Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years.
TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust.
In brief: The Steam Machine's software is fully customizable, allowing users to install non-Steam apps and even different operating systems. However, the living-room PC's locked-down hardware is far from high-end, an issue some users have addressed with ambitious modifications.
Two recent modding projects aim to substantially boost the Steam Machine's performance. One modder discovered a roundabout method of adding external graphics, while another built a water block from scratch to achieve dramatically lower temperatures.
Valve's Linux PC offers a comfortable living-room experience with a controller-friendly interface and a tiny form factor, but its 8GB RDNA 3-based graphics card struggles with high-end games, especially on 4K TVs. Most other desktop PCs would allow users to resolve the issue via upgrades, but the Steam Machine's unique chassis makes this significantly more complicated.
