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[music] >> When I opened the box and I saw how small this thing was, my honest thought was, there's no way this thing can actually be powerful. Look at it. It's so tiny. That was 7 days ago. It's been my daily driver ever since. Every game, every session, all on this little cube. And I've gone from this can't be that powerful to genuinely impressed. But there's still the question everyone keeps asking. Is the price tag worth it? Here's the thing, the price never scared me off, but by the end of this video, I'm going to explain exactly why. It's probably not the reason you think. >> [music] >>
All right, welcome back for another video. Now, if you found this channel recently, it was probably through one of my benchmark videos. I put the Steam Machine head-to-head with the base PS5 across five PlayStation ports. That's live on my channel now. This is a week of actually living with the Steam Machine, how it fits into my house, my routine, and honestly, my life. Because I think that's the story the benchmarks can't tell you. So, if you're new here, this video is probably the best way to figure out whether you and I game the same way. If you're into that, hit the like and subscribe. It generally helps a small channel like this. Right, let's get into it.
So, it feels like a console, and I guess that's the whole point. PC gaming without the PC part. You press the power button, it boots straight into SteamOS with the controller in your hand. No Windows desktop, no driver updates, no juggling five launchers. Pick a game, press A, play it. Suspend it, come back tomorrow, you're exactly where you left off. That's console behavior on PC hardware. And there are heaps of people who weren't into PC gaming, the library, the prices, the flexibility, but PC interface has scared them off. Fair enough, too. Managing Windows on a TV with a controller is a miserable experience. Those people now have a real choice. Valve set to build a console for the lounge room, and after a week, I can tell you they essentially succeeded.
Now, let me tell you about the moment this all became real, because it wasn't just a benchmark. Assassin's Creed Black Flag recent is a brand new full triple A release. I bought it on the Steam, downloaded it, hit play, and it just ran. Not just ran, it looks amazing. You know, it's a brand new triple A game, day one on this tiny cube underneath my TV with zero fiddling. And that's when the size thing flipped for me completely. The exact reason I doubted this machine, how small it is, became the reason I was so impressed with it.
So, how does it actually perform? Short version, roughly base PS5 territory. A week of ownership backed up with what I found in the comparison video, Spider-Man 2, uh Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, God of War Ragnarok, [music] The Last of Us Part 2, and Death Stranding 2. I matched against the base PS5 settings. Some titles a little better, some a little worse. Exactly what [music] you'd expect when Sony's games are optimized for Sony's PlayStation. And I also want to add that most games that I have been testing run great, but the sweet spot seems like around the 2K mark. Uh 1080p, you can play most games on ultra um and get well over 60 frames. Um if you want to stay hover around the 60 frame mark, um 2K is the sweet spot, and it still looks super sharp. If you want that 4K, you're going to be putting, you know, FSR on performance and getting around the 40 frame mark with most games. Um so, I found that 2K 60 frames is where it's at. In practice over a week, lighter and older titles fly. Big modern releases want FSR on sensible settings, and you have a great time. If you're chasing that 4K native ultra settings, this isn't going to be the thing for you.
Okay, so here's the section where my own story matters, because the Steam Machine didn't arrive in my house alone. The Steam Deck is what got me into PC gaming in the first place. And the machine doesn't replace it, it completes it. Here's what my week actually looked like playing on the Deck out of the house, on a break at work, whenever. Get home, fire up the Steam Machine, and I'm back in the same game on the big screen right where I left off. Handheld out in the world, big screen in the lounge room. One library, one save. That flow is genuinely the best thing about being on this ecosystem, and no console offers me that. And the rest of the ecosystem case stacks on top. Your whole Steam library is just there day one, nothing to repurchase. >> [music] >>
In my experience, games are generally cheaper on Steam, and the sales are on another level compared to console storefront. Online multiplayer doesn't sit behind a subscription paywall, and when you want a PC, it's still a PC desktop mode. Mods, other launchers, whatever you like. So, the real question isn't Steam Machine or PS5. If you own a PS5 and you're happy, should you buy one of these? Only if you want to be part of the Steam ecosystem. That's the honest answer. Same rough power, so you're not buying performance. You're buying everything around it.
All right, now to address the elephant in the room. The 512 gig model, the one I bought, is $1,049. The 2 terabyte is $1,349. And I'm not going to pretend otherwise, you know, that price scared a lot of people off, and it's pushed a lot of hate you're seeing online now. If this landed around, you know, the $700 mark, I reckon it would have blown people away. But, here's my honest experience. When the price was revealed, my first reaction was the same as everyone's. [ __ ] that seems expensive. And then I actually thought it through and I'm like, what am I getting? My entire Steam library in my lounge room in a box this size running an operating system built for the couch. Can you build a PC for the same money that's more powerful? Yeah, absolutely. But, it's never going to have that form factor. It's never going to be giving you that Steam OS in lounge room accessibility without a mouse and keyboard involved. And that's what money's buying you, not raw power. And once I framed it in that way, the price never really scared me off.
So, was it worth $1,049? For me, yeah. But, only for the right buyer. So, let me tell you who exactly this is for. If you're a console gamer who's been curious about PC gaming, but you put it off because of the PC part, this was built for you. It's the friendliest on-ramp into PC gaming that's ever existed. If you're a Steam Deck owner, or you've already got a Steam library, this is the other half of your setup. Handheld to big screen. One library, one save. Easy recommendation. If you own a PS5 and you're happy with it, only buy this if the Steam ecosystem itself appeals to you. Cheaper games, free online, [music] your library forever, a PC when you want one. If that list doesn't excite you, keep your money. And if you love building PCs, build the tower. More performance for the money, and you already know it. The Steam Machine isn't trying to beat the PS5. [music] It isn't even trying to beat a custom PC. It's the bridge between the two. And after a week in the lounge, it actually holds up.
So, that's my week with the Steam Machine. And a bit more of my setup and my life than I usually put in these videos. If you enjoyed this side of the channel, let me know in the comments because I'm happy to do more alongside the benchmark deep dives. And tell me, has the price put you off or are you in the queue for one? And if you've got one, what are you playing? >> [music] >>
The PS5 comparison on the screen right now, if you want the numbers behind everything I said today. Hit like, hit subscribe, and I'll see you in the next one. >> [music] >>