machine will not be heavily discounted and sold as a loss-leader, and instead will carry a price tag more in line with a comparable PC setup than a current-generation console.
How Did We Get Here?
This isn’t Valve’s first venture into gaming hardware, and it’s easy to see why the company wants to make more players’ home setups “PC-ready.” As modern games push harder on graphics and processing power, the hardware demands on players rise just as quickly. That can be intimidating for newcomers; consoles offer a level of stability — buy one box, and you know every game in that generation will run on it.
Creating a home gaming system capable of playing PC-based games and on the Steam platform is, therefore, a reasonable target for a company like Valve looking to increase its market share and get more gamers playing on PC, where it can make its money off sales cuts. This is something Valve has already proved itself capable of doing well in the form of the Steam Deck, a home gaming device that splits the difference on the portability of a Switch and the power of current-generation gaming consoles.
While the Steam Deck is itself a great product, as someone who has played theirs extensively in recent years, some tradeoffs come with a mobile console. While it makes it easier to find time for games when you can take them on the go, the game’s processing power is not as high as most modern tower setups, so a product like the Steam Machine can become a logical progression for the company. By sacrificing portability, the Machine gains power, making it a more viable direct competitor to the new generation of consoles.
Is The Steam Machine The Console For PC Players
Coming to any kind of strong opinion on the viability of the Steam Machine will obviously require some more time when we have the opportunity to see the non-console in action and see both how well it manages games and how future-proof it seems to be. To be able to lay claim to being a real contender, it will be important for Valve to deliver a game that is capable not just of playing today’s AAA games on high settings, but with the room to handle growth for years to come.
Based on the performance of the Steam Deck, however, there is reason for optimism among fans hoping this will be a breakthrough product for PC gamers. The Steam Deck has proven to be a reliable portable gaming device and continues to function well with many new releases in addition to the backlog of working games.
What’s more, the ability to display Steam Deck verified badges is meaningful to a developer, and it’s reasonable to assume a Steam Machine certification will carry weight, as well. This means you’re getting a system that developers are keeping in direct consideration with their games, which should do wonders for longevity. Don’t go banking on it as a must-buy piece of kit quite yet, but it’s certainly worth being excited about.
