Custom Steam Machines will be possible with SteamOS 3.8 update

If Valve's official Steam Machine is too pricey (and it probably is), it'll soon be possible to build your own.

by · Shacknews

On Monday morning, Valve unveiled the official MSRP of its upcoming Steam Machine hardware. These things are expensive. They cost an arm and a leg and, depending on future economic conditions, may eventually cost a second arm and leg. The more frugal route may be to craft a custom Steam Machine. Fortunately, one of the latest SteamOS updates will make this possible.

PC users will be able to build their own Steam Machines from scratch starting with the SteamOS 3.8 update. This is according to The Verge, who spoke with Valve's Pierre-Loup Griffais about the matter. Recent SteamOS updates have allowed for greater compatibility with Intel and AMD platforms. Valve is also in talks with NVIDIA for improved driver support, though Griffais notes that an announcement on that front may not come this year.

For now, Griffais notes that SteamOS installation on more console-style PCs, whose primary purpose is to be plugged into a TV, is totally possible with SteamOS 3.8. He notes that the experience would be similar to that of a docked Steam Deck. It sounds like there would be some missing features, some of which Valve will aim to fix in the future, but given the official Steam Machine pricing, it may be worth the sacrifice.

Source: Valve

Official Steam Machine pricing starts at $1,049 USD and goes all the way up to a jaw-dropping $1,428. A pre-order page is up now, but at least now there's an option for those who aren't able to pick up (or simply can't afford) an official Steam Machine.

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