Why are people so excited about what looks like custom proprietary hardware designed to have a limited lifespawn and that will end up in a landfill in less than a decade?
I wish it had a more defined upgrade path, I really do. I was actually going to get a Framework 16 until their controversy came to light. For those of us who care for that sort of thing, the only game in town left the building.
So my answer is that this device checks all my boxes except for that. It’s built with Linux in mind, it’s small, it’s not a laptop, it has quality assurance and I don’t have to build it myself, and it can run all my favorite games. And it is still repairable, just not upgradable. But I’m going to get as much life as I can get out of it, and I’m not going to just throw it out or sell it when the next Steam Machine comes around. I’ll make do with what I have until it breaks or becomes unusable.
I didn’t want to get too specific, but by “that sort of thing” I meant not supporting companies who financially contribute to certain political organizations and individuals. That’s a personal decision and I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers on an unrelated thread.
I’ll also say that not everyone wants to build their own PC and would prefer the assurance that everything will just work out of the box, yet still don’t want a locked-down experience that you’d get with consoles. And that’s okay.
Steam Deck was one-of-a-kind for having a console-like pricing model, while having a high ifixit repairability score, and because it’s not a custom build, there’s a tutorial out there for most repairs or other problems you’ll encounter. So that’s pretty reliable in my book.
I’ll also say that not everyone wants to build their own PC and would prefer the assurance that everything will just work out of the box, yet still don’t want a locked-down experience that you’d get with consoles. And that’s okay.
some people don’t want to cook their launch and get mcdonald
I’m seriously stoked about this, even though I’m not planning to buy any of the new hardware! It all comes down to the fact that Valve’s hardware projects force them to pump huge resources into open-source development, and we all get the benefits. That means the compatibility tools like Proton—which are essential for the high-end Steam Machine and Steam Frame—are immediately available to my desktop rig. By pushing Linux into the living room, VR, and high-performance space, they’re pressuring game developers to finally treat Linux as a serious platform. Basically, Valve’s huge investment accelerates development and developer adoption, which makes my own Linux desktop a way better and will hopefully get more people into Linux and open source.
Remember that valve main product is a proprietary third party software launcher that doesn’t share much with what linux stand for. With this hardware to me it looks like they are trying to make a console out of a pc.
And yet, with Proton they’re one of the biggest contributors to Linux adoption in the past several years. They’re allowing millions of users to cut the last string that was binding them to Windows
And yet, with Proton they’re one of the biggest contributors to Linux adoption in the past several years.
They are also routing million of users through a proprietary third software launcher. Don’t forget that steam was built on and fueled the windows ecosystem for two decades.
Most people don’t really use windowns because they like it but because of the third parties applications that only run on windows, so yea you can point the finger at third parties.
Most people don’t really use windowns because they like it but because of the third parties applications that only run on windows
Most techies, maybe. MAYBE. Linux has not been anywhere near user friendly enough over the past 2 decades to be remotely usable by normal people. Not a chance.
If only a giant corporation like steam made their own Linux based OS and poured huge resources into an open source compatibility layer(maybe even call It proton) that would move more people to Linux and even create more incentive for third party developers to have Linux versions of their applications because of the growing market sjare of end users using linux that would be exciting… 👀👀👀
This is a custom small form factor PC with many of its components being user replaceable. The GPU and CPU are soldered, which is unfortunate, but it is still significantly more upgradable and repairable than any other console that has existed. So what the hell are you on about?
And Valve already has a partnership with iFixit to offer replacement parts for their handheld gaming device, the Steam Deck, and they intended to continue that partnership with their new hardware products.
I think you’re just dumb and don’t know what you’re talking about.
This is a custom small form factor PC with many of its components being user replaceable. The GPU and CPU are soldered, which is unfortunate, but it is still significantly more upgradable and repairable than any other console that has existed. So what the hell are you on about?
Well there seems to be exactly one component that’s upgradable that you don’t have on the other consoles, which is the RAM. And at first sight I think you’ll have to remove the heatsink to get to it.
If you want any ‘usable’ upgradability it’s better to compare to modern minipc’s where you can easily replace the RAM and WiFi, have multiple SSD slots and even have the option to connect an external GPU.
This is a custom small form factor PC with many of its components being user replaceable. The GPU and CPU are soldered, which is unfortunate, but it is still significantly more upgradable and repairable than any other console that has existed. So what the hell are you on about?
Consoles are garbage, bringing a PC close to these is rowing in the wrong direction. Their presentation doesn’t say much about components being replaceable and hint at fix storage. GPU is one of the most important pieces in a machine that is supposed to be dedicated to videogames
I think you’re just dumb and don’t know what you’re talking about.
You are on lemmy, a decentralized and open source platform that doesn’t share peanuts with steam or for profit companies like valve, i may be dump but i encourage you to learn more about open source software/hardware and decentralized platforms.
It’s a console for PC gaming. Consoles have always been like that. The original Steam Machines were small modular PCs built by system integrators and they sold barely any of them.
What makes you think you wouldn’t be able to load a different Linux distro on this box? Sounds like it’s just a PC with steam OS pre-installed. Or are you just against an OS being pre-installed?
I mean the hardware is a cool toy but everyone else here is excited for the software that will be available and accessible elsewhere. Gotta be honest sounds like you just want to hate it lol which more power to you but you’re not really making sense to me. 🤷
You are on lemmy, a decentralized and open source platform that doesn’t share much with steam or corporations like valve. If you understand the difference between lemmy and steam perhaps what i’m saying will make more sense to you.
I’m not a hardware guy, how is this different from the Steam Deck? Is the hardware here used of crappy quality by comparison? I thought most people liked the Deck (and everyone in here, I thought this is general Linux for a second), I sure do and will likely use it for a decade.
The steam deck is a portable device, soldering components and custom parts in devices that need to be small it’s more justifiable because it can save space. This box on the other hand is a SFF pc that has to be small only for marketing reasons.
Well I know that, but isn’t that good in the context of waste (OP’s problem)? Since PS6 hasn’t been released yet, it’s seems the PS5-like specs here will last a decade and be future proof enough. PS4 is almost 13 years old and still has games coming out. The Switch 2 is PS4 level and it seems to be successful for now, and Steam Deck was aiming for that benchmark too.
(You can tell I’m a tech idiot by how I measure power in Playstations)
The difference is in the form factor. The Steam Deck is a purpose-built device for handheld gaming, with the expectation that it won’t be useful for AAA games that push current PC hardware. It’s found that niche and serves very, very well there. For that reason, it will likely outlive its tech specs - it will continue to work for many lower-spec indie games, because expectations will be reasonable.
The Steam Machine, on the other hand, is positioned as something that can play all current games (that aren’t kernel-level DRMed to hell and back, at least). These become outdated the moment new games start coming out that run poorly on it. Since it’s not upgradeable, the whole device becomes outdated and will need to be replaced if you want to play the next new hotness at a good FPS.
The thing is that since Steam Deck’s release, a lot of competitors made handhelds, and it’s mostly keeping up because of SteamOS. It sounds to me like Valve just needs the Steam Machine to once again offer software, convenience etc. above everyone else in the couch gaming market this is aiming for.
Then the only upgrade most users would want is from Valve themselves, but the same goes for Steam Deck - they said they might make a new one with a big enough generational leap, and then the old SD’s become outdated too. We had emulation machines before Steam Deck - being able to play last gen games on it was still a big appeal.
Also, is constantly upgrading PCs better, when instead of selling off/scrapping the PUs and other parts every 5-10 years, you sell off/scrap PUs annually? I don’t think people doing that are the target audience here anyway. I think some patient gamers would buy a used GabeCube 15 years from now for a low price.
SteamOS, the trackpads that drastically increase the breadth of games that are reasonable to play on it, AND the price-to-performance ratio that blows nearly everything else out of the water.
You’re not wrong; it’s possible that the SM will see a longer lifespan than its specs suggest. I do think it’s more likely to get bumped in less time than the SD though.
Why are people so excited about what looks like custom proprietary hardware designed to have a limited lifespawn and that will end up in a landfill in less than a decade?
I wish it had a more defined upgrade path, I really do. I was actually going to get a Framework 16 until their controversy came to light. For those of us who care for that sort of thing, the only game in town left the building.
So my answer is that this device checks all my boxes except for that. It’s built with Linux in mind, it’s small, it’s not a laptop, it has quality assurance and I don’t have to build it myself, and it can run all my favorite games. And it is still repairable, just not upgradable. But I’m going to get as much life as I can get out of it, and I’m not going to just throw it out or sell it when the next Steam Machine comes around. I’ll make do with what I have until it breaks or becomes unusable.
what sort of thing? a SFF pc? you can build one quite easily of pay someone to build it for you, it’s cheaper and more reliable
I didn’t want to get too specific, but by “that sort of thing” I meant not supporting companies who financially contribute to certain political organizations and individuals. That’s a personal decision and I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers on an unrelated thread.
I’ll also say that not everyone wants to build their own PC and would prefer the assurance that everything will just work out of the box, yet still don’t want a locked-down experience that you’d get with consoles. And that’s okay.
Steam Deck was one-of-a-kind for having a console-like pricing model, while having a high ifixit repairability score, and because it’s not a custom build, there’s a tutorial out there for most repairs or other problems you’ll encounter. So that’s pretty reliable in my book.
some people don’t want to cook their launch and get mcdonald
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I’m seriously stoked about this, even though I’m not planning to buy any of the new hardware! It all comes down to the fact that Valve’s hardware projects force them to pump huge resources into open-source development, and we all get the benefits. That means the compatibility tools like Proton—which are essential for the high-end Steam Machine and Steam Frame—are immediately available to my desktop rig. By pushing Linux into the living room, VR, and high-performance space, they’re pressuring game developers to finally treat Linux as a serious platform. Basically, Valve’s huge investment accelerates development and developer adoption, which makes my own Linux desktop a way better and will hopefully get more people into Linux and open source.
Remember that valve main product is a proprietary third party software launcher that doesn’t share much with what linux stand for. With this hardware to me it looks like they are trying to make a console out of a pc.
And yet, with Proton they’re one of the biggest contributors to Linux adoption in the past several years. They’re allowing millions of users to cut the last string that was binding them to Windows
They are also routing million of users through a proprietary third software launcher. Don’t forget that steam was built on and fueled the windows ecosystem for two decades.
That’s nonsense, as if Windows needed any help being dominant in its heyday
Most people don’t really use windowns because they like it but because of the third parties applications that only run on windows, so yea you can point the finger at third parties.
Most techies, maybe. MAYBE. Linux has not been anywhere near user friendly enough over the past 2 decades to be remotely usable by normal people. Not a chance.
This hasn’t been true for at last a decade. Go ahead and install linux and windows and let us know which one is easier to get and install.
If only a giant corporation like steam made their own Linux based OS and poured huge resources into an open source compatibility layer(maybe even call It proton) that would move more people to Linux and even create more incentive for third party developers to have Linux versions of their applications because of the growing market sjare of end users using linux that would be exciting… 👀👀👀
Had valve not made its own linux based OS they would had to release this machine with windows preinstalled. Microsoft is valve competitor.
This is a custom small form factor PC with many of its components being user replaceable. The GPU and CPU are soldered, which is unfortunate, but it is still significantly more upgradable and repairable than any other console that has existed. So what the hell are you on about?
And Valve already has a partnership with iFixit to offer replacement parts for their handheld gaming device, the Steam Deck, and they intended to continue that partnership with their new hardware products.
I think you’re just dumb and don’t know what you’re talking about.
Well there seems to be exactly one component that’s upgradable that you don’t have on the other consoles, which is the RAM. And at first sight I think you’ll have to remove the heatsink to get to it.
If you want any ‘usable’ upgradability it’s better to compare to modern minipc’s where you can easily replace the RAM and WiFi, have multiple SSD slots and even have the option to connect an external GPU.
Consoles are garbage, bringing a PC close to these is rowing in the wrong direction. Their presentation doesn’t say much about components being replaceable and hint at fix storage. GPU is one of the most important pieces in a machine that is supposed to be dedicated to videogames
You are on lemmy, a decentralized and open source platform that doesn’t share peanuts with steam or for profit companies like valve, i may be dump but i encourage you to learn more about open source software/hardware and decentralized platforms.
I’ve used fedora for the past 5 years and run GrapheneOS. I’m familiar with open software dude
It’s a console for PC gaming. Consoles have always been like that. The original Steam Machines were small modular PCs built by system integrators and they sold barely any of them.
the original steam machines had linux in a protonless time so they didn’t have much appeal in the first place
consoles are PCs running proprietary software
So are PCs lol
Don’t get confused, not all PCs are sold with windows preinstalled or require microsoft software to work.
What makes you think you wouldn’t be able to load a different Linux distro on this box? Sounds like it’s just a PC with steam OS pre-installed. Or are you just against an OS being pre-installed?
And soldered parts that you cannot swap easily (not only hardware problems, proprietary firmwares can cause compatibility problems too)
I mean the hardware is a cool toy but everyone else here is excited for the software that will be available and accessible elsewhere. Gotta be honest sounds like you just want to hate it lol which more power to you but you’re not really making sense to me. 🤷
You are on lemmy, a decentralized and open source platform that doesn’t share much with steam or corporations like valve. If you understand the difference between lemmy and steam perhaps what i’m saying will make more sense to you.
I’m not a hardware guy, how is this different from the Steam Deck? Is the hardware here used of crappy quality by comparison? I thought most people liked the Deck (and everyone in here, I thought this is general Linux for a second), I sure do and will likely use it for a decade.
The steam deck is a portable device, soldering components and custom parts in devices that need to be small it’s more justifiable because it can save space. This box on the other hand is a SFF pc that has to be small only for marketing reasons.
Hardware in the cube is said to be roughly 6x more powerful.
Well I know that, but isn’t that good in the context of waste (OP’s problem)? Since PS6 hasn’t been released yet, it’s seems the PS5-like specs here will last a decade and be future proof enough. PS4 is almost 13 years old and still has games coming out. The Switch 2 is PS4 level and it seems to be successful for now, and Steam Deck was aiming for that benchmark too.
(You can tell I’m a tech idiot by how I measure power in Playstations)
The difference is in the form factor. The Steam Deck is a purpose-built device for handheld gaming, with the expectation that it won’t be useful for AAA games that push current PC hardware. It’s found that niche and serves very, very well there. For that reason, it will likely outlive its tech specs - it will continue to work for many lower-spec indie games, because expectations will be reasonable.
The Steam Machine, on the other hand, is positioned as something that can play all current games (that aren’t kernel-level DRMed to hell and back, at least). These become outdated the moment new games start coming out that run poorly on it. Since it’s not upgradeable, the whole device becomes outdated and will need to be replaced if you want to play the next new hotness at a good FPS.
The thing is that since Steam Deck’s release, a lot of competitors made handhelds, and it’s mostly keeping up because of SteamOS. It sounds to me like Valve just needs the Steam Machine to once again offer software, convenience etc. above everyone else in the couch gaming market this is aiming for.
Then the only upgrade most users would want is from Valve themselves, but the same goes for Steam Deck - they said they might make a new one with a big enough generational leap, and then the old SD’s become outdated too. We had emulation machines before Steam Deck - being able to play last gen games on it was still a big appeal.
Also, is constantly upgrading PCs better, when instead of selling off/scrapping the PUs and other parts every 5-10 years, you sell off/scrap PUs annually? I don’t think people doing that are the target audience here anyway. I think some patient gamers would buy a used GabeCube 15 years from now for a low price.
SteamOS, the trackpads that drastically increase the breadth of games that are reasonable to play on it, AND the price-to-performance ratio that blows nearly everything else out of the water.
You’re not wrong; it’s possible that the SM will see a longer lifespan than its specs suggest. I do think it’s more likely to get bumped in less time than the SD though.