While the most recent rumour of a Steam Console was complete junk, it did get me thinking on what Valve would need to do to make a Steam Console / Steam Machine actually successful.
The biggest reason the Steam Machines failed is that they were Linux based and could not run Windows games. Valve addressed this problem by creating Proton and making it easy to use.
Honestly, I don’t see a revived attempt at Steam Machines working unless they’re really cheap. Unlike the handheld market, the console and PC market is much more saturated and you have a lot more options.
I’ve built many gaming PCs in the past but tbh I don’t have any desire to do so as an aging adult now. I’ll pay extra for a worthy prebuild, especially if it’s moves Linux forward - that’s incredible.
The Steam Deck is great. At launch, it was cheaper than other PC handhelds and had better performance. And while SteamOS was buggy, the UI was much better to navigate than Windows.
As for a console that game play PC games, there’s just more competition and and less unsolved problems to solve.
I mean that’s a virtue. All the other consoles used to have better performance as well. The only way it could compete with the latest tech is to release a new one with higher performance, which is not what you want. You want devs to have stable performance targets.
And while SteamOS was buggy
It hasn’t gotten worse…?
the UI was much better to navigate than Windows.
…still is. As would a Steam console.
As for a console that game play PC games, there’s just more competition and and less unsolved problems to solve.
Ironically I don’t think kernel module AC was as big of an issue back then as it is now. It’s sad to see games like Battlefield, GTAO and Apex pull the rug out from under.
Yes these games are almost always bad, but they have huge audiences. If a traditional, stationary console can’t play them, I worry about how broad their appeal would be against incumbents.
The biggest reason the Steam Machines failed is that they were Linux based and could not run Windows games. Valve addressed this problem by creating Proton and making it easy to use.
Honestly, I don’t see a revived attempt at Steam Machines working unless they’re really cheap. Unlike the handheld market, the console and PC market is much more saturated and you have a lot more options.
I’ve built many gaming PCs in the past but tbh I don’t have any desire to do so as an aging adult now. I’ll pay extra for a worthy prebuild, especially if it’s moves Linux forward - that’s incredible.
I mean I’d say the Steam Deck has been super successful, I fail to see any reason a desktop machine couldn’t be successful for the same reasons…?
The Steam Deck is great. At launch, it was cheaper than other PC handhelds and had better performance. And while SteamOS was buggy, the UI was much better to navigate than Windows.
As for a console that game play PC games, there’s just more competition and and less unsolved problems to solve.
Still is.
I mean that’s a virtue. All the other consoles used to have better performance as well. The only way it could compete with the latest tech is to release a new one with higher performance, which is not what you want. You want devs to have stable performance targets.
It hasn’t gotten worse…?
…still is. As would a Steam console.
There’s zero competition, as far as I can tell…
Ironically I don’t think kernel module AC was as big of an issue back then as it is now. It’s sad to see games like Battlefield, GTAO and Apex pull the rug out from under.
Yes these games are almost always bad, but they have huge audiences. If a traditional, stationary console can’t play them, I worry about how broad their appeal would be against incumbents.
I’m hoping valve can push back on this once more.