Video Games

[Superbone]

In more mainstream news, I preordered GTA VI. Can't wait!

[Mori Chu]

I got myself in the queue to purchase the newly released Steam Machine. I haven't yet gotten my email with the link to buy it, but it should come in the next few weeks.

https://store.steampowered.com/hardware/steammachine



I've said this before in this thread, but I really, REALLY like my Steam Deck. It turns PC gaming into a console-like handheld experience, and it's exceptional for light to medium-weight titles such as most indie games. Also great for emulators. I play a ton of hours on it. Currently most-played title is Slay the Spire 2, but a lot of the other games I have posted about in here were played on the Deck, either handheld or on the big TV with the dock.

The Steam Machine is basically a perma-docked Steam Deck with a much faster processor and video card. I think it'll let me continue to play games the way I want to play them from my docked Steam Deck, but it'll unlock the ability to play most modern 3D and AAA games. The machine has received middling reviews because it is not quite top-of-the-line in terms of raw hardware power. Arguably you could just buy a PS5 Pro if you wanted the very best gaming performance for your dollar. And I do wish it were a bit more powerful (or a bit cheaper; the base machine is around $1050).

But I don't prioritize peak hardware performance as my top wish. I want a "powerful enough" machine that can play my very large library of Steam PC games. That's the Steam Machine. You could just build a computer yourself, and you'd actually get a more powerful machine for nearly the same price if you did so. But it will be missing a lot of the comforts and user experience that the Steam Machine has. It'll be bigger, bulkier, louder, harder to power on/off, and a much clunkier user interface that will almost certainly rely on a keyboard and mouse. Steam Machine "just works", you plug it in to your TV, you power it on using the controller button, it boots up quickly and quietly, and you start gaming. That's what I want. Simple, console-like, powerful machine to play the more demanding games in my big Steam game library backlog. I'm really looking forward to getting it.

[AmareIsGod]

I got myself in the queue to purchase the newly released Steam Machine. I haven't yet gotten my email with the link to buy it, but it should come in the next few weeks.

https://store.steampowered.com/hardware/steammachine



I've said this before in this thread, but I really, REALLY like my Steam Deck. It turns PC gaming into a console-like handheld experience, and it's exceptional for light to medium-weight titles such as most indie games. Also great for emulators. I play a ton of hours on it. Currently most-played title is Slay the Spire 2, but a lot of the other games I have posted about in here were played on the Deck, either handheld or on the big TV with the dock.

The Steam Machine is basically a perma-docked Steam Deck with a much faster processor and video card. I think it'll let me continue to play games the way I want to play them from my docked Steam Deck, but it'll unlock the ability to play most modern 3D and AAA games. The machine has received middling reviews because it is not quite top-of-the-line in terms of raw hardware power. Arguably you could just buy a PS5 Pro if you wanted the very best gaming performance for your dollar. And I do wish it were a bit more powerful (or a bit cheaper; the base machine is around $1050).

But I don't prioritize peak hardware performance as my top wish. I want a "powerful enough" machine that can play my very large library of Steam PC games. That's the Steam Machine. You could just build a computer yourself, and you'd actually get a more powerful machine for nearly the same price if you did so. But it will be missing a lot of the comforts and user experience that the Steam Machine has. It'll be bigger, bulkier, louder, harder to power on/off, and a much clunkier user interface that will almost certainly rely on a keyboard and mouse. Steam Machine "just works", you plug it in to your TV, you power it on using the controller button, it boots up quickly and quietly, and you start gaming. That's what I want. Simple, console-like, powerful machine to play the more demanding games in my big Steam game library backlog. I'm really looking forward to getting it.

I got in the queue 2 weeks before release and didn't get selected. How are you expecting to be in the next few weeks? Just curious if you have some sort of insider information.

But I agree. Looking forward to it. I have the Steam Deck OLED and love it. I have a high end gaming PC with a 45" 5k2k LG OLED for immersive gaming. Looking forward to the Steam Machine for gaming on 65" LG C2 in the living room. Have a 50ft attic run fiber optic HDMI from the gaming PC through the attic to the living room but it's a hassle running it as a 2nd monitor and adjust resolution repeatedly down to 4k, as well as the range limitations with the wireless keyboard, mouse and Steam Controller.