For nearly a decade, the fighting game community has expressed a desire for major tournaments to transition from consoles to PCs. Despite this ongoing wish, the shift has yet to materialize on a large scale.
Valve’s New Offering
Today, Valve unveiled its new Steam Machine systems alongside other hardware, igniting speculation about whether this development might finally encourage tournament organizers to embrace PCs. The PlayStation 5 has dominated the competitive scene for the past five years, yet players frequently voice frustrations regarding the console’s performance during events. Concerns about overheating PS5s contributing to input lag in titles like Street Fighter 6 have been prevalent, with reports from Evo 2023 highlighting issues such as melting USB ports.
While many competitors utilize PCs for their personal setups—often citing advantages like reduced lag—significant barriers have hindered widespread adoption at major tournaments, aside from select invitationals. The introduction of Valve’s Steam Machine could potentially address some of these challenges, although optimism about it becoming the new standard for fighting game competitions remains cautious.
Notable figures in the fighting game community, including tournament organizers Alex Jebailey and Alex Valle, have expressed interest in the Steam Machine, suggesting that this could be a small but meaningful step toward change.
Nobody jump the gun yet please but I’m excited to see the costs & potential the Steam Machine hardware has for tournaments running on a straight to gaming PC setup with Steam OS. Especially if this is 6x more powerful than the current Steam Deck. https://t.co/aeHePFfuO5— Alex Jebailey (@Jebailey) November 12, 2025
Hardware Consistency Challenges
One of the longstanding challenges in adopting PCs for competitive play is the issue of hardware consistency. The vast array of configurations available for PC setups can lead to complications. However, the Steam Machine promises a uniform hardware experience, featuring an AMD 6-core Zen 4 CPU, AMD RDNA3 GPU, and 16GB of DDR5 RAM. While it will operate on Steam OS, which may introduce some software and controller compatibility hurdles, users will have the option to install Windows if preferred.
FGC tournament standard machines might be a reality soon… https://t.co/fydqpTKcdq— Alex Valle ➡️⬇️↘️+👊 (@TheAlexValle) November 12, 2025
Despite the excitement surrounding the Steam Machine, there are concerns regarding its performance capabilities. Early reports suggest that it may not surpass the base PlayStation 5 in power, possibly aligning more closely with the Xbox Series S. While this level of performance could suffice for most modern fighting games, it may come at the expense of visual fidelity to maintain a steady 60 fps.
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Logistical Considerations
Logistics present another significant hurdle to the widespread adoption of PCs at major fighting game events. Gaming computers typically come with a higher price tag than standard consoles, and with event budgets already stretched thin, tournament organizers face tough decisions. While Valve has yet to disclose the pricing for the Steam Machines, it is likely that they will be priced similarly to or even higher than the PS5, making them a challenging sell for many organizers.
Moreover, the logistics of acquiring multiple systems for a single event remain a concern. Given the high demand and staggered releases seen with the Steam Deck, securing enough Steam Machines for a sizable tournament could prove difficult, especially shortly after launch.
While it seems that PCs are gradually closing the gap in terms of feasibility and logistics, a full-scale revolution in the fighting game community may still be several years away. The PlayStation brand is likely to remain a staple in the competitive scene, particularly with Sony’s continued support as a major sponsor of fighting game tournaments, even after divesting its ownership stake in Evo.
In the interim, the landscape will likely continue as it has, with PCs playing a role primarily in smaller events, invitationals, and specific games that lack console versions. Even if the Steam Machine does not herald an immediate transformation upon its arrival in 2026, it opens the door for a future where a standardized gaming box could facilitate a more significant shift in the competitive gaming arena.
