Steam Deck Was a Gateway

After getting a Steam Deck, I found myself playing a lot more games. The interface was very console-like and games just worked. The only problem I had was low performance. I wanted to play these games with a PS5 level of power.

I started looking into Bazzite and then SteamOS officially released, so I figured now’s the time to give a Steam Machine a try. (It’s low risk. If it fails, I can always just install Windows! 🫣)

What is a Steam Machine?

A Steam Machine is basically a console-like gaming experience on a PC running Linux. It’s like building your own PlayStation or Xbox, but with a lot more control, options, and no console ecosystem locking you down.

It’s a DIY gaming console that runs Steam and gives you access to a massive PC gaming library right from your couch.

Why You Might Want One (Pros)

• Console-like: You get that console experience, but with your Steam library and other PC games.
• Cheaper: Especially if you repurpose old hardware or build something on a budget.
• No Lock-In: No walled garden and your games go with you.
• Choice and Flexibility: Want to dual-boot? Tinker? Install non-Steam games? Anything is possible.
• Huge Library: Steam, GOG, emulation, other stores, game options are endless.
• Mods: If you’re into modding, this will allow it.
• Cloud Saves: Steam syncs your saves across devices.
• Power Scaling: A tiny box under the TV, or a monster gaming rig? You pick.
• No Windows Bloat: Skip the ads, and forced updates. Linux keeps it lean.
• It’s a PC: Web browsing, media playback, emulation. You’re not limited.

Why You Might Not (Cons)

• Not Plug-and-Play: It’s not as simple as a console.
• You Have to Build It: Which is either a fun project or a chore.
• You Have to Maintain It: Like any PC, things break or need updating.
• Needs Attention: Some games need fiddling with to run.
• Multiplayer: Many anti-cheat systems don’t work with Linux.

To get your Steam Machine up and running, the two main options right now are SteamOS and Bazzite. I picked Bazzite.

SteamOS

• Still Kind of New: The version powering the Steam Deck is robust and actively developed, but the stand-alone OS is just getting started.
• Geared Toward Handhelds: It’s great for Deck-style devices, but not quite optimized for PCs.
• Updates Come Slowly: Valve doesn’t push driver updates that often.

Bazzite

• Been Around a Bit: Built on Fedora Atomic tech, it’s more mature for desktop setups.
• Updated Frequently: With newer drivers and regular patches.
• More Stable: There’s a ton of users and a lot of problems have already been solved.

Price vs Performance

There’s a ton of PC parts out there, and it can get confusing and expensive fast. You don’t need top-tier gear for a great Steam Machine experience. Even older or modest builds can handle 1080p gaming just fine.

AMD CPUs and GPUs tend to work best with Linux thanks to better driver support, while NVIDIA cards can be trickier (but are improving).

If you’re unsure, try it out on an old PC or laptop first. Or start with a build that’s known to work well and upgrade later. You’ve got options that will fit your budget and expectations.

My Build:

• GPU: Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 XT 16G
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X
• Air Cooling: Cooler Master - Hyper 212 120mm CPU Cooling Fan
• Motherboard: ASUS Prime B550M-A micro ATX motherboard
• RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 RAM 32GB
• Storage: Silicon Power 2TB NVMe M.2 PCIe
• Power: Corsair CX750 Semi-Modular Power Supply
• Case: Lian Li A3-mATX-WD-26.3L Micro Form Factor Chassis
• Case Fans: Arctic 120mm fans (The Lian case doesn’t come with any!)

Total build cost: under $1,000

You can lower the price significantly by looking for sales, opting for a more modest case, a used GPU, less RAM, less storage, and a lower watt power supply. This thing can hit less than $500 if you do some savvy shopping.

Alternative Parts

• CPU: You could drop to a Ryzen 5 series GPU for some savings. Some come with a processor fan. Be sure it supports PCIe 4.0 so it doesn’t bottleneck the GPU.
• GPU: Cards can vary in price depending on availably. Look for deals or used. I wouldn’t go lower than 8GB of vRAM.
  • Radeon RX 7600 (8GB)
  • Radeon RX 6650 XT (8GB)
  • Radeon RX 6600 (8GB)
• RAM: 16GB will work, but RAM prices are pretty low, so bumping to 32 is a good idea.
• Storage: I used 2TB NVMe M.2, but 1TB is fine. I wouldn’t go smaller
• Power Supply: With lower-powered components, a lower watt power supply will do the job. Just don’t under power. A semi-modular one will help with cable management.

Disclaimer: The items in my build worked for me. The alternatives are suggestions. Not responsible for incompatible parts. Buy stuff with a good return policy!

Performance

Games can run with High to Ultra settings with no frame generation. Your results will vary, but this is a good ballpark estimate of what my build with the Radeon RX 7600 XT can do.

1080p performance is excellent across the board. Most titles hit well over 80 fps at high/ultra settings. Often they would exceed 100fps.

1440p runs a solid 60+fps in well-optimized games, but will drop with recent games on high/ultra settings. You will have to lower the graphics quality down a notch for good performance.

4K works great for older games, but is mostly out of reach for modern games without aggressive upscaling. Ray Tracing is notably weak with this series of AMD GPUs.

If you have an AMD CPU and GPU, don’t forget to enable Smart Access Memory (SMR) in the BIOS. It gives you a 10–20% boost in performance.

While you are in the BIOS, turn on D.O.C.P. “Enable Profile #1” - it allows the RAM to operate at its advertised speed.

Final Thoughts

Once I got it running, I think it’s great. Totally forgot about my Xbox and Playstation. (I still love the Switch.)

The games I tested ran as well, sometimes better, than the PS5. The high frame rates and smooth VRR are quite an upgrade.

With Steam’s cloud saves, I can start a game on my Steam Deck and pick it up right where I left off on the Steam Console. Streaming from the console to the Deck is smooth, too — it just works. I was kinda surprised.

I paired it with an 8bitdo Ultimate 2.4g controller. Bluetooth and the 2.4g adaptor work great. I like the dock for charging.

There are a couple of rough edges, like the lack of HDMI 2.1 support and not being able to wake the system with a controller, which is kind of a buzzkill in a living room setup. A wireless keyboard with a USB dongle (not Bluetooth) is a must. The software is new and these problems will likely get resolved in the future.

Having the flexibility to install Windows later (if I really need it) gives me peace of mind. For now, things work well enough. I’m sticking with Linux and excited to see where it goes. I already want to build another Steam Machine.