Gamer Builds Their Own Steam Machine

One gamer put together their own version of a Steam Machine. The Steam Machine is a unique slice of gaming history, with rumors of the system surfacing around 2012 and announced for sales in 2014, the console offered gamers who were tired of picking a side in the console wars a practical alternative. Unfortunately, by the time the Steam Machine was released, gaming had shifted back towards a focus on portability with the dawn of the Nintendo Switch.

The Steam Machine was released in 2015, providing many gamers a more accessible way to appreciate the various releases Steam has to offer. As a platform, Steam’s variety is one of its strongest selling points. However, some people who have an interest in games can feel intimidated by the endeavor of putting together a gaming PC, or finding the best possible system for the right pricing. The Steam Machine posed a middle-ground within the same price range as consoles before it vanished.

Since the Steam Machine is no longer available, Reddit user stand_up_g4m3r took it upon themselves to make their own. The key specs of note here are the Ryzen 5800X3D processor and RTX 3080 graphics card. Based on the general pricing of those components, this Steam Machine would cost approximately $900 to make, not even accounting for the chassis, which is a 3D-printer replica of an unreleased Steam Machine build. Although there would be convenience in buying a Steam Machine, there’s merit to making one’s own.

Gamer Builds a Steam Machine Replica

The appearance of stand_up_g4m3r’s copycat Steam Machine prompted others to reminisce about the system, talking about how the original Steam Machine inspired them to build systems. Stand_up_g4m3r talks about the way that they had made small-scale gaming PCs in the past, but the Steam Machine appeared as the first to really execute the idea properly. Others chimed in, saying that the Steam Machine was discontinued too soon, although even at the time, many gamers were not interested in the Steam Machine.

The Steam Machine was discontinued by late 2016, largely attributed to middling sales for a system with a vision that wasn’t fully realized back then. The Steam Deck has served as the replacement for the Machine in many cases, taking the hybrid system format further and employing portability as its selling point. In addition, the Steam Deck also trumps the Steam Machine in power while being able to connect to other displays. With all the new improvements that have been made to Steam’s hardware platforms, fans are curious about what a new Steam Machine would look like.