Ask HN: Is the Steam Machine worth $1049?

I got an email this morning inviting me to purchase a Steam Machine for $1049.

It's all AMD-based, 16GB DDR5 and 8GB VRAM with 512GB storage. They're about 4x more powerful than a Steam Deck.

Con: Since it's Linux-based I think online games with anti-cheat won't work, which seems like a significant downside in terms of utility.

Is this a decent deal compared to building my own gaming rig?

p.s. I don't really care about the size footprint.

12 points | by bigwheels 1 day ago

11 comments

  • d3Xt3r 2 hours ago
    > Con: Since it's Linux-based I think online games with anti-cheat won't work, which seems like a significant downside in terms of utility.

    Correction: it's some online games, not all. According to areweanticheatyet.com, ~500 games with anticheat work. And if you ask me, the ones that don't work are ones not worth playing in the first place - these companies (on Windows) employ malware-like anticheat systems that spies on you, causes BSODs and upgrade failures, slows down your PC etc. It's clear that these companies don't respect your PC, so why should they deserve your money?

    As for whether the Steam Machine is worth it or not, if you don't really care about Linux, then it's not worth it, because you can build your one rig for way cheaper. The Steam Machine, especially in this market, is for people who really want to support Valve and the work that they're doing towards improving Linux gaming, it's to show the industry that there is indeed a growing market for Linux gaming. People who're buying the Steam Machine right now are mainly these kind of folks, people fed up with Windows and Microsoft's monopoly.

    If you don't care about all that, then don't get the Steam Machine.

  • nibbula 23 hours ago
    I like it. If running Linix is important to you, and you value your time anywhere close to relative IT rates, then it's a bargin. Consider the amount of time you may spend buying, building, and maintaining your own over it's lifetime. This is ready to play out of the box and well maintained. If you like the size, that also helps. But if you only consider the hardware price, then you can build a faster machine for cheaper. Unlike a console, it's not locked up, and can instantly be switched to a capable desktop.
  • ehe78qhe 1 day ago
    For the hardware you get, it's overpriced. Go look at a prebuilt on Costco.com, for example. I see this on there right now at $1100:

    Intel Core Ultra 5 225F - GeForce RTX 5060 - 32GB RAM - 1TB SSD

    > Con: Since it's Linux-based I think online games with anti-cheat won't work, which seems like a significant downside in terms of utility.

    EAC does work on Linux, but the dev has to set a feature flag per-game. Check the specific games you want to play.

  • linesofcode 1 day ago
    GeForce Now Ultimate is 20 dollars a month. That’s 52 months or a little over 4 years for the same price as a Steam Machine.

    If your internet is half way decent you’ll be able to stream games with maxed out graphics. Connects to your steam account or whatever game store you use.

    So no, not worth it at that price. Either build your own machine or subscribe to a service.

  • legitster 1 day ago
    The one killer feature I have never been able to solve with a HTPC is waking from sleep consistently.

    Valve claims they have solved it at a hardware level on the Steam Machine. I'm not really in the market for another HTPC, but if I was starting from scratch I would seriously consider paying the premium for that feature alone.

    [-]
  • wmf 1 day ago
    It's not worth it and I'm kind of baffled that Valve let this happen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrRIhq2ZdLw
  • rjh29 1 day ago
    The size footprint is literally the only important thing about this device (as you can install Bazzite wherever). It is overpriced. The form factor is appealing in the shiny rock sense and you will get a dopamine hit from buying one, but it will wear off.
  • Ekaros 1 day ago
    I think if you are not in hurry it might be sensible to wait for deals on market pcs. Things are not great but there will likely be better deals if you are ready to wait and can identify right combinations of memory, cpu and gpu.
    [-]
    • ehe78qhe 1 day ago
      No, RAM, GPU and SSD prices are going up week over week, they're only going to get more expensive.
  • MotoriX 21 hours ago
    This thing is for true Steam fans. Otherwise, I don't really see the point...
  • fsflover 1 day ago
    Related discussion (read the replies, too!): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48635414
  • sergiotapia 1 day ago
    As an owner of it, it's worth it if you value the steam os and being to just buy cheap games on keyshops and play it. it's also ridiculously easy to install emudeck and game on all the consoles of previous generations. also a tiny cube looks nicer than a full blown desktop machine.

    i'm happy with the purchase. the controllers are excellent.