Comment on DF Direct Weekly #240: Steam Machine - Pricing, Specs, VRAM, ARM Ambitions + More

• etchinghillside@reddthat.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

  Consoles sell at a loss with the idea that they recoup it with game purchases.

  Steam gets a 30% cut of game purchases and could do it also. Unfortunately/fortunately it’s also a functioning Linux desktop - so they can’t really sell it at a loss - because some companies might just purchase it for compute.

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  • Quibblekrust@thelemmy.club ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Doesn’t have to be a loss, just competitive with what a self-built PC would be.

    Daniel Owen does good PC part breakdowns. Especially video cards. Here’s a cheap build he threw together using PC Part Picker to see what it would be like to build a PC using comparable parts to what the Steam Machine has, but a garbage power supply and case. It came out to $706.

    (This link skips to 27:24. You have to rewind 2 minutes or so if you want to hear him talk about the bad power supply and case, which you definitely shouldn’t buy.)

    youtu.be/RTB-lP_qwc0?t=1644

    If Valve can come in around $700 it will be a good deal. If it’s sub $600, it’s an outstanding deal. Especially because of the premium wifi, special Steam Controller antenna, small form factor, and stuff like that. SFF cases and motherboards have premium prices.

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    • etchinghillside@reddthat.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      “Its the same power as 6 Steam Decks”

      The answer has been in front of us the whole time…

      It’s $2,400.

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