Gamer Buys Over $1000 Steam Machine to Play Steam Games—Wild!

KEY POINTS

•A reviewer played Valve's original Steam Machine with a red faceplate and also owns a PS5 and Xbox Series X.
•Although they gave the Steam Machine a modest score of 6, they still recommend spending $1,049 to buy it now.
•This recommendation is driven by the Steam Machine's unique compatibility with Steam’s cloud saves and Library, unavailable on other consoles.

In a truly splendid case of first-world enthusiast enthusiasm, a Valve Steam Machine—complete with a vibrant red faceplate and its forerunner Steam Controller—costing a princely $1,049 has won the heart of a dedicated gamer who already owns a PS5 and Xbox Series X. Despite these modern powerhouses, neither console supports the beloved Steam library’s hundreds of games or the clever cloud saves syncing with Valve’s Steam Deck. The reviewer generously graded the Steam Machine with a solid 6 but still championed buying one immediately, revealing the fiercely loyal puzzle that is gaming tech inertia. Meanwhile, The Verge, via Kelsey McClellan’s impeccable photos, immortalized this pricey console’s struggle to justify its existence. And so here we have it: a passionate defense of spending more to get less—for the pure joy of seamless Steam life integration.