Valve’s new Steam Machine has finally started reaching customers, giving more people the chance to try the company’s latest gaming hardware. While many early impressions have come from content creators and tech reviewers, one of the latest opinions comes from someone who spent decades in the console industry.

Former President of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida, recently shared his first impressions after spending a few hours with the Steam Machine, and while he praised several of its features, he also raised concerns about its performance, loading times, and price.

Steam Machine offers underwhelming performance for its price

According to Yoshida, the Steam Machine’s gaming performance left him underwhelmed, describing its 3D performance as simply “meh.” He also pointed out that the system recommends running many games at 1080p by default, joking that it felt like he was “going back to PS4 days.” For a device that costs over $1,000, he suggested he expected stronger graphical performance.

Loading times were another issue he noticed. Yoshida said some games took an unusually long time to start, leaving him wondering what the system was doing during the lengthy boot process.

Despite those criticisms, he also highlighted several features he genuinely liked. He praised the Steam Machine’s user interface, saying it was simple and easy to navigate. He was also impressed by the ability to power on the system directly from the Steam Controller with the press of a button, calling it a standout feature. However, he did mention that the analog stickers were looser than he prefers, while the built-in touchpad, although useful in theory, was a bit too sensitive and difficult to use comfortably.

Yoshida also liked the customizable faceplates, saying they add a nice personal touch to the hardware. He even mentioned the random startup videos as a fun addition that gives the system more personality. Accessory company dbrand also confirmed recently that it will continue to make Steam Machine skins despite its Companion Cube fiasco. JSAUX also has faceplates on the way.

In the end, Yoshida admitted that simply being able to play his Steam library on a living room TV is enough reason for him to keep the Steam Machine. However, he believes its biggest drawback is the price. He says the hardware is difficult to recommend to most people at its current cost, suggesting that it mainly makes sense for enthusiasts or those interested in testing new gaming hardware. The price has definitely been one of its biggest drawbacks, leading some people to make DIY Steam Machines.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.