You guys need to read this because the Steam Machine has quietly become my favorite way to play on my TV, and I can't stop thinking about it! Yeah — I know, it costs $1,049, competes with six-year-old consoles, and you can't upgrade its GPU. But here’s why I don't care: it's a tiny 6-inch cube that fits in my TV cabinet *without* me having to shove my massive PS5 and Xbox Series X into one cramped shelf like they demand. It's basically silent — not a fan whir during Final Fantasy VII Remake, 007 First Light, or Balatro — and it works flawlessly with the Steam Controller (which I already love). Plus it boots in seconds and plays beautifully through my Sonos Beam soundbar, so the whole TV-gaming experience just feels... right.

But what's even cooler is how it handles the desk/monitor setup without making me rearrange my entire small office — you can plop it on your desk and hook up a monitor instantly because of its tiny footprint! My PS5 and Series X simply don't fit into this workflow, plus they block Steam cloud saves between my Deck and desktop, can't run my favorite mods, and obviously don't support the controller. Compared to those gargantuan boxes, Valve's box is refreshingly small, and honestly I'd drop the $1,049 today just for that form factor alone — it fits into my life in a way console hardware never could. It’s not perfect but it works exactly how you want on your TV or desk, which to me is winning.

Source: https://www.theverge.com/games/962561/valve-steam-machine-tv-desk-life