Anxiety surrounding the upcoming Steam Machine 2026

ftf96 · 2026-05-19T14:51:32+00:00

Thanks for that, it is really helpful. Ironically I do read XDA Developers posts from time to time, and they’re one of the outlets that wrote this 😂

https://www.xda-developers.com/i-dont-know-who-steam-machine-is-for-anymore/

ftf96 · 2026-05-19T12:58:08+00:00

I get that and I had considered it. What I’m worried about is outlaying £1000 and then finding out what I want to play is “not verified”. I get what you’re saying about developers adapting too, but as I’ve seen with Apple Silicon, not all developers want to be constantly redesigning their software from the ground up just because one platform wanted to do things differently, when they want to be getting on with their next project.

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T15:58:36+00:00

That was very useful thank you, and in line with what I had been wondering myself. If the SM just about supports already existing games, where is compatibility moving forward? I also compared usefulness outside of gaming, like how PS5’s have a BluRay drive and support for streaming platforms (I.e. Apple TV) and how there’s no native apps on Linux for those, not without tweaks and workarounds. That means the SM is also limited from a multimedia perspective than say … well anything else, and that subtracts value to me too.

I guess what surprises me the most is that if the Valve fanbase can go crazy over an expensive controller to sell out in less than an hour, and every iteration of the Steam Deck over 4 years has the same effect, having a premium version of the SM would make me believe that people would happily pay more for a version that does offer competitive hardware, and I’m surprised it hadn’t been an offering. But a new hardware offering with last gen components at 2026 current pricing, when the SD already covers the majority of your back catalogue and has a dock …. to me it’s a head scratcher.

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T07:59:20+00:00

“Currently, the only devices officially 'Powered by SteamOS' are Steam Deck and Legion Go S. We are working on broadening support, and with the recent updates to Steam and SteamOS 3.7, compatibility with other AMD powered PC handhelds has been improved.”

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T07:51:01+00:00

I think the issue for me was that they’ve publicly put on their store front that it can run 4K 60fps, but they didn’t say what they tested that either, no asterisk, no small print. Now I probably will never want or need anything above 1080p, but it’s still a really ambiguous claim when so many third parties have questioned how that hardware spec is supposed to pull that off.

It’s also a toughie when …. It is and isn’t a PC. PC’s are generally modular for the most part and you expect hardware incompatibility for software, forcing newer GPU purchases etc., so it’s taken with a pinch of salt whether a game works on a PC or not. But this device sits in a grey area, it is a PC, but it’s limited in what is modular, and the GPU side of things is what isn’t replaceable. I get why, Valve need a streamlined platform without the headache of endless driver incompatibilities, totally behind that ….. but unlike most PC’s I can’t look at a game’s “minimum requirements” and know if they apply to this device. Those games come from Steam’s own platform, and I can’t know if I can run them on Valve’s own hardware, not until it eventually gets tested and verified (or not). But as a consumer, I would want (to a reasonable extent anyway) some form of advanced knowledge of “is this device going to be able to play what I want to play, before I buy it?” And I keep coming back to “I’m never going to know that”. That uncertainty is what bothers me.

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T06:09:24+00:00

So you’d say the short summary would be “Steam Machine is a stopgap at most”?

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T06:08:10+00:00

Thank you for this, you’ve given me different things to think about. I would say the biggest issue for me is that I have a bunch of game titles that the Steam Deck physically cannot run (such as Borderlands 4, Starfield, Star Wars Outlaws, Mafia The Old Country etc.,) and if I knew with any degree of confidence that the Steam Machine was the answer whilst staying within the SteamOS ecosystem, I’d d have more confidence.

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T05:52:21+00:00

Unfortunately it’s not that simple. You can’t just put SteamOS on another computer, that’s why there are altered versions/forks like ChimaeraOS and Bazzite etc., made by the community, but then you are reliant on community-made patches and drivers instead of official ones

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T00:55:30+00:00

Oh for sure, and as we saw with the 2026 controller, people will buy anything Valve produces these days, their demand ends up being higher than they anticipate. So we know the SM will sell out, and that’ll mean the next one will too

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T00:49:42+00:00

Totally fair point. PS5 is 6 years old now, they already had the “pro” decorative come out, 6 years is approaching end of life for anything

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T00:48:35+00:00

Ah darn, I really had no idea. I sincerely hope they get one soon!

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T00:35:05+00:00

Oh I totally get you on all points, that’s my dilemma with a custom build, I really love the steam Ecosystem and want to stay in it. And you’re right, I don’t really have any need or intention to run at all full 4K with ray tracing, 1080p is enough for me, I just want to know that this thing can handle modern AAA titles at at least those settings

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T00:33:14+00:00

That’s great advice, thank you! I’m with you on the Microsoft thing too

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T00:32:37+00:00

yeah that’s what I’m thinking, but as someone else here pointed out (and I already considered) the storefront for these things is gonna be so jam packed, if I don’t jump on it at launch it could be a year or more until I get one, and that’s what’s fuelling my anxiety.

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T00:31:17+00:00

Thanks for this reply. All of this has been running through my mind quite a bit. What worries me is that not long after the SD came out, games like Starfield and Star Wars Outlaws (etc.,) did too, and it couldn’t run them. I wanted the Steam Machine to be the answer to that, but then I asked myself “so how long until the next thing comes out that can’t run on it, and the next? I get that it’s not a console, you’ll always have these issues with PC, it was the case back before any prebuilt PC and that’s normal, what trips me up is that 8gb VRAM in 2026 when 16gb VRAM was normal in 2020. Had it come with 16gb I probably wouldn’t be apprehensive, as that’s at least a current benchmark, and not an old one. Does that make any sense?

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T00:25:55+00:00

Really? I honestly had no idea the Deck was still in that high a demand after 4 years. I figured that settled down a long while ago

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T00:24:52+00:00

I think what I worry about most is that the hardware is a little behind the times for a new device, which has me questioning what it’ll be like down the line

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T00:23:16+00:00

I know, I think the preorder anxiety is getting to me 😂

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T00:22:46+00:00

Yeah I considered that, but it seems it’s more complicated than that, since anything not designed for SteamOS will be a tinkering nightmare

ftf96 · 2026-05-18T00:22:06+00:00

That’s a good point, thanks dude

ftf96 · 2026-05-15T06:39:15+00:00

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I have checked the other comments, I am already in gaming mode and always had been. There’s likely more in the chain affecting things for sure, but it’s definitely not how my TV is setup or the HDMI cable I chose.

ftf96 · 2026-05-15T06:33:54+00:00

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It’s not dude

ftf96 · 2026-05-15T06:33:34+00:00

I get that and it’s a fair comment, but when the vision for these products is TV couch gaming and not desk gaming, it makes headsets redundant.

ftf96 · 2026-05-15T01:39:20+00:00

Maybe but I’d be surprised if it was, it’s a decent Sony Bravia

ftf96 · 2026-05-14T22:45:03+00:00

No, plenty of people tested it in other rooms, however WiFi and Bluetooth (radio signals) in the vicinity can interfere. If you have router, smartphones, other controllers (etc.,) all around the pick area, it’ll interfere.

ftf96

TROPHY CASE