Former PlayStation Exec Criticizes Steam Machine; Compares It To PS4

Expert Verified By

Am I Going Back To PS4 Days?

Story Highlight
  • A former PlayStation executive has shared his thoughts on the Steam Machine.
  • He finds the gaming performance very underwhelming, going as far as comparing it to the PS4 due to a focus on 1080p gameplay.
  • The executive also states that Valve’s pricing makes the hardware hard to recommend.

Valve’s Steam Machine has been available on the market for a while now, but at its $1000+ starting price and relatively modest performance, not many gamers have been enthused about the release.

A former PlayStation executive has also recently shared his thoughts on the hardware, claiming that it is hard to recommend to people due to a few critical shortcomings.

Why it matters: The Steam Machine had the potential to rival consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series S|X due to the advantage of its PC ecosystem and console form factor. However, Valve’s pricing has made it hard to recommend.

Shuhei Yoshida on Steam Machine
Shuhei Yoshida on Steam Machine | Image via Twitter/X

According to former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida, the Steam Machine’s performance is its biggest drawback.

The executive finds it disappointing that the console defaults to 1080p resolution, stating that the hardware is similar to a console from the PS4 era in this manner. He also notes that games can sometimes be slow to load on the Steam Machine, despite the overall system UI being easy to use.

The system recommends to default to 1080p – Am I going back to PS4 days?

For context, Valve advertises up to 4K gameplay for the console-PC hybrid, but a default 1080p/30FPS requirement has been set by the company for the Steam Machine verified badge.

In this way, the new hardware does indeed show similarities to the PS4 generation, which is likely why 1080p is also the recommended resolution. Shuhei Yoshida considers Valve’s focus on 1080p a step back.

To nobody’s surprise, he also finds the price a major drawback, noting that the performance, combined with the high price, makes the Steam Machine a hard sell.

Steam Machine
The Steam Machine Costs North of $1000

The major criticisms aside, Shuhei Yoshida still praised certain aspects of the PC-console hybrid. He appreciated the hardware’s form factor and noted that the Steam Machine’s ease of use as a PC is enough reason to keep it for now.

Have you purchased a Steam Machine yet? Share your opinions on Valve’s latest piece of hardware in the comments and on the Tech4Gamers Forums.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

Sony Once Mocked Digital Game Sharing, And 13 Years Later, The Joke Hits Differently

Fans online are mocking Sony for its digital-only strategy by using a video the company made 13 years ago to ridicule game sharing on Xbox.

Former Sony CEO Says AI-Based DLSS 5 Is Just A Party Trick That Will Fall Apart Quickly

Ex-Sony boss clarifies that AI gaming tools like DLSS 5 are just a party trick that fall apart if you examine them hard enough.

Developers Are Furious With Sony Over Digital-Only Move, Studios Were Blindsided Says Analyst

According to an analyst, developers are not happy with Sony for announcing the termination of physical game discs starting in 2028.

Fans Threaten To Abandon PlayStation Following Shift Away From Physical Discs

PlayStation has recently confirmed that it will soon end production of physical discs, and fans have not taken well to this news at all.

Next-Gen Xbox Project Helix To Be Digital-Only Console, Report Suggests

A new report states that Xbox Project Helix is likely to abandon support for physical games and launch as a digital-only console.