By the FlowUP team, gaming PC builder in Genappe (Belgium) · Updated 19 October 2026
In brief:
- Price: from €1,039 (512 GB) to €1,428 (2 TB with controller) in France.
- Power: a Zen 4 processor with 6 cores and an RDNA 3 graphics chip that the press compares to a Radeon RX 7600M, on a par with a PS5.
- The big limitation: under SteamOS, Valorant, Fortnite, Apex Legends and Rainbow Six Siege won’t launch (anti-cheat).
- Our verdict: for the same budget, a Windows gaming PC with an RTX 5060 runs all games and improves over time.
The Steam Machine had everyone talking when Valve unveiled it: a small cube you plug in under the TV, the entire Steam library in the living room, and the promise of a real PC without the hassle. Since it launched at the end of June 2026, one question keeps coming up everywhere: “Steam Machine or gaming PC, what should I get?”
At FlowUP, we build gaming PCs all year round, so we looked at Valve’s console without rose-tinted glasses. It has real strengths. But at over €1,000, it also has limitations you’d better know before placing an order.
A compact PC under the TV: that’s the promise of the Steam Machine.
Steam Machine: what is Valve’s PC console?
The Steam Machine is a compact living-room PC designed by Valve, running SteamOS, the same system as the Steam Deck. Announced on 12 November 2025, it launched at the end of June 2026. You’ll often find it referred to as the “Valve Steam Machine” or “Steam Machine console”, but it’s still a PC: a 15.6 × 15.2 × 16.2 cm cube weighing 2.6 kg, shipped with or without the new Steam Controller.
- System: SteamOS 3, with the Big Picture interface designed for the TV.
- Games: your Steam library, with Proton compatibility for Windows games.
- Purchase: only on Steam, via a reservation list at launch.
Steam Machine price: how much does it cost in France?
The Steam Machine costs €1,039 for the 512 GB version and rises to €1,428 for the 2 TB version with the controller. Valve acknowledged that the final price was significantly higher than expected, due to the surge in the price of RAM (we explained this RAM price increase in a dedicated article).
| Version | Price in France |
|---|---|
| 512 GB | €1,039 |
| 512 GB + Steam Controller | €1,108 |
| 2 TB | €1,359 |
| 2 TB + Steam Controller | €1,428 |
Source: Overclocking.com, prices announced by Valve for France (June 2026).
Gaming in the living room, controller in hand: the Steam Machine’s natural playground.
Steam Machine specs and power: how good is it in games?
The Steam Machine comes with an AMD Zen 4 processor with 6 cores and an RDNA 3 graphics chip with 28 compute units, plus 16 GB of DDR5 memory and 8 GB of video memory. Valve claims it has more than six times the power of the Steam Deck; the press puts it on a par with a PS5 or an Xbox Series S.
| Component | Steam Machine |
|---|---|
| Processor | AMD Zen 4 semi-custom, 6 cores / 12 threads, up to 4.8 GHz |
| Graphics card | AMD RDNA 3, 28 compute units, 2.45 GHz (compared to a Radeon RX 7600M) |
| Memory | 16 GB DDR5 + 8 GB GDDR6 for the graphics chip |
| Storage | 512 GB or 2 TB NVMe SSD, microSD card reader |
| System | SteamOS 3 |
| Format | 15.6 × 15.2 × 16.2 cm, 2.6 kg |
Sources: PC Guide (June 2026), Wikipedia, Overclocking.com.
In practice, the Steam Machine’s power is enough to game comfortably in 1080p and aim for 4K using FSR upscaling, by lowering settings in the heaviest games. For a living-room machine, that’s fine. For a demanding gamer, it’s console level, not the level of a recent gaming PC.
Console format or tower PC: size comes at the cost of power and upgradability.
Steam Machine vs gaming PC: which should you choose?
Steam Machine vs gaming PC is mainly a question of games and the future. The Steam Machine wins on size and simplicity in the living room. The gaming PC wins on power, compatibility and lifespan.
| Criterion | Steam Machine | FlowUP gaming PC |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | €1,039 (512 GB) | with an equivalent budget |
| Graphics card | RDNA 3 chip, on a par with RX 7600M | RTX 5060, RX 9060 XT or higher |
| Compatible games | Steam catalogue, without Valorant or Fortnite | all PC games, all launchers |
| Upgradability | Addable SSD, fixed graphics chip | everything gets upgraded (graphics card, processor, RAM) |
| Size and noise in the living room | discreet little cube | a more imposing tower |
| Warranty and after-sales service (SAV) | Valve | FlowUP, 2 years’ warranty |
- Competitive online games: according to the site Are We Anti-Cheat Yet, Valorant, Fortnite, Apex Legends and Rainbow Six Siege won’t launch on Linux, so not on SteamOS.
- Game Pass, Battle.net or the EA app: designed for Windows, they require tinkering on SteamOS. Valve released Windows drivers after launch, but dual-boot is not yet supported.
- Evolution: in three years, a gaming PC stays up to date by changing the graphics card. The Steam Machine, like a console, will remain as it is.
Steam Machine vs PS5: what are the differences?
In terms of power, the Steam Machine and the PS5 play in the same category. The difference comes down to the catalogue: Sony’s exclusives on the one hand, and the Steam library, its sales, and independent PC games on the other.
If you’re torn above all between a console and a PC, our comparison gaming PC or PS5 goes into the details, including price and games.
Console or living-room PC: the game catalogue often makes the difference.
Steam Machine review: should you buy it?
Our take on the Steam Machine: a beautiful object, ideal for a Steam player who wants to play in the living room without having to think about it, but too expensive for what it offers compared with a gaming PC.
- Buy it if: you mainly play single-player games from your Steam library, in the living room, and you want a discreet, quiet device.
- Avoid it if: you play Valorant, Fortnite or Apex, you use Game Pass, or you want to be able to upgrade your machine.
To see what a FlowUP gaming PC looks like in action, Mathis and Gauthier tested our Rift PC (Ryzen 5 7500F and RX 9060 XT 16GB) in several recent games:
Mathis and Gauthier, test of the FlowUP Rift PC (video in French).
What’s the alternative to the Steam Machine for the same budget?
For the price of a Steam Machine, you can get a complete, assembled and tested gaming PC from FlowUP that runs all PC games. And to recreate the console experience in the living room, simply launch Steam in Big Picture mode and use a controller.
And if you really want a console-sized box, we have our own answer to the Steam Machine: the Flow Machine, a compact Windows gaming PC designed with Pax.
Flow Machine designed by Pax
The compact footprint of a console, with an RTX 5060 and a Ryzen 5 5600, running Windows: Valorant, Fortnite and Call of Duty all run, anti-cheat included. The graphics card, power supply, RAM and storage can all be replaced. Sign up on its page to be the first to know when the next batch is available.
PC Banger RTX 5060 Powered by ASUS
A RTX 5060 with DLSS 4, Windows and all compatible games: the direct alternative to the Steam Machine for an equivalent budget.
PC Savannah RTX 5060 Ti 8GB Powered by MSI
One step up in performance thanks to the RTX 5060 Ti, for the price of a Steam Machine with its controller.
PC Corvus RTX 5050
Cheaper than the Steam Machine 512GB, with a RTX 5050 for playing today’s games in 1080p.
PC Rift Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
The PC tested in the video above: RX 9060 XT 16GB and Ryzen 5 7500F, to target 1440p with some headroom.
Workshop verdict
The Steam Machine is good news for PC gaming, because it shows that a PC can be as simple as a console. But at 1,039 € we’d rather recommend a real gaming PC: more powerful, compatible with all games, repairable and upgradeable. And it connects to the TV just as easily.
A gaming PC also connects to the TV: Steam in Big Picture mode and a controller is all you need.
Steam Machine FAQ
What is the Steam Machine price in France?
€1,039 for the 512GB version, €1,108 with the controller, €1,359 for the 2TB version, and €1,428 for the 2TB version with controller, according to the prices announced by Valve in June 2026.
Steam Machine release date: when did it launch?
Announced by Valve on 12 November 2025, the Steam Machine launched at the end of June 2026, first via a reservation list on Steam.
Does the Steam Machine run Fortnite and Valorant?
No. On SteamOS, Fortnite and Valorant won’t launch, just like Apex Legends and Rainbow Six Siege, because their anti-cheat systems refuse to run Linux. To play them, you need a Windows PC.
Can you install Windows on the Steam Machine?
Valve released Windows drivers after launch, but dual-boot between SteamOS and Windows is not supported yet. It’s possible, but it isn’t the intended use.
Steam Machine or gaming PC: which is more powerful?
With an equivalent budget, a gaming PC with an RTX 5060 or an RX 9060 XT is more powerful than the Steam Machine, whose graphics chip is compared to a Radeon RX 7600M. It’s also compatible with all games and can be upgraded.
