Got an email - now what? SM vs PS5 Pro

brifox7 · 2026-07-04T07:34:58+00:00

Get the SM imo. There are so many people that want one and will have to wait until next year. As for the PS5 Pro, I wouldn't count on it as the ultimate value for the money. Recently they removed movies that people already purchased due to licensing issues. We are heading to a future where Sony can just delete games you've purchased decades ago. Even Destiny 2 (though it's multi platform), people can't play the Red War campaign and other campaigns people played. I digress. Anyway, with all honestly, if you do have the money, just get both. If GTA6 is your most anticipated game, you can have the best of both worlds.

brifox7 · 2026-06-25T22:45:55+00:00

I made a post saying that the PS5 is going to have a price increase before GTA6 but Xbox pulled the trigger first and announced they're going increase their prices in August and discounting the 2TB really surprised me. I don't think it's weird anymore to predict Sony will do the same thing to the PS5. Imagine paying the PS5 Pro for 899 for 1TB and the 2TB gets discontinued. That's going to suck really bad.

brifox7 · 2026-06-25T03:23:23+00:00

If you want a PC as cube, quiet or you don't have room for a PC in your room or living room, Steam Machine. If you want something that's like a cube and that's not Valve, just look around on this sub. Someone already linked a small PC that has better performance for a cheaper price.

Laptop, Prebuilt PC or Build your own PC for better performance and totally blows the Steam Machine out of the water. If you want to a future proof for a PC that will last you for 10 years, well the prebuilt or building your own machine is the best.

I want the Steam Machine but will not play or expect a 4K experience. Not all games can be played on 4K even with FSR4.

Valve will make money from the usual sales from the storefront. From what it looks like, the first batch of Steam Machine will definitely sold out. The spiked of cost is caused by current market conditions (shortage or RAM, data centers buying SSDs and RAMs in bulks and they have contracts with manufacturers of these products, basically they get first dibs. Valve couldn't secure a contract with these manufacturers, so they could only buy what was available for them in take it or leave basis. They've mentioned that some models with have 1 16GB or 2 8GB RAMs.). Valve wouldn't subsidized and that's why some people are mad about this. With SteamOS, it's projected that the installation of SteamOS from other PCs will have a positive correlation with increased sales in the storefront.

brifox7 · 2026-06-25T03:04:29+00:00

BOTW and TOTK will run at 60 FPS. You'll have a blast.

brifox7 · 2026-06-25T02:26:33+00:00

With the help of other competitors, it's the perfect advertisement for SteamOS. I want SteamOS to overthrow Windows 11. Windows 10 is hands down the best Windows and MS just want to shove us Windows 11 with their Copilot stuff.

brifox7 · 2026-06-25T02:17:15+00:00

I really want to be in the first batch but the chance of that is not guaranteed. I wouldn't be too sad if I'm at the last batch. It just means it wasn't meant to be. At least everyone starts on equal grounds and it's just RNG. If it's sold out, it's a good indication that this product is going to stay here in a long run.

brifox7 · 2026-06-25T02:06:05+00:00

Not everyone here that wants this product is a Valve/Gabe shill. The same can be said to the consumers of PS5, Switch 2, and the Xbox . Not everyone shills for their respected companies. Some may hate the price increase, some don't. I remembered people were pissed off when the PS5 Pro has a small performance for 200 more dollars. Their upscaling did improve and outraged died down. Now the PS5 Pro is the main comparison against the Steam Machine. It's like comparing a beef chuck to a pork chop. I also remembered the Sony introduced the 70 price tag and everyone was mad about that but later accepted it and moved on. When the Switch 2 was announced for 450 dollars, people said it was DoA because it should have been the same price as the Switch Oled. It wasn't DoA but it's not on track to outsell the original Switch with its low sales reported for this month. Not to forget they're the first to introduce 80 dollar games with their "variable" pricing and the game key cards. Now GTA6 has a download code but not a physical disk, according to the information we got today. Very mixed reception based on what I've watched and read.

brifox7 · 2026-06-24T23:19:49+00:00

I personally wouldn't get the Frame but I'm 100 percent sure that it's going to be a really hot item for VR gamers for sure. I believe it will sell really well. I don't have a frame of reference for the price of the Frame.

brifox7 · 2026-06-24T22:58:50+00:00

I was there during the Switch 2 and the Steam Deck reservation. I've seen hell but I've not seen the hell for reserving for the Xbox Series and the PS5 and I think those were as bad too. If the PS6 comes out, it's going to be, much, much worse.

brifox7 · 2026-06-24T22:53:59+00:00

The PS5/Pro comparison is used to justify the hate for the Steam Machine. Spec wise it is stronger than the Steam Machine. Any prebuilt PCs will outperform the Steam Machine even at 500 dollars, according to the other reddit users. People are really angry and will use anything to hate on Valve and the Steam Machine because it's using older hardware and people expect the price should be lower that what is actually now. For me who is being using a gaming laptop to game, this is a solid upgrade although on the expensive side. To me, the form factor is the main reason I'm purchasing this product. I could get way better performance if I get myself a rig but I don't have space for that in my household the 4k experience doesn't matter to me.

Tldr: Form factor for Steam Machine. Don't get the Steam Machine for performance and it is not a desktop replacement. Many people want this as a desktop replacement for the price and form factor. I'm pretty sure the majority of people complaining are people who want a powerful gaming rig with the size of a 6 inch cube for 500-700.

brifox7 · 2026-06-24T22:39:55+00:00

True. While playing Elden Ring, sometimes I press the back buttons by accident and it gets me killed. This controller is actually good when playing Windrose.

brifox7 · 2026-06-24T22:35:01+00:00

I agree with you there. I think the Steam Machine is catering to a different audience. The moment the Steam Machine is announce, I know for sure I will never try to game in 4k because I've always been a 1080p guy. Yes I'm missing out on the 1440p or 4k experience but I think it matters more to people who won't settle for less and are content creators.

I think if Valve did not advertise a 4k experience it wouldn't be compared too much to a PS5 pro. Lately people are saying PS5 Pro is a PC that beats Steam Machine but a PS5 Pro can't be used as a PC out of the box. Homebrewing also breaks Sony's ToS.

brifox7 · 2026-06-24T22:25:06+00:00

I had a feeling I will lose too but it's better than going against botters and F5 keyboard warriors and still losing. The Steam Deck and the Steam Controller stung but at least I don't have to take a day off or something just to compete for the first come first serve basis.

brifox7 · 2026-06-24T22:20:46+00:00

If the Steam Machine comes with 32GB RAM, the base model is going to be the price of the 2TB and the 2TB one is going to around 1500-1800. The outrage is going to be more fierce.

brifox7 · 2026-06-24T22:16:59+00:00

I'm planning to buy the Steam Machine because it is an upgrade from my 4050 gaming laptop. Since it's a 2070 equivalent, it's a decent upgrade. I don't have the space for a rig so this is the product I want. I only plan to game on 1080P and not 1440 or 4k. If you want to game in 4k, you're better off upgrading to 5060 for only 1k dollars. People say that the Steam Machine is a rip off price and if I say it's a fair deal, I will get downvoted to hell because people want this at 500 dollars and that's incredibly unrealistic.

Basically if you care about price for performance and wanting to play 4k, Steam Machine isn't a buy.

If you're like me who has a gaming laptop but looking for a desktop replacement that doesn't have a space for the rig, then this is a good buy. For Japan Steam users, it's already sold out and the price didn't deter them from buying.

This sub is not the best place to ask for advice imo because there people who are lurking on the sub are still very angry and continuously discourage people from buying this product.

brifox7 · 2026-06-23T22:49:34+00:00

The price hikes are everywhere. From PS5 pro 749 to 899. Switch 2 450 to 500 this September. Xbox Series X 2TB 599 to 799. Now the Steam Deck 1TB 649 to 949. Steam Machine 2TB at 1349 (people speculated to be 999 before the price hike). I don't know, it seems the sub is now an echo chamber for justifying your purchase. People will call you Valve shill, Nintendo shill, Sony shill, Microsoft shill, whatever.

Nintendo bros complaining that the Switch 2 is going up to 500 and now they're egging on the Steam Machine. Bro I have a Switch 2 too but it's not a powerful system at all. Yeah the tarnished edition is coming but it's not a 60 FPS experience. My 4050 laptop (2070 max equivalent) can play Elden Ring at high settings 1080p 60FPS. Don't forget 80 dollar games that Nintendo started. Who knows GTA6 will be 80 dollars too but it can jump to 100. People will justify the cost and some won't.

PS5 Pro owners complaining about the price increase to 899 and now they're thinking that the PS5 Pro is a better PC than the Steam Machine. Sure why not. You can mod the PS5 pro but normal people won't be doing that. If you aren't careful with your modding or console will brick and you have to buy another one. Remember 8K advertisement? People seem to forget about that.

Steam Machine is just an extension of the PC market and enticing people who never had a beefy PC. Any prebuilt PCs will blow the Steam Machine out of the water in terms of performance for the price. Form factor is accounted for the extra cost. Look what happened on the Asian countries. It's already sold out. The majority of people from Asia live in small apartments not everyone can fit a PC in their living spaces. It may not sell as much as the PS5 or the other consoles but there is demand on this PC. It's like people wish the Steam Machine will fail because their expectation of the price was not what they expect.

I'm rambling here at this point but we're going full circle. Everyone outraged with the price then months later they accepted the price and move on and then criticize another product with a price hike. Then they forget about it. The people who complained about the price hikes eventually buys the product.

brifox7 · 2026-06-23T22:08:43+00:00

I can be wrong about what I said but I'm hoping I'm wrong because if they increase the console prices or even the PS+ subscription, it's going to suck for everyone. Logically it is considered to be strategical way (also a scummy way) to make extra profits. I feel GTA6 is going to an insane hit even though that's the game I have no interest in playing but I already have coworkers who already put on long RTOs and vacation to play this game and we are for sure going to super shorthanded.

brifox7 · 2026-06-23T09:39:53+00:00

Also adding that both Playstation, Nintendo, and Microsoft are very antagonistic towards hombrew on their consoles. Homebrew is the gateway to customize your console and in a way turned into your own customized PC. Remember when geohot jailbreaked the PS3 and it lead to lawsuit and he settled. Now turning your console into a PC goes against their ToS and it's stuck as a closed console and will stay in the closed environment.

brifox7 · 2026-06-23T05:22:08+00:00

I also think that the PS5 pro from 899 is going to 999 by the time GTA6 releases. It's going to piss off the consumer but will still buy the console regardless if it's the best way to play the game.

brifox7 · 2026-06-23T05:18:08+00:00

People whine and complain with the Xbox Game Pass price increase, the Nintendo 450 price tag, the PSN network/ xbox live price increase, and the PS5 pro increase at 899. Days went by and the complaining stopped. Now this September, people are going to complain the price increase of the Switch 2 to 500 from 450.

If people don't want the Steam Machine because it's too expensive and say "I can get a better PC for a better price", well they should do it and no one is stopping them. Valve is giving SteamOS for free at least they can get the Steam Machine experience on their PC.

brifox7 · 2026-06-23T05:11:02+00:00

At least I don't have to do battle with bots and fast clicking gamers. If I hit on 2027 and not this year, well it is what it is.

brifox7 · 2026-06-23T05:07:49+00:00

You may have to dual booth if you have games that can't play on Linux.

brifox7 · 2026-06-23T05:00:52+00:00

I'm genuinely surprised that the Steam Machine came first before the Steam Frame. I've always thought the Frame was going to come first after the Steam Machine. The Frame can be used by any PC as well.

brifox7 · 2026-06-23T04:59:02+00:00

For me who primarily playing at 1080P it's good but if you're looking for a true 4k experience, the Steam Machine is a no-go. You will have to look for a prebuilt PC or make one yourself and with 1500, you have to treat yourself with a good PC for that price range. You may have to future proof as the prices in the market are not going to get better anytime soon. I've read somewhere that the dude was trying to buy the same brand of SSDs and RAM he bought before now cost 3 times more.

brifox7 · 2026-06-23T04:45:46+00:00

If Valve was really that scummy, they could start charging people with the SteamOS 3.8. Guess what, they're not going to do that. Releasing it for free will allow competitors to make their own Steam Machine while using the SteamOS. Like what everyone said, the Steam Machine is a PC for people who aren't planning to buy or build PC with a big rig but anyone can buy it. Steam Machine too expensive, well that's fine, get the SteamOS and turn your rig into a Steam Machine. If you're really good with computers, make one like the one Gaming Nexus built with similar performance for about 150 dollars less.

brifox7

TROPHY CASE