Hi everyone!
I had been a Playstation user since the first one and I own the fifth one.
After using Linux for years on weak computers for my admin, I decided to try Linux gaming in 2025 and bought a used LCD Steam Deck.
While I’ve been enjoying the Steam Deck, it hurts my neck and isn’t powerful enough for sim racing games.
Naturally, I was happy to learn that the Steam Machine was coming and was willing to invest up to CHF1000.- (~$1236) to get it.
Sadly, it’s not available to order in my country, Switzerland.
So now I have to choose between finding ways to order a Steam Machine or buying a prebuilt computer since I don’t want to source components to build something myself.
My priority would still be the Steam Machine, but I’d be open to alternatives.
What are your advices, what would you do if you’re in the same situation?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Edit and update:
Thank you all for your answers and useful links! You gave me some great advices!
In the end, I'll keep using a combo of Steam Deck and Playstation 5 for a while. The Steam Deck for almost every game, but more often than before docked to preserve my neck, and the Playstation 5 for demanding racing games or an eventual Last Of Us 3.
Then, around 2029, once my Playstation 5 is gonna be old and not upgradeable, I'll get a Linux gaming rig which is gonna be more powerful. At that time, I'll have a better disposable income, but I'd still want to pay around CHF 1000.- anyway.
It'll also allow me to fully emulate all my Playstation games which aren't available on PC, at least from PS1 to PS4 generations, and use these consoles as decoration for memories.
I think you may be looking at it wrong. Its less of a "pc" in the traditional sense and more of a console that you can tinker with/repair. Thats more what demographic its trying to appeal to.
I dont disagree that its overpriced, but that's all computer parts or PC's right now. Its certainly not perfect, but I don't think its a step backwards at all. I think having more options for gamers to game on their couch is a good thing.
The Steam Machine exists to make money for Steam, if you watch the Gamers Nexus tear down, you will notice that its repairability level is crap, unlike pc's. The Steam Machine has no redeeming features, aside from its marketability to zombies. It is just a small form factor pc, with some proprietary parts (a bad thing) running linux. Proprietary parts are an obvious step backwards, they are not new of course, other trash manufacturers like dell use them to create ewaste pc's as well. I have seen multiple people online say they are building, or want to build a Steam Machine, they are so daft that is what they are calling a pc now.
Thats true of most products that companies make I think, but they made it to serve a certain segment of the market and I think given how excited people were to see something like this, doesnt seem like it was a bad idea.
And after watching the teardown, I don't really see what you mean about reparability being bad. The video is even titled "Excellent Reparability: Steam Machine tear-down and Accessing RAM & SSD". Seems to come apart just fine. You can replace a part if it breaks and put it back together.
I will say that proprietary parts aren't great, I'd rather have a cpu, ram, and motherboard I can take out and replace individually but for what this is designed to be, that being, a "console", I'd say its much better than a PlayStation or Xbox in terms of reparability. Definitely more akin to a laptop than a PC in my opinion. And certainly not perfect, but I'm glad that Valve gave it a try and gave more options for people to game on. Not only that, might even get more people on Linux if they're shown a good experience.
https://youtu.be/glXA3ObwSwQ?t=659
not good.