It's a console for people who like PCs

The use case is it's going to introduce gamers to Linux. And it's going to prove that in PCs, just like consoles, you don't need Microsoft to game.

The Steam Machine is the new Commodore 64 or Apple IIe. For one price, it's going to do almost everything just good enough.

If the price isn't ludicrous, it will likely be my default recommendation to anyone asking what PC to get for grandma.

Can she check her email?

Yes.

Can we just hook it to her TV?

Yes.

Can it play some kind of cooking simulation party game with the kids?

Yes.

Okay send me a parts list.

No parts list, just buy one and hook it up.

Okay. How often do I have to buy an OS upgrade?

Those are free.

Which game controllers work with it?

Pretty much all of them, but it probably also comes with one.

This is going to be the stupidly easy answer for casual gamers and casual PC users, as long as it doesn't cost double what either of those would.

I want to just buy games and have them work on my machine. So a console.

Microsoft is surrendering the console war.

Sony has already put malware in their products and I will not be their customer again.

Nintendo is super locked down.

Valve has always shown me excellent customer service.

I mean yes, jack of all trades master of none. But then again a mass produced hardware which will run all modern AAA games (Meaning cheaper), running on Linux (Linux being used mainstream in a user friendly sense is better than not Linux) and still being user friendly is overall a company doing something I like, and adding competition to the console marketplace.

I bought Helldivers and BG3 on PS4 for in total like $150 and I sold my PS5 and now I can't even play those games anymore. With it being linked to a steam account, this isn't a problem anymore they can access there paid games on any device, which I like.

EZ

I'm interested in the Steam Machine because I like playing on consoles. Steam's ecosystem seems interesting because it's more open than PlayStation's (what I'm on currently). Additionally, I like Linux. By using SteamOS, I'm hoping bug fixes and improvements will benefit the general Linux ecosystem. I don't want to install games on my regular computers. I want a dedicated gaming device. I don't intend to use the Steam Machine as a PC.

As someone who’s tried several PC-in-the-livingroom solutions, just try building a PC with good specs at that size and you’ll appreciate the niche that is being filled.

It’s a pretty nice custom designed PC that is guaranteed to work well with Linux. The only downside, really, is that you can’t upgrade it beyond storage and RAM.

Price!

We can argue about it all we want, but basically everything hinges on its street price.

If it's cheap, all those critiques are irrelevant.

Expensive? "It's cute, I like Steam, I like how it mostly works OOTB," gets real niche, real quick.

People want a console but also:

• A wider game library (Missing on Playstation and Xbox)
• No subscription (missing Playstation and Xbox)
• a working 10 foot UI (missing in windows)
• controller os navigation (missing in windows)
• no bimonthly fullscreen nags to use edge, office365, onedrive, etc. (missing in windows)
• Working ACPI sleep states. (Missing on most cheap mini PCs)
• Backwards compatibility for older titles and not needing to rebuy games when upgrading (Missing on PlayStation)

Microsoft could probably build an XBox that fixes the first problem but would probably fill it with nag screens.

People with technical skills can probably run Bazzite on a minipc but might hit issues with sleep depending on luck while purchasing.

People without technical skills just want a package that works

Well what if i want something like a console but hate the big tech and dont enjoy someone spying on me? this is the only option. What if i want a console that i can modify and use as a pc or a server if i damn want to? this is the only option. What if i want a true console like experience but want to play a title that just isnt on any consoles? this once again is the only option. This thing will have so many usecases, just maybe a little specific ones.. :D

Arch with KDE is for people who don’t like Linux?

I just like that I can play PC games on my TV, know that I have hardware that games are built to work on, and not have to get up to turn it on.

That last one is the biggest one honestly.

Seems like a pretty consistent niche to me. People that want to get away from consoles but aren't good with Linux/pc and want something that just works. I wouldn't buy one for myself but I'd consider getting one for my nephew if he wanted to switch from his PlayStation. Anything that takes a bite out of Microsoft's market share is a plus as far as I'm concerned.

Other than "not seeing the use case" I think the meme is right on. People hate Windows but don't want to deal with Linux, people hate being trapped in the walled gardens of Microsoft or Sony consoles, but don't want to deal with a full-on gaming PC. Kinda like how when iPads came out people where like, this is worse than a phone and worse than a laptop, who are these things even for?

its a console without the insane locked down interface. its a computer without the need to fiddle with stupid technical stuff that should just work. its linux without the need to learn all the things you think you just always knew about other systems but actually had to learn and aren't willing to anymore.

It's a console for people who don't like being constantly kicked in the balls so they drop their money.

I want them to build a top of the line gaming pc put into a small box and sell it to me at a huge loss. Why can't they do that?

The use case would be for people like me who want a dedicated box to put under the TV instead of having it at a desk. I don't know how easy or affordable it would be to build a computer that powerful and that small (and we don't know the price), so I can't say how useful or not the use case is.

When was this in the office

It's for the people who can't afford to build their own PCs these days. Graphics cards went up in price, hard drives went up and now RAM.

It's a PC for people who are too afraid or possibly can't afford (depending on price when announced) to build their own.

Bro preach. I've been out here doing real linux work on an old panasonic microwave. If you really liked linux, you'd be running it on something with less than 16 MB RAM.

Can people tell me why focus is on the one piece of hardware in the set of three that had already seen a failed attempt in 2015? I thought more people would be talking about the Steam Frame and Controller?