Ask HN: Is the Steam Machine worth $1049?

12 points by bigwheels · 12 comments
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 comments

nibbula
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.
MotoriX
This thing is for true Steam fans. Otherwise, I don't really see the point...
linesofcode
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.

ehe78qhe
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.

wmf
It's not worth it and I'm kind of baffled that Valve let this happen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrRIhq2ZdLw
legitster
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.

ehe78qhe
You can thank Microsoft for killing off S3 sleep support: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHKKcd3sx2c
rjh29
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
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
No, RAM, GPU and SSD prices are going up week over week, they're only going to get more expensive.
fsflover
Related discussion (read the replies, too!): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48635414
sergiotapia
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.