The Steam Machines seem to fade away from existence as unceremoniously as they came.

Announced back in 2013, those machines were meant to be akin home consoles but delivering PC-worthy games, using Steam's Big Picture mode to display on TVs all in an ecosystem separate from Windows. Those "PC-console hybrids" would even be powered by Valve’s very own Linux-based operating system, SteamOS! The latter was designed to make it easier for developers to port Windows games to Linux. A much-awaited boon for Linux gamers!

However, as ambitious as they sounded, the Steam Machines never really took steam (pun intended). Several delays (they launched in 2016), ludicrous prices and a lack of flagship SteamOS games made for an easy lackluster recipe. You'd be totally forgiven if you forgot about the existence of those machines! And it seems like Valve has taken a hint and might slowly take steps to phase out the Steam Machines.

As spotted by a user over on GamingOnLinux, the whole 'Steam Machine' section under the 'Hardware' tab has been taken down. While the machines are still listed (for now) and can be found by a simple search, the dedicated section has been quietly taken down. Users can no longer check for different hardware configurations or prices like before.

What do you think? Will Valve phase out Steam Machines or is the company preparing for a Rise of the Steam Machines announcement? Will you miss them if they are phased out or are you looking forward to new machines? Share your thoughts below!

[UPDATE]

Following the reports of the quiet demise of the 'Steam Machine' section from the 'Hardware' tab on Steam, Valve has issued a response in an update post. In it, Valve employee Pierre-Loup Griffais maintains that "that section of the Steam Store is still available, but was removed from the main navigation bar based on user traffic" and that "Steam Machines aren't exactly flying off the shelves".

The post also mentions that Valve is "still working hard on making Linux operating systems a great place for gaming and applications" and that the company has "other Linux initiatives in the pipe that we're not quite ready to talk about yet; SteamOS will continue to be our medium to deliver these improvements to our customers, and we think they will ultimately benefit the Linux ecosystem at large".

You can read more about Valve's response right here.

 

[Chary]

And nothing of value was lost.

 

[migles]

back in the days i tought this would be a great idea :C
it could be the nintendo switch of pc's :C
I am really sad that it failed...

 

[Deleted User]

I'm not surprised the Steam Machines failed.

Chances are, if you're a PC User, you already know how to set up your PC Tower to use like a console; Steam already makes this hella easy with Big Picture Mode. Combine that with the fact that most PC Gamers use Windows, which supports way more games than Linux, and you have absolutely no reason to use a dedicated SteamOS box.

And if you're not a PC User, there weren't enough Linux-supported games to warrant a purchase anyways, so most of them probably opted for a XB1 or PS4 instead.

Long story short: Steam Machines, while noble in concept, catered to a demographic that didn't even exist.

 

[Xzi]

They moved on from Steam machines to VR hardware design a while ago. I'm surprised the section persisted as long as it did.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

It should be noted that Steam Machines weren't Linux only, in fact most third party Steam Machines have Windows as the stock OS, with SteamOS being an optional choice instead of the other way around.

As to the things themselves, they failed mainly because they were ridiculously overpriced for the type of hardware you got, even moreso than other prebuilt gaming rigs. As most PC gamers are aware, it's infinitely cheaper to just build your own desktop, or even use services like Cyberpower/iBuyPower to build one for you.

 

[RedoLane]

steam machines, son.

 

[Deleted User]

I guess the hybrid market wasnt working too well.The steam machine is mostly a pc at its core since you could upgrade the cpu in it,but its size and shape are small enough to be considered a console aswell.

Its as if it only works if you go one way or the other.You either make a full console with exclusives,examples being both sony and nintendo,or you just sell prebuilts since a pc is a pc no matter how small the system is,if it can run both windows 10 and Linux its still a pc at its core.

 

[Pluupy]

Why don't they just partner with premade PC companies like iBuyPower and have Steam built-in the same way Norton partners with companies to get their shiity antivirus bloatware everywhere? That way all premade PCs would become "steam machines".

 

[Taleweaver]

Yeah... @B_E_P_I_S_M_A_N and @Tom Bombadildo already said it: these machines were dead on arrival. For one, they had competition of each other: there were nearly a dozen of em, limiting the chances of a profit. None were officially sponsored by valve, and with the relative ease of installing steamos meant that even novice computer users could get their own machine from parts they had at home...

... And the price just wasn't optimal. This ties into the earlier remark: you could get a switch with better cost/game ratio and get mobile with that.
Speaking of which... None of those machines offered anything special. Steamboy could have been a thing, but it wasn't. All it was, was a pc that was either limited (when it had windows) or seriously crippled (with steamos). It's not fun to admit it, but it was too soon for Linux to make a move at the gaming market (assuming there will ever be such a time).

 

[LightyKD]

Screw that! I still call my desktop my Steam Machine. BTW anyone have a high res and low res version of that "Steam Machine " logo? I want to add that to my Steam Machine!

 

[DarthDub]

Sounds like Alienware. Overpriced, underpowered.

 

[VinsCool]

Better off using my laptop and my XBOX One controller on TV.

 

[the_randomizer]

Wait, there was a machine section on Steam?

Sounds like Alienware. Overpriced, underpowered.

And overrated

 

[SomeGamer]

And nothing of Valve was lost.

FTFY

 

[FAST6191]

When the idea was first floated it sounded like it would be a simple few levels of minimum specs type affair ("this game will work with steam levels 1, 2, 3 and 4" sort of thing) with some prebuilt and officially blessed/sanctioned offerings that would conform to those levels. That would have done quite well from where I sit as the market was increasing in complexity following the end of the PS360 specs domination. While I would not have one outside of it going cheap/second hand as I am not fond of the way Steam positions itself in the world I could see a market.

It later then transformed into the nonsense we got and others have described in this thread, possibly some time around the time people realised Windows was expensive.

Oh well. The former could have been something slightly special, instead we got a needless platform that somehow stuck around longer than anybody expected, even if it was comatose almost from 6 months in.

 

[tech3475]

I'm not surprised they failed.

If Valve wanted to target casual console gamers, they needed to both market these and make them as simple as possible for the casual consumer, which they failed at.

At the most there should have been 3 models/set of specs: low, medium and high end which they could label on a box to go in stores.

The moment I saw that they were just HTPCs with the usual problems, I knew it would end up like this.....surprised they lasted this long.

 

[Nada]

May be that it failed for various reasons, but the actual use-case was not half bad. I have a self-build ITX machine with a gtx970 sitting under my TV right now and use it with my xbox one controller to play lots of things. Waiting for Nvidia BFGD displays too. If the linux-steam would have actually taken off, I would even of used it, but I guess W10 stays the only choice (even though it even has alt tabbed me out of games for a fullscreen notification to tell me about an feature update for example, I hate it).

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Steam machine sounds worst than pc engine, can people please come up with better names for our game consoles!?
(Obviously is not easy but come on, steam machine!? XBOX? WII U!)

 

[zoogie]

They tried to follow the console model but did everything different from consoles so it was just PC again. Why.

Steam machine sounds worst than pc engine, can people please come up with better names for our game consoles!?
(Obviously is not easy but come on, steam machine!? XBOX? WII U!)

How about Steamer? Wait, that's kinda shitty