this post was submitted on 15 Nov 2025
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Can everyone please stop claiming and speculating that Valve's new hardware will be loss leaders? If you watch LTT and Gamers Nexus's first videos on the announcement, they actually spoke with Valve's engineers. And the Valve representatives already said that the new hardware WILL NOT BE LOSS LEADERS.

There isn't even evidence that the Steam Deck was a loss leader. All GabeN said was that the lowest cost launch model was priced "painfully", which doesn't necessarily mean it was sold at a loss, it could easily have been sold at a very tight margin.

And no, low margins does not meet the definition of a loss leader. A loss leader is a product sold below cost, in that every unit sold actually costs the seller money.

I get the desire to speculate on new hardware. It's fun and it helps pass the time until we hear more info from Valve. But there's limits to what is reasonable. Valve has already stated that the new hardware won't be loss leaders, so hoping and/or claiming they are isn't reasonable.

Sorry for the rant, but all of the comments that seem to have only skimmed headlines are quickly getting to me

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[–] RicoBerto@piefed.blahaj.zone 17 points 1 day ago (2 children)

It's a small computer, it isnt going after the Xbox or PS5 customers. It's going for the people who want a computer in their living room.

[–] Arcane2077@sh.itjust.works 17 points 1 day ago (4 children)

This comment is so silly and yet I keep seeing it everywhere. What do you think the Xbox and Playstations are? What is it that xbox and playstation customers are looking for that this small computer isn’t?

[–] deranger@sh.itjust.works 17 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

What do you think the Xbox and Playstations are?

Consoles.

What is it that xbox and playstation customers are looking for that this small computer isn’t?

I have a hard time even figuring out what you’re trying to ask here.

[–] Arcane2077@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Consoles.

Consoles are just small computers lol

I have a hard time even figuring out what you’re trying to ask here.

Don’t know what else to tell you. Person I replied to said console customers aren’t interested in consoles. That’s silly

[–] deranger@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

No, it isn’t, in practice. Xbox and PS5 have more in common with my iPhone than my desktop PC or NAS when it comes to being able to do what I want with it.

It will be interesting to see how proprietary the Steam machine is. That’s how I’d end up classifying it as console or miniPC.

[–] ag10n@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The steam deck is also a small PC, just like the consoles and was priced perfectly for success

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

None of those consoles would directly boot into desktop Linux with just a few button presses.

[–] ag10n@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They actually do, they’re just locked down from factory

https://github.com/SleepTheGod/PS5_Linux_Boot/blob/main/README.md

Remember that PS2 natively supported this and modern consoles like the Switch can boot directly into desktop Linux.

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I said "with a few button presses," not "after hacking it and booting from external media."

[–] ag10n@lemmy.world -1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So what you’re saying because Valve supports it out of the box is the limiting factor between a console and pc

The hardware supports it; it could be a PC if you want.

You skipped over the PS2 and how it was a console and marketed with Linux support directly from Sony

Let alone Yellow Dog Linux on the PS3

https://youtu.be/lSP9b4Qcu4M

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

A clever enough person can get a useable general-purpose OS running on just about any hardware. The entire point is that it's user-friendly out of the box.

[–] FartMaster69@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

As far as how most people use their computers there is little difference.

[–] deliriousdreams@fedia.io 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I don't use my PS5 to surf the web. I know you can use it to watch movies and stuff, but I don't use it for that either.

At best, it depends on what kind of user most of the console owners are.

[–] Arcane2077@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago

It’s odd that the PS4 has a web browser, and that the PS5 has mouse and keyboard support, but neither has both

[–] Arcane2077@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Having more features and flexibility than other consoles doesn’t take away its main function and selling point.

[–] deranger@sh.itjust.works 0 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

I’m not really following your response. Steam Machine’s feature set doesn’t make the Xbox Series X/S or PlayStation 5 into computers. Yes, they’re x86, but they’re so proprietary and locked down they’re not computers in the colloquial sense.

If the Steam Machine can dual boot Linux, which I bet it can, that’s much more a general purpose computer than either of those consoles.

[–] ElectricWaterfall@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think the difference is that the Xbox and PlayStation are locked down to their respective ecosystems with monthly subscription and only one online store. Microsoft and Sony have almost guaranteed return based on that alone. If valve prices this as a loss leader what’s to stop a large corporation to buy 20k steam machines and use them as computers instead of consoles. Then valve is just eating that cost with no return on the other side.

[–] ag10n@lemmy.world -1 points 1 day ago

The Ukraine military has been using steam decks on the front line Do you really think it’s affected their bottom line?

[–] RicoBerto@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

You are correct in that all technically fit the definition of computers. However consumers don't care about technical definitions or think rationally about purchases. They don't all do a rational analysis of the products on the market that would accomplish their goals and spend accordingly. They walk into GameStop and buy one of the boxes that makes call of duty show up on their living room tv. Just like the Deck fits the definition of a handheld computer with a built in screen and controllers for playing games but isn't stealing any customers from the switch.

Deck isn't selling millions and it's doing just fine. The Steam Machine will be a small computer box priced as such and there won't be a single person that decides to buy it over a ps5, and that's fine. Valve doesn't have to compete with consoles cause they don't make consoles.

Valve themselves have said that the Machine will not be priced like a console but like an entry level PC whatever that means. The only people that will notice this to buy it are people who already know what a PC is.

[–] mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works 3 points 22 hours ago

Deck isn't selling millions and it's doing just fine.

I don't have have an issue with the rest of your comment but this quote is factually wrong. The Deck actually has sold multiple millions of units.

[–] EldritchFeminity@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

I'd say the Deck isn't stealing customers from the Switch because they are filling different market niches. The Switch is a portable console with portable Nintendo games made for it. The Deck is a portable PC that gives you access to your entire Steam library on the go.

The GabeCube, however, could absolutely pull some customers of the PS5 and Xbox depending on the pricing - especially with Microsoft's demands that every part of the Xbox division see a 30% profit margin. The Big Three isn't going to become the Big Four, but I think it will make some ripples. Steam running in Big Screen mode is effectively a console interface, and it plays Call of Duty just like the consoles. And with Sony finally moving away from console exclusive games, it means that Steam has almost full parity with the libraries of both of the consoles going forward while also offering access to all kinds of indie games that the consoles don't. The GabeCube can play Call of Duty and Ghost of Tsushima, but it can also play Ultrakill and ~~Bloodborne~~ Nightmare Kart, and neither Xbox nor Playstation can say that.

Edit: And this doesn't even mention old games. The Steam library has access to all kinds of old games that never get ported to new consoles when a new generation releases, meaning that its library grows in step with the consoles but you can still play your old favorites without having to keep buying them again or keep your old consoles around.

[–] olafurp@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I know my case is specific but having a Jellyfin running on a Steam computer looks to me as good case for having a computer in the living room. Adding a TV applications to Steam such as Netflix is also a case. Then there are people who have their workstation close to the TV so they can use it instead of their laptop and just switch displays with one of these HDMI branching dongles.

Yup, I might try the Jellyfin thing as well. I currently use an app on the TV, but it's flaky and the TV keeps losing network randomly. Newer TVs at adding ads, so I'll need an alternative.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Hard disagree. I think that's exactly who they're going after. That's why they added all the console features like CEC, wake on BT, background updates, and a controller-first interface.

I think that's pretty clearly who they've been targeting for >10 years with SteamOS.