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Yeah, I kind of wanted to play it, but knowing it’s Ubisoft and all the hoops I’d have to jump through and EULA I’d have to accept, even free doesn’t sound worth it.

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I wish it was actually called the 'gabecube' lol, gamecube was the first thing I thought of when I saw the reveal

Edit: I use the "target acquired" portal 2 gun turrent movie intro for few years now, for when I'm on big picture mode :)

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Well you can, if you change the SteamOS startup movie ;)

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I'm not sure I understand this part (genuinely, I'm not trying to be condescending). Games are starting in native resolution unless it has been already changed by the user, if not, then it should be reported as a bug. There are cases where the game has issues detecting the display correctly, but it's not the norm.

don't worry i didn't think you were being condescending, were just having a conversation about gadgets and their technical workings. Also thanks for the detailed reply.

One thing i originally mentioned (possibly not to you) was memory bandwidth.. Now we don't know what the memory bandwidth of the Steammachine 2.0 (Gabecube) is, but we do know that a similar card albeit with less RAM is the 7500xt which apparently only has a 96bit memory bus. People have said AMD & NVidia have been reducing the bandwidth in order to separate resolution 'tiers' for instance my 6700XT has a 192bit bus but in theory it could do much better at 4k with a wider bus (like 256bit) but you need the 6800/XT with that 256bit to properly do 4k. Lowering the settings doesn't really fix the stutter at 4k in my experience.

im willing to be corrected on & maybe i should have been clearer in my reply but my contention is that simply lowering the settings to almost nothing isn't always good enough when running 4k because of the physical limitations of the memory bandwidth (not in all cases).

Just to clarify i understand what your saying but i do think the memory bandwidth is playing a big part here with running 4k resolutions (alongside lots of VRAM)

• PS5 16 GB of GDDR6 SDRAM connected via a 256-bit interface, capable of a peak bandwidth of 448 GB/s

• Xbox Series X has a memory bus width of 320 bits. This is used for its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory, which contributes to a memory bandwidth of 560.0 GB/s

• AMD Radeon RX 7500 XT features a 96-bit wide memory interface. This memory bus width contributes to a memory bandwidth of 216 GB/s with its 6 GB GDDR6 graphics memory. ( but the Steam Machine may have more like 128bit memory bus bandwidth .. we just don't know.

Now im not saying these are the exact specs time will tell. However i still think even lowering settings running a 4k canvas with such a small bus will make some graphics engines cry, lowering the Physical resolution would be the only fix imho

i could be wrong, there are grey areas it's all about the game/the engine etc aswell.

anyway thanks for the reply.

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This is my current GOTO and a great distraction on either the PC or deck. At the moment I have a new save 1.0 that I've been working through the mastery levels. Nothing speedy, just roaming around killing bugs, collecting blue pills, and making things explode. It is a lot of fun and things get frustratingly overwhelming if you aren't careful.

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I'll only buy it if I can make it say "I love you" in a squeaky robot voice when I turn it on.

...I like feeling appreciated, you know?

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Eh. Not even free games would bring me to use Ubisoft software these days. I'd be worried they'd ask me to delete it a few years later.

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NOW I might want one.

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Just read that dbrand are making a case for steam machine that looks like the companion cube from Portal 2

And just like that, I suddenly really want one

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"Magnetic thumbsticks (TMR) "
i hope this is a rebranding for hall effect sensor, if that is the case, its perfect!

I just read they're supposed to be even more precise and more energy efficient than hall effect sensors. (Source: gamestar.de)

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Only question I'm asking myself is whether to get an oled steam deck now, or wait.. worried ill buy one now and it will be discounted next year or something, but with their focus on steam machine 2.0 at least I don't have to worry about a steam deck 2 round the corner as its probably a long way off atm

https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/valve-says-a-next-gen-steam-deck-2-still-isnt-possible-two-years-after-it-last-said-exactly-the-same-thing/

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1080p can still look OK on a 4k display imo, the price is going to be the important part here but their claim it's a 4k 60fps machine is abit dubious

Only question I'm asking myself is whether to get an oled steam deck now, or wait.. worried ill buy one now and it will be discounted next year or something, but with their focus on steam machine 2.0 at least I don't have to worry about a steam deck 2 round the corner as its probably a long way off atm

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Yall really think 1080p is the common res for living room tvs? Here in the US, I don't think I know anyone with a 1080p tv. Can you even still buy them? I mean like if I go to costco, every single set is 4k. And you can get the low end ones for around $200. I would wager highly that the common tv res in the states is 4k.

I don't know, but... Don't mistake what's being sold for what people have at home. Most, by very very far the most, people didn't buy their TV set this year. Or the last.

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@Eike

Calling the PC "Steam Machine" again, is this stupidity or some severe balls?!? emoji

I think at the end of the day, the media and people in general were always going to call them Steam Machines 2.0 anyway. By owning up to it, Valve acknowledge upfront that their first go at it exists and did not do that great, and that they’re coming back having learned their lessons. They’re not trying to hide it under a new name.

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You know, WW2 games got old like 20 years ago. The industry shifted to zombies after that. That got old to me, and IT'S STILL OLD. meh to zombies

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Yall really think 1080p is the common res for living room tvs? Here in the US, I don't think I know anyone with a 1080p tv. Can you even still buy them? I mean like if I go to costco, every single set is 4k. And you can get the low end ones for around $200. I would wager highly that the common tv res in the states is 4k.

Which means the "machine" will struggle. Or just use all that upscaling / framegen that I cannot stand. I guess that'll make people playing on the couch happy though, because the other consoles all do it too. So maybe no big deal.

On a basic point, this is so exciting! Getting more stuff like this out into the masses is so awesome!!! As Liam said, I'm hoping this is another tipping point!! woooo!!

I have no interest in vr at all, and I already game in the living room on my plex server, so not in the market for the "machine", but DEFINITELY in the market for the controller. I think the layout seems pretty weird (has there ever been a layout like this before?) and doesn't it look like we will all be activating the track pads with our palms constantly all the time? I mean, can't be, so whatever, I'm in for sure on that controller!

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interesting. Not to get too into the weeds here but the thing im wondering here is how a 'real' console operates vs a PC with SteamOS. On those '4k' console games that use native resolution but checkerboarding, DSR the TV is still taking a native 4k signal so no upscaling internally meaning the video DAC is not adding too much latency. However PC games don't really work like that in that you as a user tend to have to manually switch to 4k and then fiddle around for ages trying to get things to work and a lot of games not designed with a specific hardware target in mind (like a console) won't have upscaling options, or DSR built into the game. The likelyhood imo is that people will either run games at 1080p or maybe 1440p and let the TV scale to native 4k.

Sorry for the long quote, I just didn't want to trim it down. Consoles don't do anything fundamentally different under the hood. It works the same way as any PC. As I mentioned, console games are almost always graphically pre-configured locked-down versions of their PC counterparts, sharing the majority of their codebase. Options for resolution scaling, upscaling are pretty much expected in PC versions as well. There are exceptions, but they're rare.

However PC games don't really work like that in that you as a user tend to have to manually switch to 4k

I'm not sure I understand this part (genuinely, I'm not trying to be condescending). Games are starting in native resolution unless it has been already changed by the user, if not, then it should be reported as a bug. There are cases where the game has issues detecting the display correctly, but it's not the norm.

then fiddle around for ages trying to get things to work

It's just a matter of preference. The criteria for the "Verified" badge is that the game runs well without any tweaks. The user can still mess around in the settings, but it's their choice and they (should) know they're responsible at this point and can always switch back to the default/device-specific, low, medium etc. presets. I think it's better than locking down the graphics options if the game detects it's running on a Valve hardware. E.g. Steam Deck reports itself to the games with the SteamDeck=1 flag and there are some games which hides the graphics options and only provide you Deck preset or presets. The same can happen with the Steam Machine too.

a lot of games not designed with a specific hardware target in mind (like a console)

True. But as we've already seen, devs add presets, even retroactively.

• Doom: The Dark Ages


• Cyberpunk 2077


• Witcher 3


• Helldivers 2


• Ghost of Tsushima


• Final Fantasy 7


• The Last of Us games


• Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader

All of these games have Steam Deck presets, just to name a few well-known ones. It's the same as what they do on consoles.

Also, there are games where if you keep default setting it will be the Steam Deck/device-specific preset, even if its not marked as such. E.g. Elden Ring where the devs and Valve even made specific optimisations for the Deck.

And like I mentioned, a criteria for the verified badge is that the game runs well on default settings. Many games also auto-detect your hardware and try to apply optimal settings. And ofc, they all include the usual presets (low, medium, high, etc.). Medium or a mix of medium-high settings is roughly console-quality in most AAA games.

However i don't think it is trying to compete with the PS5 or is it

Based on the specifications, I think it is, and imo, it would be a huge mistake not to. I'm just speculating ofc, but nothing else makes sense from a business standpoint. They did their market research well for the Deck, I assume they did the homework this time too.

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Aside from bad chat experience with players that I don't believe I had any control over, the mechanics and graphics of the game are really good.

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I wanted to build something like Steam Machine for long time, now Valve did it for me and as I'm using Steam Deck connected to big screen as my main gaming device the Steam Machine is a no brainer for me.

I also would love to have a wireless VR and Steam Controller, so I hope they will do some package selling of those three together.

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This will have four digits(*) attached, I bet.

(*) of the US/EU kind

Given the prices charged by the competition, there is indeed a risk that this virtual reality headset will be quite expensive.

But I hope that Steam's management has good intentions and wants to democratize video games more, rather than focusing solely on maximizing their immediate profits. Currently, this type of technology is far too expensive and therefore practically unaffordable for most people.

Personally, even if I could afford to buy one from a competitor like Meta, in my opinion, it's way too expensive for a simple gadget.

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Regarding the virtual reality headset, I'm not a fan of this kind of technology to begin with. I'm a little worried that screens so close to my eyes might damage them over time... And since I wear glasses, I'm not sure they'd be compatible with such a headset. However, they've done a good job with its weight, it seems much lighter than the competition's. If its price is affordable, it will certainly delight fans of this type of technology.

This will have four digits(*) attached, I bet.

(*) of the US/EU kind

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Rough around the edges right now, and it's hard to defend digital data molesters (jokes aside, that name needs some work for the people whose minds automatically wanders towards the one that starts with P).
Still, they had three games I was going to buy this month anyway, and fair competition is fair competition, so I put my money where my mouth is.

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Looking forward to the impact these releases are going to have on the software side of things.

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The gamepad looks cool, it's a shame it doesn't run on simple rechargeable AA batteries. I have a hard time with gamepads where you can't easily change the batteries. There's nothing worse for me than wanting to play and running out of power. I wish it were Bluetooth 6.2 compatible for very low BT latency, but unfortunately I'm afraid that's not the case ;-(

The Steam Machine looks nice. But it's really entry-level equipment. It will certainly be successful if it's sold cheaply, between 400 € and 450 € depending on available storage. But if its price is too high,, it's likely to be a flop. I hope also they'll update Steam OS to ensure compatibility with Grub2, allowing for the installation of other operating systems in a multiboot configuration on this Steam Machine.

Regarding the virtual reality headset, I'm not a fan of this kind of technology to begin with. I'm a little worried that screens so close to my eyes might damage them over time... And since I wear glasses, I'm not sure they'd be compatible with such a headset. However, they've done a good job with its weight, it seems much lighter than the competition's. If its price is affordable, it will certainly delight fans of this type of technology.

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Well this is a nice surprise

Finally VR looks appealing to me. Linux first VR at that! This is quite exciting really.

My TV (Samsung) has been blocked from the internet at my router for some time (sneaky privacy invading, ad infested firmware upgrades etc.) so I think I'll get a Steam Machine for watching streaming services primarily and for some gaming.

As for 8G VRAM... I've been playing Stalker 2 with firstly an 8G RX 6600 and now a 16G RX 9060 XT and guess what - it still doesn't use more than 8G VRAM (according to Mangohud). Not an issue for me anyway. I have a 4K TV but it's rarely gone above 1080p and I'm not bothered.

I can see some late Xmas pressies coming my way

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You can wishlist it already. Scroll down far enough on the new hardware page and they each have a star under them.

Doesn't work for me. I get a star... and then it's gone again.

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Do you folks think, the hardware can be upgraded?
I assume, that the SSD is swappable due to being an ordinary m.2 80mm card.

But what about the RAM?
Or the WiFi?
Or the main fan?

I guess the CPU and GPU will not be replaceable, won't they?

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Note that the problems with newer nvidia drivers apply to both SteamVR and Monado. Downgrading to a 550 driver also means you'll have to downgrade your kernel as its modules won't compile on newer kernels. On Kubuntu 25.10 (kernel 6.17), I couldn't install 550 due to an endless list of errors (seems like the module build system changed). Going back to kernel 6.14 only leaves one compilation error that needs to be fixed (you need to comment out one line from one of the source files). But after that, everything is smooth again.

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It's another take on game bundles, something we really used to love long time ago.

We would get a bunch of games at low price, but of course, you wouldn't want to play every game in the bundle. So people started trading unneeded keys between them and resale key sites popped up. This made developers less interested in bundling games, as it would eat into their sales.

So, we need to square that circle, how do we get cheap games and the developers still get paid. Digiphile's idea is to not give you the Steam keys, so you can't trade/sell them. But if you already own the game on Steam, you can trade it into credits which you can exchange for games from previous bundles.

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Interesting trade back system.
Closer to what I want to see like a building credit system with a subscription and monthly special sales for subscribers so you can always wait out for the next deal.
This might be a bit better in a way though it requires going all in regardless.
I am rather tired of Humbles just "it expired, deal with it" approach as of late.

Fanatical has been really killing it this year and those build a bundles are straight up wonderful but this isn't a bad idea either.

Hope they do well.
Tempted to try them out, get the full pack and see how they do.
I want to support this new style and see it grow.

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