Shuhei Yoshida, a prominent figure formerly leading PlayStation Worldwide Studios and later overseeing indie games at PlayStation, has shared his initial impressions of Valve's Steam Machine. After spending a few hours with the console-styled PC, Yoshida offered a candid assessment of its capabilities and drawbacks.
Yoshida noted that the Steam Machine's 3D performance felt lackluster, prompting him to question if the system was reverting to the standards of the PlayStation 4 era, particularly as it defaulted to 1080p. He also experienced significant delays in game boot times, a common complaint among early users. However, he did find the system's user interface to be intuitive and easy to navigate. A standout feature for Yoshida was the ability to power on the console by pressing a button on the Steam Controller, calling it a "killer feature."
The design of the Steam Machine also received some positive remarks, with Yoshida appreciating the changeable face plates and the inclusion of random boot-up videos as a "nice touch."
In contrast, the Steam Controller itself drew criticism. Yoshida found the controller's sticks to be looser than his preference, and while the touchpad was a novel addition, he described it as "very touchy" and difficult to use effectively.
Despite these criticisms, the core functionality of the Steam Machine – enabling players to access their Steam library on a living room television – proved to be a significant draw for Yoshida, convincing him to keep the device. Nevertheless, the system's price point emerged as a major deterrent. Yoshida stated that the price was "very unfriendly" and made it difficult to recommend the console, especially to a general audience, suggesting it might only be suitable for research purposes.
Other reviewers have echoed Yoshida's sentiments, with Eurogamer's own assessment noting that while the hardware was charming, the Steam Machine was likely too niche and prohibitively expensive. Valve has acknowledged that the retail price was higher than intended, but the overall cost of consoles in the current market is a general challenge.
Ultimately, Yoshida's experience with the Steam Machine yielded a mixed verdict. While he lauded certain user-friendly aspects and the convenience of PC gaming on a TV, the performance limitations and high cost cast a significant shadow over the device.