It's Time for the Triumphant Return of Valve's Steam Machine
Valve's Steam Deck is a massive success, and has kick-started an entirely new product category of handheld gaming PCs. But it's easy to forget that this isn't Valve's first attempt at a PC-console hybrid, so perhaps it's time for them to try again.
The Short and Brutal History of Steam Machines
Steam Machines were small form-factor PCs designed to run the Linux-based SteamOS and provide a more console-like experience to players who weren't into PC gaming. In 2015, the first Steam Machine was released, setting the base specification that any other PC manufacturer could copy and even improve on.
The Steam Machine, along with Valve's unique (and now defunct) Steam Controller, went head-to-head with consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on price. By the end of the Steam Machine era, less than five years after release, fewer than half a million units had been sold. By 2018, Steam Machines were effectively killed off by Valve.
There are many reasons why Steam Machines failed in their initial form, but the most likely contributors to their early demise include:
- Poor game compatibility on SteamOS.
- A technical ceiling that was still too high for console gamers.
- Under-powered hardware.
- Software that just wasn't ready.
- Little interest from other hardware makers.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, and there are varied think pieces you can read online about why Steam Machines failed, but that's not why we're here. I'm here to argue that Steam Machines were just ahead of their time and that Valve could resurrect the project to rule the gaming world.
The Steam Deck Solves All of These Problems
Valve's Steam Deck is a Steam Machine in all but name. The handheld has proven incredibly popular, and it solves virtually every problem the Steam Deck had.
Valve now has a version of SteamOS that's widely compatible with Windows games. They have an interface and system-level controls that make it easy for complete PC newbies to start playing in no time. For the most
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