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PayPalCan't wait on the Steam Machine from Valve? Don't want to build your own? Perhaps the Playnix might be what you want then. This is actually the full evolution of a project the EmuDeck team tried before. Renamed, and actually launched.
A gaming PC in a smaller slim console form factor, designed for people who want a compact unit with the simplicity of Linux using Playnix's own custom Arch Linux distro. Which will boot into Steam Big Picture so you get a SteamOS-like experience.
The specifications between batches will be a little different, depending on component availability too. The official site full specs sheet:
Measurements: 320 x 247 x 64 mm / 12.6 x 9.7 x 2.5 inches
OS - PlaynixOS ( arch based )
CPU - Ryzen 5500 - 6 cores 3.6Ghz 65W TDP
Cooling: Noctua & Thermalright fans
RAM - 16GB DDR4 3200MT/s Dual Channel ( 2x8GB )
GPU - Radeon RDNA4 with 32CUs 150W TDP ( 9060 XT )
VRAM: 16GB GDDR6
SSD - NVME + Another free NVME Slot for expanding your storage
Network - Wifi 6E & Bluetooth 5
IO: 2x USB 3.0 + 4x USB 2.0 + 1x USB C 3.1 + 1x Gigabit Ethernet + 1x HDMI 2.1 with HDR 4K 120hz / 8K 60hz support + 1x DisplayPort 2.1 with HDR 4K 120hz / 8K 60hz support
PSU - Flex 600W
Batch #1
Same as Batch #2 except:
CPU - Ryzen 5600 - 6 cores 3.5Ghz 65W TDP
RAM - 16GB DDR4 3600MT/s Single Channel ( 1x16GB )
How much is it going to set you back? Quite a bit. And expect it to get more expensive due to component shortages thanks to all the AI companies. The second batch in production is €1,139 which gives you the Playnix Console, a 4K HDMI Cable, a Power cable and an 8BitDo Ultimate 2 controller.
It's fully upgradable too, since it is just a PC.
Don't go expecting big things from it though, since this is mainly a passion project. Still, it's fun to see more try something like this.
See more on the Playnix website.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Either way it seems like an interesting and capable piece of hardware that should be quite a bit more powerful than the Steam Machine proper and the VRAM should give it considerable longevity
Last edited by Stella on 20 Apr 2026 at 8:51 am UTC
Quoting: Stella16GB VRAM and 16GB RAM is an interesting choice, I'm guessing this was conceived before the great RAMCrisis:tm: and they originally planned to launch with 32/16?It's using DDR4, so they probably thought that would help, but now those prices have skyrocketed too.
Either way it seems like an interesting and capable piece of hardware that should be quite a bit more powerful than the Steam Machine proper and the VRAM should give it considerable longevity
I am surprised they roll their own distro though.
Quoting: RTherenI can't help but think "That looks like a record player without the arm" xDI was thinking hot plate:
Last edited by nebadon2025 on 20 Apr 2026 at 3:24 pm UTC
But, why does it look like a portable electric stove? 😁 Still look nicer than the PS5 though in my opinion.
Last edited by sarmad on 20 Apr 2026 at 5:43 pm UTC
PlayingOnLinuxphone 2 hours ago
Quoting: sarmadAnd it's also upgradable, so you can upgrade the memory if you like, though I don't think you'll need to if you're just using it for gaming.Depending on the game genre 32GB could be necessary. But these are more likely games people would want to play on desktop to see more details than on a far away screen.
I still wounder how easy it is to upgrade since steam machine is also just a common PC, but you do not have any graphics card other than Steam Machines own proprietary design solution. RAM and CPU, sure (on Batch 2 there is only one of two slots used), but how is graphics card build in an how is it cooled? And with Ryzen 5500 the best you can upgrade to CPUs of the same generation. And cooling will be an issue in general for such small devises. You have build in a CPU with 65W and a GPU with 160W. Doubling that amount is possible with 600W quality PSU, but cooling is probably not at that point. And if that is true what @nebadon2025 said, then I would also switch the PSU when upgrading requires more power (I would not even want to run a no name PSU in first place).
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