Valve has finally released the key details about the Steam Machine—and the first reviews have taken a closer look at the mini-PC.
After months of waiting, Valve has released the final details on the Steam Machine: With a price starting at 1,039 euros, this is likely to be a tough pill to swallow for many wallets.
In addition to the announcement of the UVP and the start of the pre-order phase, early reviewers were able to take a closer look at what Valve has achieved with the Steam Machine—and whether it can justify the aforementioned cost.
Steam Machine Reviews: What the Press Is Saying
One thing stands out right away: Reviews of the Steam Machine are few and far between. We’re affected by this as well,since Valve didn’t provide us with a review unit.
In the German-language publishing industry, at the time of this article’s publication, only our colleagues atPC Games Hardware is currently running a review that provides the first manufacturer-independent benchmark in this country.
- In this review, one problem with the Steam Machine is criticized with striking frequency: The 8 GB of video memory that Valve has installed in the machine “quickly reaches its limit.”
- This becomes particularly evident when considering Valve’s original promises. Hopes for 4K gaming at 60 FPS using FSR are rarely fulfilled—and when they are, it usually comes with many compromises.
The question, then, is who the Steam Machine is suitable for, given its high price. According to PCGH, Valve itself answers this question by stating that the PC is “intended for gamers who aren’t looking for a high-end system, don’t plan to build their own, but want a ready-to-use gaming PC with as little hassle as possible.”
Opinions are also rather critical internationally
Looking at international Steam Machine reviews broadens the perspective, but doesn’t change it much. In the U.S., for example—where the Valve computer starts at $1,050, by the way—the price point is also drawing criticism.
- Steve Burke from the popular YouTube channel Gamers Nexus calls the Steam Machine “not bad, but not the savior [of the PC market]” either, since it still needs some fine-tuning in certain specific areas.
- However, the focus here looks a bit further into the future, as Valve has done a fantastic job with the software—just as it did with the Steam Deck—since the Proton emulation layer is making important strides for the future of Linux gaming.
PC Gamertakes a similar line but is significantly more critical of the cost.
Despite a “wonderful design, excellent controller, and pure entertainment value,” the Steam Machine cannot mask the “ugly reality of the market”—after all, interested buyers could build a better PC for the same price or an equivalent machine for less money.
IGNjustifies Valve’s position with exactly this argument, only the other way around: At the end of the day, the Steam Machine is an “incredible entry-level PC, […] that most people can just plug in and get started with—and that’s exactly what the Steam Machine was meant to be from the very beginning.”
As you can see, press opinions are diverging a bit precisely because of the price—what do you think? Is Valve overshooting the mark with this price point, or is a price of more than 1,000 euros still justifiable? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
