No, it's not a failure.
No, it's not a failure.
That sparked a laugh :3 Here are the main points: There were many companies involved, each offering different levels of steam machines and high-end gaming PCs. The free OS aspect didn’t affect pricing much. (1) Sync issues between Valve and manufacturers caused delays—some released controllers with Xbox 360 ports instead. (2) The beta version was unreliable; at certain prices it would be wiser to buy a Windows PC. (3) Controllers changed hands frequently, went through several updates, faced delays, and ended up in poor condition. (4) Other factors I’m not mentioning now. Most folks chose between buying a console for savings or investing more for a complete PC setup.
As GeekJump mentioned, the key issues were: 1: Too many manufacturers involved. Valve should have partnered with just a few companies that could supply multiple tiers of the product. 2: Releasing the boxes prematurely. They should have waited until the controller was ready and SteamOS was stable. 3: Insufficient game support. 4: Absence of drivers from NVidia, whose GPUs they predominantly use. Without proper drivers, hardware performance remains poor.
I think the focus was on Windows instead of consoles, which also didn’t go well. Gabe has been strong against Windows Store and gaming on Windows. Linux adoption remains very limited so no game support exists. The Steam machine aimed to boost Linux gaming by offering a user-friendly platform, hoping more developers would join. If it worked, it could have encouraged studios to create titles for it. Windows would be disappointed. While progress was made, it’s not enough. Valves’ main issue was the absence of a flagship title. They needed something standout—something new built for SteamOS—but it seems they’ve moved on from being developers. Both hardware support and game design are still in early stages, leaving some optimism but limited results.
It was about that idea. The idea behind steam machines was to make PC gaming feel like a home console experience. They got the concept right, but I think they didn’t quite hit the mark.