The topic Can’t afford a Steam Machine? Just build your own, says Valve is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
So, how about that Steam Machine price? If you’ve been out of the loop, Valve officially announced the price point for its newest console-not-console, and if you were hoping for something that wasn’t in four figures of USD, then you’re going to be disappointed.
However, there is some good news. If you took one look at the Steam Machine and thought “I could make that for cheaper,” well…it turns out you can. And not even through a hacky method, either; in fact, Valve is giving you the green light to make your own ‘DIY Steam Machines’.
In an interview with The Verge, the publication had a chat with Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais. Griffais confirmed that, “starting with the SteamOS 3.8 release, you can put together your own Steam Machine using whatever PC parts you want.” From his wording, it sounds like you won’t need to remake the Steam Machine spec-for-spec to get SteamOS on it. Instead, there’s a good chance you can build the Steam Machine of your dreams, from the budget-friendly build to the luxury powerhouse.
In fact, the only thing you’ll want to match is the Steam Machine’s use case:
If you have something that is similar to the use case of a Steam Machine, where you have a PC that’s gonna be plugged into a TV, and has a single hard drive that you’re not going to try and dual boot […] you can put SteamOS on there, and you’ll have an experience that is very similar to a Steam Deck docked or a Steam Machine, with some caveats, of course.
SteamOS is not quite there yet, as there are issues with Nvidia drivers right now; however, Griffais reassured The Verge that “it’s certainly something that we’re working on in the background,” and that they’re joining forces with Nvidia to make it happen. So, there you have it; if you think you can make a better Steam Machine than Valve with spare parts (and some people already have), the company openly invites you to try.