The Steam Machine is not quite a console and not quite a gaming PC. It’s the best of both worlds, and I’ve compared it to its living room (and desk) competition to prove it.
I’m the kind of guy who installs SteamOS on mini PCs and ponders “will Valve actually make a console?” They tried ten years ago and it flopped, but the Steam Machine is back in a big way that bridges the gap between a gaming PC and a console.
Throw in a new Steam Controller that essentially chops off the sides of a Steam Deck and crams them together, and you’re onto a winner in my mind.
But while a lot of people have gone hands-on with the system, none have really put it in the context of seeing where it stands in comparison to the machines it's clearly gunning for — the PS5, the Xbox Series X/S and mini PCs like the M4 Mac mini. So that’s what I’m going to do.
A 'goth gamecube'
My colleague Scott wrote this in the team’s Slack channel, and while it got a quick laugh out of me, he’s onto something. That Steam Machine makes for a sleek system under any TV — emphasized by that glowing LED light bar indicator. Plus, it’s customizable with magnetic covers on the front to fit into any aesthetic you have.
And size-wise, it’s significantly smaller than its games console competition.
System | Dimensions | Weight |
|---|---|---|
Steam Machine | 6.39 x 6.14 x 5.98 inches | 5.7 pounds |
PS5 | 14.1 x 8.5 x 3.8 inches | 7.1 pounds |
PS5 Pro | 15.3 x 8.5 x 3.5 inches | 6.8 pounds |
Xbox Series X | 11.9 x 5.9 x 5.9 inches | 9.8 pounds |
Xbox Series S | 10.8 x 5.9 x 2.6 inches | 4.3 pounds |
Mac mini M4 | 2 x 5 x 5 inches | 1.5 pounds |
That being said, the Mac mini does have a far smaller footprint in dimensions and weight. But that is also because of drastically smaller components needed to run it vs the Steam Machine.
Specs and predicted performance
CPU | AMD 6-core Zen 4 x86, up to 4.8 GHz, 30W TDP |
GPU | Semi-custom AMD RDNA3 28CU (8GB GDDR6, 2.45GHz max sustained clock, 110W TDP) |
RAM | 16GB DDR5 SO-DIMMs |
Storage | 512GB or 2TB models, microSD card slot |
Power Supply | 300 W, internal |
Ports | DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, Ethernet (1Gbps), USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB Type-A Gen 3 (front), 2x USB Type-A Gen 2 (rear) |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E, dedicated Bluetooth antennae, integrated 2.4 GHz Steam Controller radio |
Controller | Steam Controller (optional bundle) |
OS | SteamOS |
Of course, this isn’t going to be completely accurate as these are not off-the-shelf parts, but there are some similarities in some of AMD’s more common parts to the custom silicon in here.
The custom Zen 4 chip with 6 cores and 12 threads is eerily similar to the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 on a specs level — with the real difference coming down to the power being pumped through it (30W for the Steam Machine vs a 65W limit for the desktop chip).
As for the GPU, it looks like you’re getting something more akin to the Radeon RX 7400. But this time around, the wattage is flipped on its head, as 110W is going to the custom RDNA 3 chip in the Steam Machine vs the typical 55W.
This puts the Steam Machine in roughly similar territory performance-wise to the PS5 and way ahead of the Xbox Series S. But its mid-range specs do fall a little behind the graphical capabilities of the Xbox Series X and PS5 Pro. That’s even more prevalent when you see the Steam Machine only has HDMI 2.0 — making that claim of 4K at 60 FPS with AMD’s FSR an absolute maximum.
But then again, the PS5 and Xbox have an RDNA 2 architecture, whereas the Steam Machine supports more of AMD’s more modern resolution scaling tech with RDNA 3. The big unknown here is its performance vs the Mac mini, because it’s very much like comparing apples and oranges in terms of GPU performance and game support.
Does SteamOS fit in the living room?
As someone who used Bazzite to install SteamOS on a mini PC in my living room, the answer is a resounding “yes.” The console UI of the Steam Deck works great on a big screen, and the Steam Machine borrows some really nice-to-have features like fast game resume and quick sleep/wake.
And given that, according to Valve, roughly 20% of Steam Deck owners connected it to their TV via the official dock, it’s clear there is a want for home gaming.
And all of that comes with Proton — the breakthrough in game compatibility that allows a lot of Windows titles to run on the Linux-based OS. That immediately gives you access to over 19,000 games verified for Steam Deck, and the verification program is coming to the Steam Machine, too.
And while the PS5 does have an impressive library and Xbox Game Pass is packed with some solid first-party titles, Steam is the cheat code as the service packs games from both of these consoles. Driving from the rear is the Mac mini, which is starting to get some AAA titles to play, but nowhere near the same library depth as you’d find on any of these systems.
Best of both worlds
Of course, this is all very early speculation until I can get my hands on one next spring, but I do believe Valve is definitely onto something here. The original Steam Machine decidedly flopped, but one decade later, the game has changed.
Proton brings a new level of game compatibility, the vastly improved controller inspired by Steam Deck brings new ways to play and the sleek, customizable design will take pride of place on any TV stand.
We don’t know the price yet, but given the specs, I’m hoping for $499 or less to make it make sense. If it’s around here, I think the traditional idea of a games console is going to be altered.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
More from Tom's Guide
- Valve announces Steam Frame VR headset — a premium standalone rival to the Meta Quest 3
- I might ditch my gaming PC for the Steam Machine — here's why
- I drove 1,000 miles with the Asetek Forte sim rig and it humbled me in the best way
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
