The former PlayStation executive is among the first owners of Valve’s new Steam Machine, and his early enthusiasm has now given way to a far more mixed verdict. Shuhei Yoshida praised the compact hardware, quiet operation and SteamOS interface, but he cannot broadly recommend the system because of its performance, loading behaviour and, above all, its price.

The first Steam Machine units are now reaching some early buyers, including Shuhei Yoshida. The former head of PlayStation Studios initially highlighted the system’s small size, understated design and low noise levels, but his opinion became considerably more critical after spending several hours playing on it. Yoshida does not consider Valve’s new living-room PC a bad concept, yet he argues that its current form makes it difficult to justify the price Valve is asking for the hardware.

Its gaming performance was his main concern. Yoshida described the experience in 3D games as merely average and pointed out that the system recommends 1080p as its default resolution. The former PlayStation executive reacted with the ironic question, “Have I gone back to the PS4 days?” That criticism carries particular weight because Valve originally presented Steam Machine as a television-focused PC capable of targeting 4K gaming with FSR. The company’s messaging later changed, however, with the previously highlighted 60 FPS target disappearing from the wording, leaving a more cautious claim of up to 4K resolution with FSR 4.1.

The machine combines a custom AMD processor with an RDNA 3-based graphics solution, but Yoshida did not attempt a deep technical breakdown. Instead, he stressed that the system can feel underpowered by current standards in some situations. Digital Foundry’s preliminary testing also suggests that results vary widely from game to game: Crimson Desert can fall below 50 FPS in busier scenes with console-like settings and no upscaling, while 007 First Light can maintain 60 FPS at 1440p using FSR Performance mode and comparable visual settings. In that second example, however, the use of aggressive upscaling means the internal resolution is substantially lower, so those headline numbers still involve meaningful compromises.

Thoughts after a few hours of playing with Steam Machine.

– 3D performance is just…meh.
– The system recommends to default to 1080p – am I going back to PS4 days?
– Some games take a looooooong time to boot, what is it doing?
– System UI is easy to use.
– Being able to boot up… pic.twitter.com/qQL93AALpZ

— Shuhei Yoshida (@yosp) July 2, 2026

Yoshida also raised concerns about loading behaviour. He said that some games take an unexpectedly long time to launch from Steam’s menu and questioned what the system is doing during those waits, especially when it is equipped with an NVMe SSD and 16 GB of memory. On paper, that combination should enable much faster loading, making those delays stand out even more. Early impressions indicate that the SteamOS interface and the quality of individual game optimisation will remain central to how console-like the experience actually feels.

Not every aspect disappointed him. Yoshida particularly liked SteamOS’s accessible interface, the system’s quiet operation, its interchangeable faceplates and the random startup videos. He also considered the ability to wake Steam Machine by pressing a button on the new Steam Controller one of its smartest features, even though similar functionality has long been standard on consoles. He was less convinced by the controller’s touchpad, which he found overly sensitive, and he also had reservations about the looseness of its analogue sticks.

Ultimately, Yoshida concluded that Steam Machine succeeds at its core mission: bringing a PC Steam library to a living-room television without forcing the player to build a conventional desktop setup. That alone has value for him, but it may not be enough for everyone else. The base model starts at roughly €1,039 and does not include a Steam Controller, while the higher-storage configurations and bundles cost considerably more. Yoshida called the price “very unfriendly”, making Steam Machine easier to recommend to enthusiasts who specifically want to experiment with Valve’s new format than to players searching for the best living-room gaming value for their money.

Source: 3DJuegos, MeriStation