Steam Machine review: the best console you can’t buy
Console or PC? The Steam Machine combines the best of both worlds in a small, silent cube. PC gaming has never been more at home in the living room – if you can overlook the high price.
Eleven years on from the failed first generation Steam Machines, Valve has developed its own living room PC. The black box is barely larger than Nintendo’s GameCube and shares many other similarities with today’s consoles. Do you just want to play without having to worry about drivers and other settings? With the Steam Machine, that’s exactly what you get. If you’re looking for more, the Steam Machine offers more – a lot more.
I’ve been testing the mini PC extensively for two weeks and am extremely impressed.
Unbox it, plug it in and start gaming
The Steam Machine comes in four configurations: with or without a Steam Controller, and with either 512 GB or 2 TB of storage. The device is currently only available for purchase through Steam, but not with a Swiss account. I, too, had to rely on help from neighbouring Germany to get my hands on one of these highly sought-after devices. The starting price ranges from 1,039 to 1,428 euros – way more than Valve had originally planned. The reason for this: high RAM and SSD prices, which Valve says are expected to rise even further.
The Steam Machine runs SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system optimised for TVs and controllers. Thanks to the Proton compatibility layer, you can play just about any Windows game on it. As a result, the range of games is many times larger than that of the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch combined.
Setup involves connecting the device to a TV and turning it on – that’s all there is to it. And since I already have the Steam app on my smartphone, I don’t even have to type in my login information. I simply scan the QR code and the Steam Machine is ready to go.
Then, I connect the Steam Controller once using a USB-C cable. There’s no need for a puck either, which usually serves as a receiver and charging station. The Steam Machine has a built-in receiver for this dedicated wireless connection. Up to four Steam Controllers can be paired this way. And the best part: I can also use it with the puck on my PC. To switch between systems, I press either R1 + the Steam button + A or L1 + the Steam button + A on the controller. Brilliant.
Like a console…
SteamOS will feel familiar from the off if you’ve already used a Steam Deck. In my opinion, it’s by far the best interface of any «console» – although Valve itself doesn’t refer to the device as such, rather as an «extension of PC gaming.» I can see my installed games at a glance, as well as those I’ve most recently played on my other systems. The Steam button takes me to the settings, while the three-dot button opens the quick menu for functions like volume, FPS limit, chat and Bluetooth.
Games are installed in just two clicks, and just like on consoles, I can start playing right away without having to mess around with graphics settings and resolution. Most games automatically select the appropriate settings, including resolution, to ensure a smooth experience.
Playing around with the Steam Machine is even fun in itself. Especially when used with the Steam Controller, everything feels like it was designed as a single, seamless unit. The touchpads make typing a breeze, and I can even adjust the volume using keyboard shortcuts. Valve has been continuously improving its operating system since the Steam Deck’s launch four years ago. I can easily create and share gameplay clips, adjust controller settings, or pause games using sleep mode and pick them up again later.
The Steam Machine boots up in seconds and, God CEC willing, automatically turns the TV on and the receiver off. As far as I know, that’s not possible with a custom-built PC.
The LED strip on the front displays download progress and lights up red if the Steam Machine overheats. This happened with me when I put the system in a cupboard. Although this could’ve also been a false alarm. Even then, thanks to its massive fan, the device doesn’t make a sound.
The front cover is attached magnetically and can be removed. I could even print my own or choose from many third-party options.
… or like a PC
Since the Steam Machine is also a PC, it offers even more possibilities. This all starts with the graphics. By default, the resolution and refresh rate are set to 1080p and 60 Hz – two very conservative values. This way, Valve ensures that every game runs smoothly and that people with little technical knowledge have the best possible experience. But my TV supports 4K and 120 Hz, so I adjust the settings right away.
Next, I install alternative launchers like Batte.net, Ubisoft Connect, Epic, etc. To do this, I switch to the desktop interface with the click of a button. There, I download the NonSteamLauncher app. It installs the programs I want and, if necessary, adds games directly to Steam.
My kids like to play Minecraft. And since it’s not available on Steam, I install it from the desktop as well. The most convenient option would be the Android Bedrock version. I still go with the Java version, though, since it’s easier to install shader mods and things of the sort this way. It does take a while for everything to get up and running and for save files from the PC version of Bedrock to be converted and transferred, but the result looks superb.
The Steam Machine is also ideal for emulators. Thanks to Emudeck and similar apps, I can easily play my ROM collections – from Mega Drive through PS1 to Nintendo 64 – on my TV. I haven’t bothered with it yet, though. The AYN Thor is still serving me well. I’ve already set everything up there.
Valve’s desktop interface could even be used for work; Linux offers everything you need, and the mini-PC can handle everyday tasks with ease. However, I wouldn’t expect this unassuming cube to handle computationally intensive tasks.
No 4K/60, but enough performance to get by
Despite its steep price, the mini PC contains neither high-end nor particularly up-to-date hardware. The AMD Zen 4 CPU and the AMD RDNA 3 GPU with 16 gigabytes of RAM are roughly equivalent to the four-year-old PS5. Benchmarks reflect as much.
In demanding games, the Steam Machine can’t achieve 4K resolution at a satisfactory frame rate. The sweet spot for titles like these is 1440p. Especially when paired with the new FSR 4.1, I’m able to zoom through Forza Horizon 6 at a steady 70 fps with high detail settings. With FSR 4.1, upscaling is now so good that games still look great even in Performance mode. But even older FSR works wonders, just look at the new Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.
If a game doesn’t support FSR, there are relatively reliable workarounds such as Optiscaler or Lossless Scaling.
If Valve’s original marketing promises had come true, this wouldn’t have been necessary at all. Early on, the Steam Machine was touted as offering 4K gaming at 60 fps with FSR. These days, 4K gaming with FSR 4.1 is expected. It reminds me of the PS5. The original packaging featured an 8K logo, which was removed from subsequent versions. With a few exceptions, such as Astros Playroom or Demon’s Souls, the Steam console only achieves 4K/60, even with extensive use of upscaling.
True, Valve’s claim is statistically sound – the majority of the tens of thousands of Steam games should run smoothly at 4K/60. When customers see this, however, most of them don’t think of indie games. Rather, they dream of blockbusters such as Cyberpunk 2077.
Still, I must admit, I have a hard time telling the difference between 4K and 1440p. Even on my massive 77-inch TV. If your display’s smaller, there’s no need to worry anyway. A Steam survey shows that more than half of all users still play games at 1080p.
All of the games tested run smoothly with the appropriate settings. However, the eight gigabytes of graphics memory remain the biggest bottleneck. Just one drawback here: in some games, the Steam menu drops frames. Valve could definitely improve this. For graphically demanding games, I still turn to my more powerful desktop PC.
Here’s what you need to keep in mind with SteamOS: many major multiplayer games won’t work due to their anti-cheat systems, including the Call of Duty series, Fortnite, PUBG, Battlefield 6 and EA FC. However, I could install Windows via dual boot for this purpose. The same applies if you want to play games from Game Pass, since their Universal Windows Platform (UWP) isn’t compatible with SteamOS.
Upgrading is possible, but unnecessary
The Steam Machine can be upgraded, but only to a limited extent. Valve doesn’t use standard components; only the SSD and RAM can be replaced. To access the SSD, all you need to do is remove a few screws to reach the compact 2230 SSD; longer 2280 modules will also fit. I replaced the 512 GB SSD with a 2 TB WD Black SN8100.
Replacing the RAM, on the other hand, is much more time-consuming. I follow several incomplete YouTube tutorials and remove numerous components until I finally reach the RAM slot. Even though I’ve been building PCs for decades, all those little cables and screws really make me sweat. Included by default is a single 16-gigabyte DDR5 SO-DIMM. In the run-up to the launch, many criticised the fact that dual-band operation wasn’t possible, arguing that this wasted performance. Since I can’t find an identical module in stock, I replace the original with two 16-gigabyte modules from Kingston.
To reinstall SteamOS after the SSD upgrade, I create a bootable USB drive and reinstall the system. It’s delightfully simple: I plug in the USB drive and select Reinstall SteamOS from the desktop menu that appears.
After the upgrade, I run the same benchmarks again and am disappointed to find that practically nothing has changed. The frame rate’s mostly identical, with maybe a 1 or two frame increase. In Assassin’s Creed, I actually lose four frames. But given a patch was released in the meantime, that could also be the reason. Other websites, such as Gamersnexus, have reached a similar conclusion. Only in CPU-intensive games like Baldur’s Gate 3 does the RAM upgrade result in slight performance gains. But for the price Valve’s currently demanding, it’s absolutely not worth it.
The same goes for the SSD. Despite adding a faster model, I don’t notice any difference in load or boot times, since they’re already very short anyway. If you need more storage, I’d recommend using the microSD slot or an external hard drive.
In a nutshell
PC gaming has never been more accessible
Something many PC gamers have long wanted is finally here. Gaming from the living room without any fiddly setups or HDMI extension cables running halfway through the house. The Steam Machine delivers a console experience without sacrificing the versatility of a PC. It works just as advertised: plug it in, turn it on and start gaming. No more Windows bloat, and you can still play almost all of my Steam games. With an emphasis on almost. Many developers, such as Epic, still haven’t enabled their anti-cheat systems for Linux. If you want to play Fortnite or EA FC, you’ll need Windows.
The Steam Machine is more compact than any custom-built PC, smaller than the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S and runs quiet as a mouse. Unlike its competitors, Valve’s mini-PC is an open system that allows for the use of other stores or non-gaming work too.
The biggest drawback is its price. Since Valve doesn’t subsidise the device, the Steam Machine costs a small fortune. And the fact it rarely manages 4K/60 in demanding games feels wrong given the price. Sadly, there’s nothing that can be done about it in the current climate.
But if you’re willing to pay the price, you’ll get what’s arguably the most user-friendly gaming PC ever built for the living room.
Pro
- Stress-free PC gaming for your living room
- Can play almost all PC games
- Good performance at 1440p resolution
- Virtually silent
- Also works as a full-fledged PC
- Uses SteamOS, the best «console» system around
Contra
- Some major games don’t work due to anti-cheat systems
- Game Pass titles incompatible
- Terribly expensive
- Can’t manage 4K/60 in demanding games
As a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.
