Can't Afford A $1,049 Steam Machine? Valve Will Let You Build Your Own

A lot of discussion about Valve's Steam Machine has focused on pricing since it was officially announced, especially amid ballooning hardware costs during RAM and storage shortages. Despite warnings that people might hate the Steam Machine's actual price from early leaks, many were hoping for more accessible price points. Steam Machine finally has a release date, and we now know it costs upwards of $1,049, not exactly what you'd describe as budget-friendly. Moreover, some have understandably pointed out that console prices, albeit also affected by supply chain constraints, are still subsidized and cheaper, at least for the hardware alone. Debates about pricing aside, we still have some positive news to be happy about. If you can't afford the new Steam Machine, don't want to spend that much, or simply can't get through the challenging reservations as we saw with Valve's new Steam Controller, you can build your own.

Starting with the SteamOS 3.8 release, available now, "you can put together your own Steam Machine using whatever parts you want," according to Valve's Pierre-Loup Griffais per The Verge. In other words, you can install SteamOS on your own hardware. While yes, technically this has been possible for a while, only AMD hardware was supported. Valve expressly mentions they're now working on Nvidia driver support with a "growing team" at the helm. SteamOS will support a variety of hardware somewhere down the line — not necessarily right now. It's not a stretch to imagine SteamOS-powered mini PCs and small form factor setups as a top choice for good old-fashioned living room gameplay when that time comes.

Windows 11 is notorious for performance and user experience issues, especially for modern gaming, and despite gradual improvements, things remain contentious. However, anyone looking to jump ship from Windows 11 will need to exercise some patience. In that same interview with The Verge, Valve's Griffais makes it clear that the SteamOS installation isn't ready for prime time. There is a SteamOS installer, but it doesn't accommodate dual-booting yet. You can't "easily move another OS out of the way and partition your hard drive." Moreover, Nvidia hardware support won't be streamlined and ready for some time, likely not until next year.

Valve's announcement of the Steam Machine was met with enthusiasm because it seems better suited to gaming, à la the Steam Deck. Even with high prices for official hardware, a more open SteamOS offers significant potential for custom builds or compatible hardware elsewhere, such as pre-built or mini PCs. This move should open up a lot of customization, with low- to mid-grade solutions now possible in addition to what Valve is cooking up with the Steam Machine, offering much more variety.

Griffais explains that the current version of SteamOS is best suited for already compatible hardware that's console-like in use, such as when used with a TV or for couch gaming. Linux is an alternative to Windows 11, and has been for some time, with various distros available for general use or gaming, Bazzite being a great example, so there are options there. If you don't want to wait for Valve's OS, you can always turn your old PC into a TV gaming console with Big Picture Mode.