SteamOS Archives

AppWizard

June 22, 2026

Steam Machine review: Valve’s underwhelming living-room PC has a serious price problem

The Steam Machine is a compact gaming system measuring 16.5 × 15.5 × 15.3 cm, designed to run SteamOS and provide access to the Steam library while offering a user experience similar to consoles. It features a custom AMD CPU with six cores and twelve threads, 16 MiB of L3 cache, and a maximum clock speed of 4.86 GHz. The system includes 16 GiB of DDR5 memory and a discrete Radeon graphics unit with 8 GiB of GDDR6 video memory based on the Navi 33 architecture, operating with 28 compute units and a power budget of 110 watts. Storage consists of an NVMe drive with approximately 1.9 TB of space and a zram swap of around 7.6 GiB. The Steam Machine runs SteamOS 3.8.9 in its x86-64 version, allowing it to function as either a Linux PC or a gaming interface. Connectivity options include one HDMI 2.0 port, one DisplayPort 1.4 port, four USB-A ports, a USB-C port, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. Its hardware is aligned with PC architecture but lacks the customization options of a bespoke system.

AppWizard

June 22, 2026

Steam Machine pricing starts at $1,049 for 512GB model

Valve's Steam Machine is now available for pre-order, with two versions priced at ,049 for the 512GB model and ,349 for the 2TB model, which includes a Steam Controller. The device runs on SteamOS and can play PC games, functioning as both a console and a desktop computer. Its compact design allows for easy integration into home environments. The pricing has been influenced by component shortages due to demand from AI sectors. Valve has stated that it does not follow the traditional console model of selling hardware at a loss, aiming instead for an open ecosystem. Insights suggest that the target price for the Steam Machine may have shifted significantly due to rising costs.

Winsage

June 13, 2026

Steam Survey: Increased Windows 11 Adoption, AMD GPU Detection Fix Live

Windows 11 has surpassed Windows 10 in adoption nearly four years after its launch in 2021, with projections of reaching 1 billion users by 2026. The May 2026 Steam Hardware and Software survey shows a 2.02% increase in Windows 11 gamers, while Windows 10 declined by 1.64% and Linux by 0.53%. Windows gained 0.38% overall, and macOS added 0.15%. English-language users increased by 2.71%, indicating demographic biases in the survey. The industry standard remains 16 GB of RAM and 1080p monitor resolution, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 as the most popular graphics card. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT saw a 1.24% gain following a fix for detection issues.

AppWizard

June 10, 2026

If a decade-old Nintendo Switch can run PC games, your next handheld doesn’t need to be x86

Arm chips have traditionally excelled in Android gaming and emulation, while x86 architecture has dominated serious PC gaming. A modder successfully ran Steam on the original Nintendo Switch, which features an Nvidia Tegra chip, due to the introduction of Arm support in Proton 11's beta version. This achievement indicates that PC gaming on handheld devices may not be limited to x86 architecture. However, running Steam on the Switch requires complex workarounds, resulting in low frame rates and various limitations. The process involved using Box64 and community-developed projects to facilitate the installation, as the Switch's outdated kernel posed challenges. Despite the limitations, the ability to run x86 games on an Arm chip suggests that hardware constraints, rather than translation feasibility, are the main obstacles. Modern Arm chips have shown the capability to run PC games, with driver issues being a significant challenge for non-gaming devices. Valve is developing the Steam Frame, a VR headset powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which runs SteamOS natively on Arm and utilizes FEX for x86 game compatibility. Early benchmarks indicate promising performance on Arm devices, suggesting a potential shift in the handheld gaming landscape. While x86 remains the safer choice currently, the barriers for Arm-based handhelds are gradually diminishing, indicating a future with more options beyond x86 architecture.

Winsage

June 3, 2026

Linux might never replace Windows, so Valve is putting it in your living room instead

The tech community has long awaited the "Year of the Linux Desktop," but Linux has struggled to gain mainstream market share. Valve's SteamOS and the Steam Deck have shown that consumers are open to Linux for gaming. The upcoming Steam Machine aims to present Linux in a console-like format, booting directly into Steam and offering a user-friendly interface while still providing access to a full desktop mode. This approach allows users to engage with Linux without recognizing it as the underlying operating system. Valve has improved Linux gaming compatibility through initiatives like Proton, making it more accessible. However, the Steam Machine faces challenges related to hardware costs and the risk of obsolescence due to rapidly evolving technology. If successful, the Steam Machine could redefine Linux adoption by introducing it into homes through entertainment rather than direct competition with Windows.

AppWizard

May 29, 2026

Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney slams Valve over Steam Deck price hikes — mocks founder Gabe Newell over rising costs of megayachts

Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, criticized Valve for increasing the price of the Steam Deck's 1TB model to 9, attributing the price hike to shortages in memory and chips. He acknowledged the overall rise in component costs but deemed Valve's increases excessive. Valve's CEO Gabe Newell is known for his luxury yacht collection, including a 365-foot superyacht valued at around a billion dollars. Valve has not yet announced pricing for the Steam Machine, which is expected to be priced similarly to other gaming PC builds, potentially exceeding ,000, without subsidies to compete with PlayStation or Xbox.

AppWizard

May 28, 2026

The Steam Deck OLED’s price hikes have killed its status as the best deal in PC games hardware

Ongoing shortages in memory chips, driven by increased demand from AI-focused data centers, have led to significant price increases for the Steam Deck OLED. The 512GB model's price rose from £479 to £649 in the UK (35% increase) and from 9 to 9 in the US (44% increase). The 1TB variant increased from £569 to £779 in the UK (36% increase) and from 9 to 9 in the US (46% increase). Valve attributes these hikes to rising component costs and logistical challenges. The 1TB Steam Deck OLED now competes closely with the Asus ROG Ally X, which offers better performance at a similar price point. The 512GB version has lost its budget-friendly appeal, as the Lenovo Legion Go S undercuts it at £549. Despite the price adjustments, the Steam Deck OLED remains favored for casual gaming due to its design and comfort, but the hikes may deter potential buyers and raise concerns about future products.

AppWizard

May 28, 2026

New Windows 11 update will actually make your PC faster

The Windows 11 update "KB5089573" is designed to enhance PC efficiency and speed, focusing on performance improvements during app launches and core shell experiences like the Start menu and Search. It introduces "Low Latency Profiles" to maximize CPU frequency temporarily when an application is launched, making app launches up to 40% faster and core shell experiences up to 70% quicker. Reliability enhancements include improvements to the sign-in screen, File Explorer, touch gestures, Task Manager, and the ability to share Bluetooth connections with two devices. This update is part of Microsoft's K2 initiative to optimize Windows 11 based on user feedback, with plans for further enhancements in the future. The update is available for installation through the Windows Update tool.

AppWizard

May 22, 2026

New SteamOS update finally fixes one of the Steam Deck’s most irritating bugs

Valve has released the SteamOS 3.8.5 Beta, which includes bug fixes and enhancements for the Steam Deck and other devices like the Asus ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go. Key improvements include a fix for audio issues on the Steam Deck OLED, enhancements to video memory management for discrete GPUs, and a resolution for a bug in Desktop Mode. The update also includes stability and security updates, a fix for the Asus ROG Ally's control behavior after suspend, and improvements from the previous 3.8.4 Beta, such as solutions for WiFi performance issues and trackpad sensitivity adjustments. Users can join the beta by navigating to Settings > System > System Update Channel.

Winsage

May 20, 2026

Microsoft should be terrified of SteamOS, even if Windows owns the Steam charts

Over 93% of Steam users rely on Windows 11, 10, or 7. SteamOS offers a smoother user interface and better performance for handheld gaming compared to Windows. Proton technology enables thousands of Windows games to run on Linux with minimal user intervention. Valve's Steam Machine, set to debut in 2026 or early 2027, aims to introduce a Linux gaming PC to living rooms, potentially shifting gaming interactions away from Windows. The emergence of SteamOS indicates a significant shift in the gaming landscape, suggesting that it can carve out niches where Windows struggles.