Steam Machine

Even if you can get past the fact that both 2026 Steam Machine models are at least £200 more than, in a sane world, they would be, a greater abundance of horsepower is readily available at their respective price points. I, personally, would still go for a DIY build, were I in need for of a dedicated games machine for my desk.

The Steam Machine is not a console in the traditional sense; the economy is increasingly hostile to that idea. It is working towards something that both Valve and the community itself are building on. This makes even more sense when you look at FEX, a Valve project to have X86 programs run on ARM chips like smart phones and portable devices, and the explosion of support for PC games on devices like the AYN Thor.

The inevitable question then becomes: if I have a gaming PC already, or a viable home office space for one, or I'm thinking about getting one for my living room anyway, why bother with a Steam Machine? To that I'd say: if you've got a great PC already, get yourself a massive HDMI cable and a professional to run that discreetly through your home. Or if you're renting and can't go round drilling holes in whatever you like, consider building a PC instead.

That said, the good news is that not having a Steam Machine won't lock you out of PC gaming - the PC remains the ultimate open platform and even in these difficult times, there's a lot of choice out there in the hardware space, while SteamOS and other gaming-friendly Linux distros like Bazzite and CachyOS ensure that a range of kit is covered.

The Steam Machine is meant to bring SteamOS into the living room. In testing, however, Valve's cube-shaped PC proves to be considerably faster than the Steam Deck, but it also has its flaws, especially when it comes to price.