It's no longer a secret that Valve has revealed Steam engine was a huge surprise to everyone, given his silence (albeit justified) after Steam OLED panelwill release in 2023 on any potential new PC gaming hardware.
Although we have not yet quite reached the goal with Steam deck a successor who may join the ranks best portable gaming consoleswe're getting a powerful gaming system (compared to Valve's handheld console) that, based on initial reviews, has briefly shaken up the console gaming space.
1. Computer games on the sofa are about to bloom
Playing computer games while sitting on the couch and on a huge TV is not something unusual. In fact, I often do this in games or movies when I need a break from sitting at the computer after work, but not everyone has an HDMI cable long enough to facilitate this (the one I bought wasn't cheap either).
Dedicated gaming PCs and their cases are not typically designed to fit under or on TVs, and while small PC and mini PC builds exist, they are not very common.
Steam engine fully is changing that narrative by entering the console gaming realm with a design specifically made for TV and couch gaming, thanks to its tiny body that's so small that gamers are praising it as a “Gabecube” (thanks to Gabe Newell, to be fair), creating the very familiar look of Nintendo's Gamecube.
Couch PC gaming will likely now become the norm for a wider range of PC gamers, whether that means purchasing a Steam Machine or building a custom small form factor PC running SteamOS (probably Bazzit) installed.
2. Potential influx of console players
I've noticed a lot of console-only gamers have been suggesting a potential move to the PC ecosystem over the past few years. However, the limiting factor has always been the lack of knowledge of PC components, their maintenance and configurations.
With Steam Machine, this is no longer a barrier for gamers looking to make a difference as they won't have to worry about building a system from scratch, nor will there be any hassle in replacing the CPU or GPU since both are soldered to the Steam Machine's motherboard.
As far as we know, the only interchangeable components are the system's SSD and RAM, with the former being no different from a basic game console teardown and the latter requiring a little more effort.
Recognizing this, I have no doubt that we will see an influx of console gamers moving to PC. Since we're talking about SteamOS, this opens up so many doors, especially for Steam families, as sharing games with close family or friends will be easier for people who may have played solo (like me) on PC before the Steam Machine came along.
3. Additional pressure from developers to improve PC ports and optimization.
If there's one thing that I've noticed plays a major role in why PC players tend to lack gaming ports compared to console players, it's the wide variety of PC configurations that exist. This is not an excuse for poor game optimization, but rather to highlight why this is such a common problem and the arrival of the Steam Machine may change that.
When using one main configuration, such as a Sony or Microsoft console, game developers may be forced to ensure their games meet performance standards before running them on the Steam Machine. Since this is also considered as entry level gaming PCwhich should have a domino effect on a wider range of budget gaming PC configurations, getting PC ports that come with better polish.
This will be further supported if Steam Machine manages to become a massive hit in the market, and if Valve uses the Deck Verified category for Steam Machine games as something like “Machine Verified” (which is exactly what I expect it to do).
4. Third party manufacturers create similar assemblies
In the event that consumers buy a Steam Machine when it launches in 2026 and they're not happy with its performance, it's likely that Valve will open the door for third-party manufacturers to create similar mini-hybrid PC consoles running SteamOS with more powerful hardware.
Our friends told us about this PC gamerand with companies like Framework making modular laptops, it wouldn't be a shock if we get third party models from other OEMs like MSI, LenovoAsus, who will later decide to introduce more powerful offerings.
It's not that mini PCs with more powerful processors don't exist, there are plenty of them already available. The difference is that Valve will specifically choose to extend official SteamOS compatibility and licenses to these mini PCs, and the Steam Machine will provide them with the perfect opportunity to do so.
Valve's motto at the moment seems to be to provide an acceptable level of gaming performance for the demanding modern games we get, without including expensive hardware that will ultimately ruin the appeal of accessibility – and I'm here for it.
Follow TechRadar on Google News. And add us as your preferred source to get our expert news, reviews and opinions in your feeds. Be sure to click the “Subscribe” button!
And of course you can also Follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxing videos and get regular updates from us on whatsapp too much.
