I felt like I had to cut through the noise on this one.
The Steam Machine’s listings allegedly went up at 1 PM EST, emails sent out at 1:37 PM, and me placing myself on the list at 1:38 PM. The lottery RNG shall happen on June 25th deciding the fate of where people land on when they can acquire their very own Steam Machine.
Too much dust, whining, moaning, and toddler-style nonsense spewed out by people. Tons of people were shocked by sticker price, they reacted overly dramatically, and I feel everything is the people’s fault, not Valve/Steam. Granted, Valve could have done better by releasing the Steam Machine sooner, but it’s also true that everything is the fault of geopolitical nonsense (Liberals sabotaging the economy), AI Data centers surging the prices and destroying stock supplies, as well as active third-party sabotage.
Steam Machine is something people actually want and desire, but now thanks to tribal mentality, people are overly fearful and scared. Even falsely scared, at that. During November 2025 we were both surprised by an announcement of the Steam Controller, Steam Frame, and even the Steam Machine. We desired all three not because it’s made by Valve, but because it suits our needs. It’s quality. It’s been a long-growing process of trial-and-error. A long road to earn their consumer’s trust, and to provide everything to their consumer base.
Disclaimer: Anybody noting my bad grammar needs to hush up. I wasn’t taught English all that well in Ottawa by teachers who preferred to flaunt their BMW Z3 convertibles, be political activists, and etc. That, and I’m also struggling to contain English, Slovak, and even Japanese language fresh within my mind. I was constantly bullied, berated, and etc. I am trying to lightly self-teach myself while others refuse to guide me.
Related Blog Posts:
- [Thoughts] Steam Deck, Machine, Frame, & Controller:
https://arcticukitsu.com/Blog/?p=9870 - Digital Foundary – Steam Machine Review & Comparisons to PS5:
https://www.digitalfoundry.net/reviews/steam-machine-beautiful-hardware-console-performance-at-a-price
Sticker Price Shock:
Yes, the prices are insane, I get it. I was shocked as well, but I never tantrumed about it like every other content creator out there. I need one. The Steam Machine was originally supposed to be around $750 USD, but then the sabotage happened. If you’re going to blame anybody, blame those who sabotaged the market.
Look, I’m one of those people who refuses to purchase games in the $70-100+ Canadian price range thanks to AAA game studios failing to produce quality products. So, why a Steam Machine? Why not pay for overpriced games but for an overpriced hardware? It’s exactly that, hardware is different. Hardware is what allows you to play these games. I can justify an overpriced Steam Machine over an over-priced software because one is physical, the other is digital. You can do more with a physical product than you can with a digital one. You need hardware to play software. I can still justify a Steam Machine in this price range.
I’m well aware of the fact of its specs, of the circumstances, and why its priced the way it is. I’ve checked out alternatives, but I can still justify owning a Steam Machine. It sucks being a Canadian, especially when you’re surrounded by Liberal Canadians desiring to be anal probed for being a part of the ‘Elbows up’ crowd. This piece of machine is still genuine, regardless of location, price, etc, or so I believe. Australian users have noted these same/similar concerns, if not as openly as I just had, but Australia is heavily notorious for overpricing their electronics. Electronics are a league of their own in Australia, ironically a part of the grand Western World. Comical, really. Everything costs a fortune in Australia. It’s sadly the world we live in now, also special thanks to what I see as Liberal sabotage of the economy of Canada, Australia, and even Europe. And yes, also the AI Data Centers hogging up all the computer parts we desire. They’re the main threat, the Liberals sabotaging the economy comes second, and people struggling to make ends meet is another issue.
Everything is the fault of the AI Data centers, and I 100% fully agree with that. I’m not denying this, but I’m also not kicking and screaming at the price. I’ve already done so when purchasing a few MicroSD cards for both my Steam Deck and my upcoming Steam Machine purchase. I’m aware of what we were getting at. Yes, $1,509 Canadian is a lot for 512 GB version, and more so for the 2 TB version at $1,919 Canadian. I’m actually paying $2,000 Canadian for a little quiet box.
It stings, but we reap what others sow. I’m still biting on the 2 TB Steam Machine version, regardless of the price tag and the nonsense surrounding it. Reasons shall be noted later. We shall however have to see how June 25th treats people with their lottery system. We shall see if Valve’s new lottery system shall be in favour of, or against them; with RNG Gods being kind or unkind to various people. I’m worried I may have to wait longer than I should have, though I’ll be happy if I can finally obtain one sooner than later. The wait is nerve-wracking. I can no longer be as lucky as I was with my Steam Controller. I had to wait 1 year for the Steam Deck to arrive in my hands.
Sorry, Clownfish TV, I can’t agree with what you’ve noted in the video. This was one of your more “bored” takes on the topic, failing to comprehend the Steam Machine is both a PC and a gaming device sabotaged by the AI Data centers, geopolitical nonsense, and etc. Yes, you can get mini PCs for emulations, and no, they won’t replace what the Steam Machine is doing. Yes, the price is still insane, but the Steam Machine is what people desire.
Your video comes off as – “I didn’t do my research, so I’m going to speak nonsense into the camera for 10 minutes“.
I’m just saying things as they should be, and I’m saying them in a way which doesn’t resort to internet drama. I’m not here for fake internet clout. I’m stating things as they actually are. I’m not into the cringe-worthy high-school behaviour of the internet.
Who is the Steam Machine For?:
For gamers, casuals, and anybody who desires a gaming computer. It’s for everybody, and it’s for those who are also on the move. You can play it at home, at a friend’s home/apartment, at a hotel, at a powered camping site, and almost anywhere a Steam Deck can go. You can put emulations on it, you can customize the Steam Machine YOUR way, and it is your device.
Just because we had a RAMPocolypse doesn’t mean it’s suddenly a crappy machine, it simply means people failed their jobs in undoing the damages in the world. The sabotage of AI Data centers, the hogging of computer hardware supplies to the point normal consumers can’t use them, the failed attempts at removing Liberal politicians sabotaging their nation from power, and other genuine issues in the world. Granted, if the Steam Machine released in Summer 2025 it would have been better received, but that one is on Valve. They may have failed to foresee the RAMPOCALYPSE nonsense we all had to face, but we now have access to it, if at a steeper price. Valve waited too long to release something which should have been released sooner, if at a steeper price outside of their control.
The Steam Machine is for everybody, and that’s the genuine answer. Yes, the price is confusing people, but it IS for everybody. People are far more dramatic than they should be, and they’re far more vocal than they should be. Emotions over logic, I assume. They complain too much, in a needless manner, misusing their voice in incorrect manners.
Who is the Steam Machine for? Part 2 – The Asians & Japanese:
The Steam Machine is for everybody, including the Japanese. As of June 24th (25 for Japan), the Steam Machine has sold out of stock via their Komodo Station retailing proxy avenue. Unlike with the North American and Western practices, the Steam Machine sold out in a ‘first come, first serve’, something Japan is all too used to in their nation. No lottery, no RNG, something which is also a bit ironic seeing as how Japan was also forced to install a lottery system for their numerous Anime merchandise, including Volks/Dolks dolls, and other stuff.
(Granted, there have been cases of legitimate scalpers hijacking a good portion of Steam Machine out of Japan. We shall see how they are dealt with in the future. A lottery system may be more harshly enforced going forward, for all regions. Japan has been harshly compromised by others and by their own.)
The Steam Machine is for the Japanese, for the Chinese, Koreans, and similar markets. Why?
- Compact Living – Smaller housing footprint. Smaller rooms, denser urban conditions, or harsher living conditions.
- LAN & Co-op – Those who desire LAN parties and to play Co-op games. Yes, those are still a thing. Japan still has a 1990’s mentality, something Westerners completely forgot about.
- Building a DIY PC costs more than the Steam Machine, Steam Deck, and other devices. Different pricing for different regions making mini PCs, gadgets, and devices more appealing.
- Hotter summers = cooler devices. PC Towers tend to be notorious for being heat generators. Great for winters, not for summers, making the Steam Machine perfect for summer conditions.
- Camping and Stealth Camping desires. Japan loves camping more than anybody else making the Steam Machine great for camping. Not as much as the Steam Deck, the potential is however there for bigger RV sets or with bigger camping battery set-ups.
- Portability – Unlike with a PC Tower and a laptop, you can drag your Steam Machine like a Steam Deck almost everywhere. You can carry it through a JR Train line, on a bus, on a Shinkansen (Bullet Train), and other transportation modes to meet up with other friends, relatives, classmates, and work mates. It’s almost as portable as a Steam Deck. They admire their Switch and Switch 2 for this portability, accessibility, and to simply have fun with others they meet on the trains. They pride themselves on their in-game accomplishments which they can share with others.
- Japan is always on the move – As with the portability, they seek portable gadgets. They’re always on the move. They’re always doing something, working on something, camping somewhere, and doing everything in the moment. They’re busy bees, often to the fault of premature deaths, overworked, and forced overtimes. Japan works hard, plays hard, and they have games meant for ‘on-the-go’.
- Better Game Ranges – Japan has a more dedicated, and deeper, gaming base than the intentionally sabotaged Western gaming market making their games far more preferable on these portable devices. Playing their home-made games from Japan on more compact and mobile devices allows them to have more fun and entertainment.
As much as the Western side is still venting through the sticker shock, also having been hijacked by another Western social group to berate both sides, Japan isn’t “stupid” nor “retarded”. Japan has a different living style, different economical conditions, and they have themselves to care about. Yes, the price tag is indeed hefty, the Steam Machine still suits their various needs. Hijacking (co-opting) the sticker shock discussions/discourse is also a very cowardly thing to do, especially when being racist to the Japanese about it. A vocal, negative, minority ruining it for everybody else while the normal people purchase what they authentically desire for their “wants” vs “needs”.
Europe, similar to Japan, should also behave in a similar manner as Japan with how compact their living conditions tends to be. With how these people are behaving I have to label them as Left-Wing Liberals. They behave as such, hijacking the Steam Machine sticker shock to their advantage to berate others, say racist things, and be absolute jerks without consequences. Also doesn’t help Asmongold and Clownfish TV fed into this, boosting this negative movement more than it should have been boosted up to.
The gaslighting is insane. 5 people? 10 Steam Machines? Yeah, this smells of Left-Wing Liberalism. People call these folks “tourists”, I call them “Liberals”, because that’s what they are. They’re always guilty of destroying everything, including the encouragement of toppling statues and burning Churches in the West, and the sabotage of 12+ shrines and temples in Japan. If you speak this way, you’re a corrupt Liberal.
Imagine being these people, slandering, being actual bigots, and racist towards the Japanese over a compact gaming and PC device fit for Asian and European compact urban living conditions. Hijacking the sticker shock crowd to be racists, bigots, and actual retards while berating the Japanese at every step. Anti-Japanese behaviour.
We’ve stated why the Japanese favour the Steam Machine, and it’s all thanks to their urban life-style, the weather, how portable it is, and suits their needs exactly. But sure, be racist, calling the Japanese “stupid” and “retards” to prove how intelligent the Western nations are. Just because you see them purchasing a device you were conditioned to not to purchase by other mainstream influencers you have to actively berate other people to fit that artificial status quo nonsense. Think for yourselves.
There are a few things going on with this image, a few things we have to break down. One thing I failed to consider, but we shall go with it.
- I didn’t think the Japanese were this stupid.
- Japan really said “Small and expensive? Shut up and take my yen”
- All 10 of them
- That country loves tiny things…
- complaining about scalpers taking everything<
- Consumers gonna consume.
I guess no matter what I say, people are set on being negative. Japanese (if they managed to purchase these devices) bought them for their living conditions. If not, the scalpers now own them, and half my point goes out the window. Maybe not fully, because the demand is still there. You still have to be Japanese to own one. Granted, Japan has been actively sabotaged by everything Western, hence the destruction of Japanese shrines, temples, and pig farms; Anime studios, gaming studios, etc.
I know people are pretending to be edgy with – “all 5-10 of them” – comments, but let’s be real, I already explained everything. If genuine, Japan is a more compact environment and hot place (in summers) with its own desires. Just because you can build a computer in one place doesn’t mean you can in another (as stated below in a follow up sub-topic). Japan is also on the move, hence the smaller devices. All the mobile games (gacha), PSP, Vita, 3DS, Switch, etc. Entertainment on the go. They’re always moving, being busy.
Let’s be real here, Japan is always on the move. They’re busy working, busy traveling, and they’re always playing gacha mobile games to fill in those gaps for any free time available. Sure, the Steam Machine won’t follow them on a bus and plane, but it will help them in a hotel, a friend’s house, or a quick stop somewhere. It’ll entertain them in another country. Or work, thanks to it’s PC and desktop mode side of things. Steam Deck would be better, but Japanese are crafty. If allowed, they may also drag one into their workplace to fiddle around on the Steam Machine during breaks (if they’re allowed breaks), among other things.
Just because some person in the internet told you people shouldn’t purchase a Steam Machine doesn’t mean that everybody should be a hive-mind Borg parroting – “Don’t buy a Steam Machine” – nonsense. Everybody has their own needs, desires, and comfort level to tend to.
It’s a mix of both. Both Scalpers and real Japanese buyers managed to obtain their own Steam Machines. Japan has been compromised, leading into this nonsense which the Western side was forced to install Japan’s lottery system. The irony. Japan can’t play nice either. Shame.
The admiration for tiny gadgets is noted to be how mobile and buys they tend to be. They work hard, they play hard. You need things to distract you while your out and about.
And yes, I’ve been asking Grok, Gemini, and even the Left-Wing ChatGPT about things to compare notes. Grok and Gemini noting things I otherwise would have missed. Japan was, allegedly, able to purchase a decent portion of the Steam Machine’s for their own desires and needs.
June 25th shall showcase how well it does in the Western Market – USA, Canada, U.K, Europe, etc. Granted, it’s still a lottery, but it should still show where we all stand.
Disclaimer:
“Some people online were calling Japanese buyers stupid for buying it at that price, but actually many of them just really value small, well-designed devices that fit their living spaces…” – Grok
(Grok warned me I had to be gentler with my wordings, hence the disclaimer.)
You can Just build Your Own PC:
People can, but it won’t be the same. It most likely won’t have a quiet fan, it won’t be as compact, and it loses the very charm which makes it so highly sought after, especially after the price release. Yes, people are in their shocked and tantruming stages, people however still desire their very own Steam Machine.
Yes, you can find all the cheap parts to find the parts they need, it however translate roughly to the same price range as the Steam Machine. You’re simply off by roughly $70-200, which you might as well just go all in on the very product you’re purchasing. $70-200 is peanuts in a Liberal-owned economy (Canada, Australia, Europe) to which you might as well just bite the bullet and get it over with.
One has to keep in mind about inventory stock, what’s available where, and supply-and-demand issues. Something which may be plausible in one country isn’t plausible in another, hence why you also tend to hear Australians, Brazilians, Mexicans, and now Canadians whining and moaning about hardware prices.
Everything is RNG based. A lottery system. You have to go with what is more solid in your region and nation. What is doable in one region is impossible in another one, or less likely to be plausible.
Just Purchase A PS5/PS5 Pro:
For this one, I feel people are missing the point when comparing it to Playstation 5. The PS5 is a dedicated gaming and entertainment station, and it’s just that. A Steam Machine is both a PC and a gaming system, a micro PC at that. It’s like comparing a Kei Truck to an American pickup truck, failing to see the actual strengths and weaknesses of their roles. Probably a bad analogy because both trucks are not fully equal, but the point is still there. One is for utility and residential use while the other is for farming and heavier use. They both fill the same roles, while filling in various specific roles in their own market.
Let’s compare it properly.
The Steam Machine is both a PC and a gaming console. The PS5 is an entertainment and gaming console. They do butt heads fairly evenly in numerous games, other times specializing in things the other is unable to. Granted, there are various tug-of-war situations where the Steam Machine wins and where the PS5 wins, that’s all up to the games you choose to play.
The Steam Machine can:
- Both Gaming Mode and Desktop mode. Hybrid device.
- Play both Mainstream and indie games, and also super-indie games from exterior store fronts.
- You can fiddle with more obscure games to make them playable in desktops mode and gaming mode using Proton compatibility.
- Can use various internet browsers, not just the Playstation web application. Can use Firefox, Brave, and etc. You can install ad-blockers, and various other plugins also found on normal PC eco-systems.
- Can play almost any game you can put onto it. Similar with Steam Deck.
- You can modify your game files, applying mods and vehicles you otherwise wouldn’t be able to in a console-locked environment.
- Can remote play/view using any monitor and Steam Deck as a screen.
The Playstation 5 can:
- Only play in gaming mode. Does not have a dedicated Desktop mode.
- Can play movies and watch Netflix and streaming services
- Has a Photo and Video gallery.
- Has a web app extension. Not customizable.
- Playstation Portable as a portable viewing screen.
- Has some backwards compatibility, but only with Sony games.
- (Please inform me what else the PS5 is able to do.)
I’ve considered owning a Playstation 5. I desired one for Gran Turismo 7, for Dead or Alive: Venus Vacation Prism, and a few other games. Sadly, with the constant censorship issues by Sony & Playstation, the locked eco-system, and the refusal to simply be as they were during the PS2 and PS3 era has me shying away from Playstation.
I understand why people are crapping on the Steam Machine, I however do not view it as valid and proper. I view it as both tribal mentality trolling and a smearing campaign against the Steam Machine. I view it as using every avenue and advantage to smear and slander the Steam Machine, more so now that they have an excuse to do so via the price controversy.
Yes, both the Playstation 5 and 5 Pro are cheaper than the Steam Machine, but can you use the PS5 as a PC? Can you go into desktop mode naturally (no homebrews or modding) to get exterior and obscure games to run? Can you install Firefox with adblockers? Install Brave? Can you view YouTube using those very same ad-blockers?
Disclaimer: I’ll be honest. For authentic PS5 owners you will have to tell me what it can actually do, but as a PS3 owner who sought to purchase a PS5, you may have to fill me in on a few nitty-gritty parts of it.
You, yourself, have to weight the option if you desire something more open ended (Steam Machine), or something more optimized for gaming (PS5). You have to weigh your ‘wants’ versus ‘needs’ very carefully. Using PS5 to slander the Steam Machine isn’t a wise thing to do, it’s fairly ignorant and retarded. Yes, the ‘Hard R’ because people enjoy being stupid. Tribal mentality nonsense.
As I had in 2017, and as I desired in 2022 with the Steam Deck, I’m also loosely curious in how Rising World shall run for the Steam Machine. How smoothly, how compatible, and how well Red51 treats his own game on the gaming market. This is something a PS5 can’t do, something only a PC device can, hence why I lean heavily into the PC side of things. The Steam Machine should simplify the plug-and-play (jump in and out on a whim) vibes. It’s all about having fun, and this is where the Steam Machine shines.
Switch 2 is allegedly better than the Steam Machine:
What a joke.
The person who responded to me via YouTube comments noted how a default Switch 2 is bundled with a controller is allegedly better than a Steam Machine. Cheaper, better, etc. What a joke. You’re not even trying to troll.
Taking it seriously, let’s break the Switch 2 down.
- Doesn’t have PC and Desktop mode
- Walking on eggshell vibes – Banned for modifying games, risking a bricked system.
- Has Picture and video gallery; Can share images, but no web browser or safe viewing platforms.
- Controllers are cheaper, if lesser quality. A button and other buttons are more prone to malfunctions.
- Can’t emulate, side-load, or run Proton compatibility to run off-site and more obscure games. Can’t run DLSite games.
Switch 2 is a simple device for simple people. It’s handy for those who desire a slightly better, beefier experience, it however isn’t at a Steam Deck, nor even remotely close to a Steam Machine level of quality. Nintendo is notorious for being overprotective, and painfully so. Switch 2 isn’t your device, but the Steam Deck and Steam Machine are.
Buy A Mini Computer via Newegg and Amazon:
Forums are ripe with comparisons to the Steam Machine, noting alleged “better” higher quality devices and options to the Steam Machine.
Sure, if you want something you can’t really trust, then go for it. The option is there, you can be a guinea pig, and you can fiddle with something outside of customer support. Maybe it has customer support, you’re however risking being left high and dry.
Honestly though, where does this exact model stand? The RTS4070 8G:
- Authentic desktop-worthy GPU.
- Compromise: Has a nasty RAM compromise causing bottlenecking.
- No storage? Missing Hard-Drive/SSD devices.
- Advertised in having a silent cooling fan. It’s been noted to be false advertising, going against the laws-of-physics. Actually loud, whiny, as loud as a hair dryer next to your TV.
The RTX4070 8G Rmatamini P14, and other similar devices, suffer loud-fan syndrome. There is either highly aged components smashed together, it’s hastily applied, or it isn’t as reliable as both the Steam Deck and how the Steam Machine advertises itself to be.
I’ve been skimming ‘Canadian Computers’, Best Buy Canada, Amazon, and every other places for alternatives, nothing matches the likes of Steam Machine. Maybe the following, just nothing what forum users have noted going against the Steam Machine.
Possible Alternatives:
- Minisforum AtomMan G1 Pro – (Better performance; lower storage for price (1TB); noisy fan)
- GMKtec / Beelink Ryzen 7 8845HS models – (Great for normal/general use, not for gaming. Numerous flaws, Wi-Fi issues, etc. Some models handle gaming better than others.)
- ASUS ROG NUC – (A premium device with an even heftier price tag than Steam Machine. Can buy 2 Steam Machine’s for the price of this. Best top-tier mini-PC, if at a massive actual premium costs.)
Some are priced even higher than the Steam Machine itself, making themselves irrelevant. Sure, they may help for more depending games, but if we’re comparing prices certain devices become irrelevant during price comparisons itself.
It honestly is a genuine game of wack-a-mole. You’re trying to seek out numerous specs to compare with the Steam Machine, especially with its PC-Console hybrid take. You’re looking for quiet fans (cooling system), powerful GPU/CPU/RAM/etc, powerful performance, and able to do both normal and gaming stuff. You need it to play Cyberpunk 2077, Crimson Desert, Microsoft Flight Sim 2020/2024, and everything below it. It’s a game of wack-a-mole, fishing, and patience. Sure, you can find something eventually, it however ends up being a struggle, hence why the Steam Machine ends up being highly appealing.
I do strongly believe there is a legit/valid mini PC hiding on Newegg, Amazon, etc, and I also may have passed it over. Until I either discover it, or rediscover it, everything leans on the Steam Machine. Not because of Valve’s logo, but because of supply and demand. The trust factor itself.
Side-note: After looking at these, I do feel at least one of these could be used to host my Minecraft and Rising World worlds for both myself and others who are interested to have fun with. Those who align themselves as Liberals/Left-Wing have failed to aid me, viewing me as a villain, hence why it takes me longer to discover things, but when I do, I can see Liberals are retarded and that these devices are neat. Liberals sabotage everything, especially in the Rising World realm I “grew up in”, kicking me out of it. I however now have potential options for Rising World and Minecraft world hosting.
I still view these Newegg, Amazon, and slander-pieces carefully. I need to know if what I’m purchasing is valid for $2000 Canadian, or if there is actually something better on the market. Better fan, performance, and something which can play and do things I ask of it. Quality things, not quantity. I don’t want to buy 50,000 gadgets for one thing.
Why Do I Desire A Steam Machine?:
It has nothing to do with the Steam Deck, but it is there to replace my now-ancient PC. My Steam Deck isn’t sliced in half, even though it was in a dream to where I panicked about it being harshly damaged. I had that dream thanks to the Steam Deck having a nasty symptom to a massive 3.8 and 3.8.11 update, both heavily updating the Steam Deck’s SteamOS heavily. Change-log was massive. Desktop mode spawns a red casting recording icon. The screen is also rotated length-wise (like a tablet and smartphone) making everything difficult to observe. My Steam Deck can’t replace my PC, but it can cover for it in stop-gap manners. It’s there for when I can’t use my PC in general, when it’s hot and humid in summer, and for times I actually need to catch up on various gaming related needs.
Why do I need the Steam Machine? Or a device like it? For various reasons. I’ll list it below.
Quiet Factor & Main PC Replacement:
My PC sounds like a loud vacuum. A jet engine, or even an hair dryer, as both Grok and Gemini noted back to me about various other Mini-PC products. My VRChat friends even noted my PC tends to sound like an emergency vehicle with how it keeps revving up and down. It struggles to cool. My PC has been around since 2017 to replace my Windows XP PC to play Rising World in both Java and Unity versions. It uses 2012+ parts, is older than when I built it, survived my stresses from work, and needs to be replaced ASAP. It’s why I own a Steam Deck, now seeking a Steam Machine. It’s why I seek a Steam Machine over any major tower PCs, and over any generic or poorly rated mini PCs on Newegg. I still make note of what people have noted via Newegg, they however weren’t rated well when you put them to the test.
My PC needs to be replaced. It’s loud, it’s old, but it’s still reliable. It suffers during summers, has poor cooling, and it survived being splashed on water. It survived me attempting to repair the CPU thermal paste repairs. It survived me being berated by friend’s friend pretending to help me. My PC has been through so much, but it needs to retire.
My PC can no longer keep up with modern gaming, the Steam Machine is noted in being able to. It can play games my PC can’t, and slightly better as well. It’s also noted to be on par with the PS5, hence why I desire it. The Steam Machine has been documented in being able to run Crimson Desert, Windrose, Microsoft Flight Sim 2020/2024, among other games. Even ones I have completely forgotten about. What the Steam Deck can do, it can do better. My choice of the Steam Machine (2 TB) also comes with the option of two faceplates. Neat.
Then there are the following, as noted below.
Shrinking living standards:
The Canadian economy has been intentionally sabotaged by the Liberal/Democrat party of Australia, USA, Canada, and Europe to the point Canada is the laughing stock of the world. It doesn’t help Canada continues to degrade itself via the ‘Elbows Up’ movement, perversely admiring any anal probing for political clout. Every normal person (myself included) has to downscale, downsize, and view camping styles to live. Rich Liberals mock the notion, they can because they gamed the system. Normal people have to live in micro-basement apartments, in shoe-box apartment places, insanely small condos, and etc. the small size of the Steam Machine and Steam Deck support this more than a PS5 would, let alone a massive tower fan. You won’t accidentally kick your Steam Deck, Machine, and hopefully your PS5 next to your bed.
I am bunked with my coworker and friend for six plus years now, needing a place of my own. I need an apartment, a place to call my own, and to downscale harshly. As with others, I need to downscale to fit my needs.
Cost of Living shooting way up:
This may contradict why purchasing a Steam Machine and Deck are the two reasons shooting past any high-costs of living. Those who can obtain a Steam Machine now won’t have to worry about further intentional economical Geo-political sabotage on the world stage. They’ll be able to use their Steam Deck and Machine as both their gaming device and their main PC. Granted, a Steam Machine shall be better as a main PC. A Steam Machine is, after all, a dual-device designed to be both a PC and a gaming console, something a PS5 isn’t. The Steam Machine is fully yours – yours to customizes, yours to do whatever you desire with it, yours to personalize. It’s your actual freedom machine, hence why people hate it. And the price, but that’s an economical, political, and AI Data center sabotage nonsense. People focus more on the sticker shock, the trolling, and the tribal mentality over function and use of a Steam Deck, a Steam Machine, and long-term gains. People have hijacked the sticker price shock to slander the Steam Machine’s price tag more than they did to sabotage the AI Data centers. Lazy activism. People are dense.
Runs Games I Otherwise Wouldn’t Be Able to Play:
As noted previously, the Steam Machine has been noted in being roughly on par with the PS5. It’s able to play games I’m unable to no longer play on my main PC. It can play games my Steam Deck would struggle with, but it can play them with ~80% efficiency, and that’s what I care about. I desire to play games I purchased, yet was unable to play. I can play Crimson Desert, Windrose, Venus Vacation MMO (JP only), among other heavier hitting titles. It’s been noted I can also efficiently play Microsoft Flight Sim 2020 & 2020, modding them as I go, something the PS5 can’t do.
I should also be able to play the more demanding games on DLSite, something the Steam Deck has issues doing at times. Some games are simply of higher requirements.
Why Order the 2 TB Steam Machine at $2,000 Canadian?:
I was already committed to this. The Steam Machine simply announced itself as almost the correct time for me to choose it over everything else. It has the size, noise level (quietness), and the power to play everything I need to. Mostly everything, I hope. It’s on par with the PS5, it does more than a PS5, and it fits nicely in a place I desire it to. It suits everything I desire of it. I won’t build a custom PC, they’re too large, clunky, and they won’t do what I desire of them.
Yes, $2,000 Canadian is insane, but I already placed funds to the side to purchase the Steam Machine at a 2025 price-range. It’s more than even I expected, and I wish it wasn’t at that price, but I’m forced to go for it. Nothing else seems to come close, especial after my research, to fill the voids it fills. Other people have their own research to do. Not trolling, not sharing gaslighting Newegg/Amazon postings to gaslight other people, but to challenge themselves with authentic ‘wants’ vs ‘needs’.
Do they “want” and “need” a Steam Machine? That’s for them to justify. I don’t need to justify my process to anyone else, but I am saying why I am getting one for blogging purposes. I’m attempting to cut through the noise, and I’ve already settled onto my PC-replacement choice. It does what I desire of it, and I can replace the SSD and RAM anytime I need, and I can have it repaired any time I want. That is, if Steam Support stops hating on me for bad timing support tickets, and etc.
Valve’s Steam Support assumes I’m trying to scam them, yet here I am still willing to pay $2,000 Canadian thanks to how good their Valve Index was over trashy Oculus VR Headset devices. They wouldn’t allow me to refund Helldivers II over bad timing, but here I am, still willing to purchase a Steam Machine over good will. The Oculus Rift I owned suffered harshly, had a premature death (Planned obsolescence), hence why I admire the Valve Index more. Plug-and-play, and straight to the fun! Steam Deck was a genuine blessing, providing me many great moments. Liberals were unable to justify owning one, they have small brains, but it was a giant blessing to the normal people of the world. We played numerous indie games, emulation games, and games we otherwise were unable to on our main devices. It’s a nice chill game allowing for proper disconnects and pure game-play. With this, you can see why I favour the Steam Machine. No, I’m not after logo recognition, but I am going after brand good will. I’ll curse the name of Oculus, having faith in Valve more than I would anything else.
Valve has earned enough good will to give me enough confidence in adopting the Steam Machine as my own. Prices are bad, sure, but I still have enough customer good will to go with my own demands to have them provide their supply to me. Bad circumstances surrounding the Steam Machine, but it’s still a fine machine.
I agree with IGN here, and my own research and expectation is the same as the rating. It’s not the best, but it’s great at what it does as both a PC and Gaming device. It’s a hybrid dual-device, hence its role. People forgot this, including those constantly sharing links in comparisons to other devices completely missing the point. Yes, some mini PCs have better specs, but then they’re louder in the fan department, poorly matched hardware, or not as refined as the Steam Machine. Granted, the Steam Machine suffers from the AI Data Centers supply and demand using alternative means to reach its own planned specs and goals.
“But Steam Machine still isn’t worth it.”
Then you have to view it from a rural European point of view, or a Japanese rural POV, etc. Not even rural, but in generalities, urban, and 1990’s mentality. Those who grew up with a Playstation 1, N64, Sega Genesis, etc would know how how it feels to play games on a whim. And with others, especially. You have to live in the moment, with friends and people, who boot up devices to play random games on it. The Steam Machine being booted up would help boost various games of their choosing for co-op related games. Same with how you take turns playing single-player games, like in the 1990’s, just to escape the moment for a brief moment. A nostalgic time, a rosy sunglasses-on moment. People forgot how to have fun in life. It’s what you make of the moment in life during a hot summer day, during a thunderstorm, and etc. People simply forgot how to be human.
And yes, I also have the Steam Frame in mind. I’m unsure of which two versions, we shall see once we’re provided our choice during another covert announcement. Downsizing, disconnecting, and just having fun. People can whine all they want, they’ll eventually have to snap back to reality to realistically decide where they stand with the Steam Machine and Frame. They have to do their own research, authentic research, away from tribalism and forum trolling.
I’m still purchasing the Steam Machine 2TB. We shall see if I’m able to purchase a Steam Frame next after both the sticker shock and the wallet destruction madness I’m about to face.