{"id":1614547,"date":"2026-06-23T09:36:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T09:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/QB33TvRmSEV7j2FJ5C2F6F"},"modified":"2026-06-23T09:36:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T09:36:10","slug":"steam-machine-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/steam-machine-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Steam Machine review"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It’s finally here. The much-anticipated Steam Machine, a mini gaming PC designed for your living room<\/a>, is in my possession\u2014and it’s a lovely device to behold. It’s sleek, futuristic, and very, very Valve. I’ve been testing it thoroughly over the past week, and I’m sure you’re anxious to know the results. Have all my mini gaming PC Christmases come at once?<\/p>\n

Well, not quite. Because while Valve’s attempt to bring PC gaming to your TV\u2014and thereby the masses\u2014has plenty of admirable qualities, it’s got one giant caveat hanging over it: The price.<\/p>\n

The 2 TB, Steam Controller-included Steam Machine bundle in my possession costs $1,428 (\u00a31,208 \/ AU$2,228)<\/a>. The controller-less 2 TB variant is $1,349 (\u00a31,149 \/ AU$2,109), while the 512 GB version, again without controller, is $1,049 (\u00a3879 \/ AU$1,609). Add a controller to the 512 GB variant, and you’re looking at $1,128 (\u00a3938 \/ AU$1,728).<\/p>\n

Much has been made over the Steam Machine’s delayed launch<\/a> and increased price tag<\/a>, brought on by the ongoing memory crisis<\/a> crippling the consumer electronics market right now. But holy moly, that’s a lot of money for a mini gaming PC. Especially one with internals that, in 2026, feel underpowered before it’s even officially released.<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Future)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The RDNA 3-based GPU inside the Steam Machine has left me feeling, if I’m honest, rather deflated. It’s certainly possible to drop the settings, bump up the upscaling, and squeak some smooth gaming performance out of the little black box. But the drawbacks feel like a step too far when you’re paying this sort of cash.<\/p>\n

The idea might be to bring the PC gaming experience to your living room, but if that experience includes smooth frame rates in demanding games, you’re going to have to make some major compromises. And, because of its Linux origins, it hasn’t been a flawless experience getting some of those games to run properly to begin with, either.<\/p>\n

I want to get excited about the Steam Machine, I really do. It’s a fascinating piece of design, and an admirable attempt to bring PC gaming from your desktop to your couch in one bite of the cherry. But like so much hardware these days, it’s been hampered with a price tag that, given what you actually receive, feels like far too much to pay. <\/p>\n

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Buy if:<\/h3>\n
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\u2705 You’re well-heeled and curious: <\/strong>If the price tag above made you shrug your shoulders, <\/strong>and you want a fascinating little under-TV PC gaming box to mess around with, the Steam Machine starts to make sense.<\/p>\n

\u2705 You’re not planning on playing anything too demanding:<\/strong> The Steam Machine requires a ton of upscaling and frame generation help to deliver smooth frames in demanding games, with all the compromises that entails. If you’re more of an indie gamer, though, it’s got enough grunt to get by with little issue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Don’t buy if:<\/h3>\n
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\u274c You want high performance: <\/strong>You can get much better performance for your money from a regular gaming PC hooked up to your telly box for similar cash. It won’t be anywhere near as small, or as cute, but your games will look and run better. And that counts for a lot.<\/p>\n

\u274c You’re on a budget: <\/strong>Yes, you’ve probably spotted a theme already. The Steam Machine would make sense if it was affordably priced\u2014but as things stand, the value proposition just doesn’t add up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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