Valve’s Steam Machines Look Dead In The Water

[Megalith]

After seven months on the market, Steam Machines have sold less than 500,000 units. In contrast, the PS4 and Xbox One both broke a million on launch day.

…there have been less than half a million Steam Machines sold over a span of more than half a year. The real number could potentially be much lower when you consider curious Windows gamers who bought a Steam Controller and SteamOS players who bought additional controllers. While the 500,000 number doesn't necessarily include people who decided to download and install SteamOS on their own PCs (or all sales of Valve's $50 Steam Link streaming box), it probably serves as a good ceiling for the wider SteamOS market at this point.

 

[Darunion]

didnt we all figure that? console gamers don't want them and pc gamers already have far far better pcs to game on. So who was the target market?

 

[britjh22]

I feel like steam machines weren't a great idea to begin with, and 95% of people would be better off with a full size desktop and a Steam Link.

 

[Compddd]

Gabe make HL3 and not steam machines you jerk!

 

[cyclone3d]

Soooo... the new versions of well established items (Xbox and Playstation) sold more on launch day than a completely new device?

Oh, the horror.

I would say about 70k units a month is not really that bad at all, especially considering that pretty much everybody that already uses Steam already has a computer capable of doing so.

 

[windianrecords]

Soooo... the new versions of well established items (Xbox and Playstation) sold more on launch day than a completely new device?

Oh, the horror.

I would say about 70k units a month is not really that bad at all, especially considering that pretty much everybody that already uses Steam already has a computer capable of doing so.

Yeah, thats actually higher than I wouldve thought considering most of their audience already built their own "steam machine"... Still don't get the idea but I'm finding reasons to like the controller

 

[haste.]

Soooo... the new versions of well established items (Xbox and Playstation) sold more on launch day than a completely new device?

Oh, the horror.

I would say about 70k units a month is not really that bad at all, especially considering that pretty much everybody that already uses Steam already has a computer capable of doing so.

This article is referencing nothing more than the controller. The "Steam Machine" died before it was ever born.

 

[TheHig]

Fail or not I was hoping that some of the case designs that have been used for off the shelf steam machines could find there way to market. Maybe if they do under sell we will see some 'steam machine' enclosures sold as stand alone units. I have shifted to SFF builds for personal use and have been enjoying all the strides in the SFF world as of late.

As stated previously by others here.. PC gamers tend to build a machine or have a buddy do it for them. --Toss on steam and off to the races. The prices alone are what turned off several people I know that were interested. Myself included.

 

[tec1500]

Soooo... the new versions of well established items (Xbox and Playstation) sold more on launch day than a completely new device?

Oh, the horror.

I would say about 70k units a month is not really that bad at all, especially considering that pretty much everybody that already uses Steam already has a computer capable of doing so.

Seems pretty good to me too. Especially when you read the Steam forums and a bunch of people are hating on the tech and say it will "never" sell. Another way of looking at it, is perhaps they gained almost that number of Steam users to their fold. Still well above the amount of console users.

 

[Elios]

steam os and Valken are doa too

 

[Vercinaigh]

steam os and Valken are doa too

Vulkan being DOA is probably the best joke I've heard all year, good one. It wouldn't make sense from any angle for that to happen lol.

 

[jwcalla]

Like HL3, Valve lost interest in the product well before it even shipped. The only reason they finished it up and pushed it out the door is because they were on the hook with hardware partners.

 

[Ducman69]

didnt we all figure that?

Absolutely, the failure was anticipated here on [H] at its announcement. If you wanted a proprietary OS, we already had consoles. If you wanted the massive PC marketplace, we already had little HTPCs (I did really like the Alienware Alphas I bought), so what was the point? And non gamers already had Rokus, firesticks, and smart TVs.

 

[HeadRusch]

Linux based PC gaming from the couch on a non-standard OS......how could this ideal fail.

 

[lostinseganet]

I actually like the concept of a steam machine BUTT valve takes too dang long to release things and I did not want to be waiting forever for what ever fixes that are needed. Also Half Life 3 SHOULD have been the killer app for these things.

 

[tetris42]

Not too awful considering what they're up against. Steam machines were never going to fly off the shelves, Linux gaming simply isn't there yet. Steam machines are a means to possibly break the chicken and the egg cycle. No one makes games for linux because no one games on it. No one games on linux because no one makes games for it. It's been like this for decades. Steam machines have done more for Linux gaming than pretty much anything. Granted, that's still not a lot, but it's something. Maybe 10 years from now it can gain some traction if Microsoft keeps making bad decisions. Just having SOME alternative to Windows for PC gaming is a good thing, even if it's anemic right now.

 

[BloodyIron]

The thing about the stream machines is they cost less to fab, since they're using consumer parts, unlike fully custom silicon and PCBs in other consoles. The initial investment to the OEMs is lower. Also consider the software isn't license constrained either.

Even though it's not as much as the others, it's still plenty good for the gaming industry. Gotta start somewhere.

 

[Snowdog]

Seems pretty good to me too. Especially when you read the Steam forums and a bunch of people are hating on the tech and say it will "never" sell. Another way of looking at it, is perhaps they gained almost that number of Steam users to their fold. Still well above the amount of console users.

It's not 500K Steam Machines.

It's 500K Steam Controllers. Which are sold standalone, not just with Steam Machines.

I'd be surprised if it was even 100K Steam Machines. Even then I would bet most of that 100K ended up installing Windows to get more games, better performing games, other software not available in Linux, etc...

Steam Machines as real thing running SteamOS was DOA. Valve never even bothered with their own machine, which they said they were going to do. They have done no marketing, they have financed no Ports.

Other than simply building a Linux Distro (something a student could do) with their Steam Software,they have done little, it looks almost like abandonware at this point.

SteamOS/Machines was Gabe ragefest at having to compete with Microsofts appstore in Windows 8+. Eventually Gabe got back to reality, recognizing that competing within Windows, was going to be much more profitable than trying to compete against Windows.

 

[steakman1971]

I bought a SteamLink and a Steam Controller. Both work pretty well - but gotta say I prefer the Xbox 360 controller (for when I use a joystick, more of a mouse/keyboard player).
Steam has 30% off right now, you can get these for a good price. Still, unless you need one, no reason to upgrade over what you have.

 

[defaultluser]

The thing about the stream machines is they cost less to fab, since they're using consumer parts, unlike fully custom silicon and PCBs in other consoles. The initial investment to the OEMs is lower. Also consider the software isn't license constrained either.

Even though it's not as much as the others, it's still plenty good for the gaming industry. Gotta start somewhere.

The problem you have is the hardware has to be sold at very little profit to entice console buyers at that sub-$500 price point, which means they don't put a whole lot of effort into these things. The consoles can sell for about $50-100 less because they expect you to buy games. But Steam gets all the profit from that sale!

And they're still playing the same old price-gouging tricks they always have, they're just giving away the i3 plus 750 Ti for cheap. The 960 + core i5 models start at their usual gargantuan price point of several hundred dollars higher!

I do give credit to Valve for working out a good deal for buying the GTX 750 Ti for cheap, but that's not going to drop their cost of entry to console levels. Nobody wants to sell their hardware at a loss if it's just goign into a generic box.

Also, the lack of AMD drivers makes it very hard to build anything unique. It's all Intel plus Nvidia, which gets pretty boring for people.

 

[funkydmunky]

I think Steam are in for the long game. This meek entrance into the console market was too be expected. Low cost APU's are just on the cusp of being something decent. Vulcan and Linux gaming will take time to develop. It will take time, and I would guess the controller is where their money is at.

 

[cyclone3d]

This article is referencing nothing more than the controller. The "Steam Machine" died before it was ever born.

I didn't even bother looking at the article. Figured it was another clickbait POS.

And I guess that means Megalith needs to actually learn to write proper headlines instead of just making crap up.

 

[crusty_juggler]

I think Steam are in for the long game. This meek entrance into the console market was too be expected. Low cost APU's are just on the cusp of being something decent. Vulcan and Linux gaming will take time to develop. It will take time, and I would guess the controller is where their money is at.

So maybe 2017 will be the Year of The Linux Console?

 

[Chris_B]

Maybe they'll actually make Half Life 3 to offset the costs of this piece of shit. Only possible upside.

 

[DrDoU]

After i saw there controller I was not even interested in buying one

 

[Flogger23m]

didnt we all figure that? console gamers don't want them and pc gamers already have far far better pcs to game on. So who was the target market?

Excellent question. It is as simple as a console, then magically becomes as versatile as a gaming PC when the argument supports them. It is amazing at how a company could create something with such an undefined target.

 

[crusty_juggler]

So who was the target market?

Individuals whose decision making is based entirely on anti-MS conspiracy theories; people like Gabe Newell. Valve basically made a console for themselves.

It is amazing at how a company could create something with such an undefined target.

When you consider how pathetically detached from reality Valve is, it's not so amazing. We should not be surprised one bit by Valve's scattershot and unrealistic design philosophy.

I'd like to point an example of how detached Valve is currently. Valve has been upfront about their belief that single-player FPSes aren't profitable and don't fit with their highly monetized, F2P portfolio. Yet we've seen the reboots of Wolfenstein, Shadow Warrior and Doom all developed with a focus on core shooter mechanics and completely eschewing multi-player and micro-transactions. All of those games were successful.

If I had said five years ago that we would be seeing de-CoDified remakes of classic FPSes that harken back to the golden age of shooters, and that Valve would be unable to find any motivation to ship a Half Life title, instead churning out gambling simulators overflowing with micro-transactions, I would have been laughed off the Internet.

Valve is completely divorced from it's consumer base, the realities of PC gaming and is the polar opposite of the company they were a few years ago.

 

[Trimlock]

Valve is a store now, nothing else.

 

[Advil]

Valve had a window of time before the Steam Machines launched to figure out what we all wanted. An alternative gaming OS. They had the pull in the industry and with the gamers at that magic moment to push their specific distro of Linux and get all the big game devs behind it.

But they just stuck to their stupid "living room useless gadget" idea rather than seeing the potential.

All they had to do was just SAY they wanted to make it a unified gaming OS and we'd have all gotten on board while they figured out how to change direction and make that happen.

But no... it just had to be the gimmick instead.

Oh well.

 

[cyclone3d]

Valve had a window of time before the Steam Machines launched to figure out what we all wanted. An alternative gaming OS. They had the pull in the industry and with the gamers at that magic moment to push their specific distro of Linux and get all the big game devs behind it.

But they just stuck to their stupid "living room useless gadget" idea rather than seeing the potential.

All they had to do was just SAY they wanted to make it a unified gaming OS and we'd have all gotten on board while they figured out how to change direction and make that happen.

But no... it just had to be the gimmick instead.

Oh well.

Why would I want to have to use a different OS just for gaming? I use my main rig for gaming AND everything else.

The only reason I would have been interested in a "gaming OS" would be to get rid of a lot of the overhead. DX12 seems to (will) take care of a lot of that. Waiting to see what Vulkan is used for now.

 

[jwcalla]

Valve simply doesn't have the capacity to effectively produce anything other than virtual hats.

They have not shipped a damn thing that isn't a steaming pile in years.

Even Steam Link is an overpriced useless pile of chit.

 

[Tsumi]

Not too awful considering what they're up against. Steam machines were never going to fly off the shelves, Linux gaming simply isn't there yet. Steam machines are a means to possibly break the chicken and the egg cycle. No one makes games for linux because no one games on it. No one games on linux because no one makes games for it. It's been like this for decades. Steam machines have done more for Linux gaming than pretty much anything. Granted, that's still not a lot, but it's something. Maybe 10 years from now it can gain some traction if Microsoft keeps making bad decisions. Just having SOME alternative to Windows for PC gaming is a good thing, even if it's anemic right now.

Steam Machines and SteamOS didn't do anything for Linux gaming. If anything, they might have hurt the market for Linux gaming. A console player buying a cheap one out of curiosity would be turned off by poor performance and limited selection. Others would be turned off by high prices of anything that had decent hardware. Supporting Vulkan has done the most for Linux gaming, not creating these overpriced glorified HTPCs with a 5 minute slapped together OS.

The thing about the stream machines is they cost less to fab, since they're using consumer parts, unlike fully custom silicon and PCBs in other consoles. The initial investment to the OEMs is lower. Also consider the software isn't license constrained either.

Even though it's not as much as the others, it's still plenty good for the gaming industry. Gotta start somewhere.

The smart OEMs just took their existing Windows boxes, branded it with Steam logos, and put Valve's SteamOS on it. Nothing new or unique was created, no new ground was broken.

I think Steam are in for the long game. This meek entrance into the console market was too be expected. Low cost APU's are just on the cusp of being something decent. Vulcan and Linux gaming will take time to develop. It will take time, and I would guess the controller is where their money is at.

Nope. If Valve can't be bothered to create a locked hardware set with a locked down OS, they aren't breaking into the console market. They're only attempting to break into the gaming HTPC market.

I didn't even bother looking at the article. Figured it was another clickbait POS.

And I guess that means Megalith needs to actually learn to write proper headlines instead of just making crap up.

Then you really should have read the article. An editor asked if the Steam Controller sold count included those sold with Steam Machines (every Steam Machine comes with a Steam Controller), to which Valve answered in the affirmative. Therefore, the number of Steam Machines sold is less than or equal to the number of Steam Controllers sold, and it is not unreasonable to think that the number of Steam Machines sold is significantly lower than the number of Steam Controllers sold. There would have been a large number of people buying the Steam Controller only.

 

[defaultluser]

One other thing: Steam was ported to Linux as a show of force by Valve that they could take on Microsoft directly if they had to.

After MS couldn't stop talking about the bright future of Metro apps sold only in the Windows 8 store, and everyone paying Microsoft 30% per-sale (including in-app purchases), Valve made a power-play porting Steam to Linux. They took it a step further with a fairly serious push for SteamOS, even though they knew it would be a failure.

But there are good things resulting from this. Linux video card drivers are better than they've ever been, and there's now "enough" AAA games on Linux for people to consider it a primary gaming platform, and that could slowly eat away at Microsoft's marketshare. And you now have an alternative controller to Microsoft's Xbox.

Much like Microsoft had to create Windows RT to light a fire under Intel's ass and make them release Bay Trail, Valve had to make a similar play with Linux to cover their ass, and make it clear they would NEVER put Steam in the Windows Store.

 

[Flogger23m]

Why would I want to have to use a different OS just for gaming? I use my main rig for gaming AND everything else.

The only reason I would have been interested in a "gaming OS" would be to get rid of a lot of the overhead. DX12 seems to (will) take care of a lot of that. Waiting to see what Vulkan is used for now.

Agreed. One OS to play games, another for everything else? May as well use a console.

 

[TheBlueChanell]

Just like Steam itself I think Steam Machines are going to be a slow burn/long term product. Feral has been pretty active porting games and Vulkan is just now starting to get off the ground. Just by having Steam / SteamOS we've come hundreds of miles already as far as drivers go in Linux Land. Both AMD/nVidia and Intel have made leaps and bounds in their Linux driver department both as far as support and quality goes. AMD, imo, making the most progress with the advent of AMDGPU/AMDGPU Pro and a shared base with the open-source driver.

I'm looking forward to seeing steam machines next year based on 14nm Zen/Polaris/HBM APU's.

Edit: Forgot to mention as well that SteamOS itself isn't even out of beta yet.

 

[crusty_juggler]

Mark my words. SteamOS will have been completely abandoned in one year's time.

 

[tetris42]

Steam Machines and SteamOS didn't do anything for Linux gaming. If anything, they might have hurt the market for Linux gaming. A console player buying a cheap one out of curiosity would be turned off by poor performance and limited selection. Others would be turned off by high prices of anything that had decent hardware. Supporting Vulkan has done the most for Linux gaming, not creating these overpriced glorified HTPCs with a 5 minute slapped together OS.

Look at the number of games available to Linux users before and after Valve got involved. It's pretty dramatic. It's been over 1,500 games added to Steam with native support for Linux, so no WINE or emulation involved, just download and play. You're seriously saying that's harmed Linux gaming?

 

[Rustynuts]

Why by a Steam box? I'm building a dual duty secondary gaming PC which will also be a HTPC.

 

[heatlesssun]

But there are good things resulting from this. Linux video card drivers are better than they've ever been, and there's now "enough" AAA games on Linux for people to consider it a primary gaming platform, and that could slowly eat away at Microsoft's marketshare. And you now have an alternative controller to Microsoft's Xbox.

Name one AAA title that came out for Linux this year contemporaneously with Windows and console versions. I know people debate the accuracy of Valve's Steam Hardware survey but when Valve's own numbers have been saying that Linux gaming has gone no where I'm thinking Valve would have a lot of reasons to say the opposite, and they aren't.

Much like Microsoft had to create Windows RT to light a fire under Intel's ass and make them release Bay Trail, Valve had to make a similar play with Linux to cover their ass, and make it clear they would NEVER put Steam in the Windows Store.

There's no point in Steam being in the Windows Store. It's the games and other content that could be in the Windows Store thus competing with Valve and this a big motivation for Valve creating its own platform for Steam. With the ability to host Win32 apps getting fleshed out, the Windows Store will probably be the biggest competitor Steam has seen to date. And again, this was Valve's primary motivation for Steam OS and Steam Machines. And I certainly don't blame them.

 

[Snowdog]

Mark my words. SteamOS will have been completely abandoned in one year's time.

Would that look much different than it does today? What exactly is Valve doing with SteamOS that looks like support today?