The Steam Machine: A Review of Valve's $1,000 Gaming Hardware
The Steam Machine, a $1,000 gaming device from Valve, has been a topic of interest for gamers and tech enthusiasts alike. I spent two weeks testing 25+ games on the Steam Machine and here's my verdict.
The Steam Machine is a powerful device that can run a wide range of games, from AAA titles to indie games, with varying levels of success. While some games ran smoothly out of the box, others required some tweaking and adjustments to achieve optimal performance.
One of the standout games on the Steam Machine was Cyberpunk 2077. It ran at 60 FPS and looked sharp, even with some light RT. However, increasing the resolution made the game less stable. Overall, the Steam Machine's default settings provided a playable version of Cyberpunk 2077.
Another impressive game was Mouse: P.I. for Hire, which ran great at 60 FPS with only a slight tweak to the stick sensitivity. Left 4 Dead 2 also performed well, running smoothly on the Steam Machine.
Borderlands 4, on the other hand, had a default experience that was an ugly mess. However, with some adjustments to the settings and FSR, it looked and played fine. Hades 2 and Hades 1 also ran well on the Steam Machine, with the latter being a bonus game.
Silent Hill 2 and Doom: The Dark Ages had mixed results. While Silent Hill 2 looked messy on the Steam Machine, Doom: The Dark Ages looked nice and played perfectly, though it was a bit blurrier than desired on default settings.
Megabonk, a game that ran perfectly on the Steam Deck, also performed well on the Steam Machine, looking even better. Spider-Man 2 had a default experience that was fine, but upping the resolution and frame generation made it look sharper.
Windrose, on the other hand, had default settings that didn't run great, and turning on frame generation added too much input lag. However, tweaking the settings helped, but it still didn't feel great.
Overwatch was a surprise hit on the Steam Machine, with a default experience that was fantastic. Upping the visuals and resolution made it even better, and it played great on the big TV. Grand Theft Auto V also ran well, with default settings being fine, but tuning up the visuals made it look sharp.
Gears of War Reloaded had a blurry default experience, but upping the visual settings made it sharper without impacting performance. Fallout 4 also ran like a treat on the Steam Machine, with no tweaking required.
Control Ultimate Edition had a mixed experience, with the Steam Machine struggling to maintain 60 FPS on a big 4K TV. Turning settings down and ray-traced options off helped, but it was still not as smooth as the PS5 Pro version.
Arc Raiders and Elden Ring had varying levels of success on the Steam Machine. While Arc Raiders was perfectly playable, Elden Ring looked nice on default settings, but tweaking settings made it even better.
Vampire Crawlers, a 2D and 2.5D game, ran well on the Steam Machine, upscaling nicely and looking sharp on a TV. Resident Evil 4 remake had a fine default experience, but tinkering and tuning helped, though it impacted performance.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart had a poor default experience, but with some tweaks, it became mostly stable. Helldivers 2 and Resident Evil Requiem also ran well on the Steam Machine, though they lacked sharpness compared to their PS5 Pro counterparts.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered was a surprise hit on the Steam Machine, running like butter and looking fine on default settings. Bumping up sliders made it even better, and it felt very console-like.
Peak, a co-op climbing game, worked flawlessly on the Steam Machine, with no settings adjustments needed. Warhammer 40K: Darktide had a default experience that hovered in the mid-40s, but tweaking settings helped.
Halo: Master Chief Collection had a frustrating experience, as it wouldn't recognize the Steam Machine's digital keyboard. Tiny Terry's Turbo Trip, an indie game, ran perfectly on the Steam Machine with max settings at 60 FPS.
Rage, an open-world FPS, also ran on the Steam Machine, though some tinkering was required to get the gamepad working. Overall, the Steam Machine is a powerful device that can run a wide range of games, but it's too expensive for most people.
In conclusion, the Steam Machine is a niche product that is too expensive for most people. While it can run a wide range of games, the price point makes it a tough sell, especially with the release of Grand Theft Auto 6. For non-PC gamers, the Steam Machine is likely a tough sell, and for those with a huge library of Steam games, a cheaper pre-built PC might be a better option.
