Hey everyone!
I'm trying to figure out whether a Steam Machine would actually be a good fit for me, and I'd really appreciate some input from people who already use one.
I've been a console gamer pretty much my entire life. I started out with Nintendo consoles and have been mainly playing on PlayStation for the last few years. I've never really owned or used a gaming PC, so the whole PC/modding side of gaming is still pretty new to me.
The main reason I'm considering a Steam Machine is mods.
There are a few games I'd really like to play with mods, mainly:
Terraria
ā¢Hollow Knight/Silksong
Stardew Valley
Cyberpunk 2077
For Cyberpunk in particular, I'm not looking for anything crazy. I don't need ultra graphics mods, huge overhauls, 4K texture packs, ray tracing, etc. I'm more interested in smaller quality-of-life mods, additional/custom cyberware, extra customization options, things like that.
There's also another thing I'm curious about: how well does SteamOS handle games that aren't actually downloaded through Steam?
For example, games like Undertale Yellow, where you download the game directly from a website rather than through Steam. Is it relatively easy to install and run these kinds of games on a Steam Machine, or does SteamOS make that more complicated? And does the same apply to browser-based games or other games that don't have a native Steam version?
My TV does support 4K/120Hz, but honestly, I don't really care about getting 4K or extremely high-end graphics. As long as the games run well and look good on a TV, I'm happy.
This is where I'm wondering if a Steam Machine might make more sense for me than buying a full gaming PC. I only have a relatively small number of games where I specifically want mods, and I'm not sure it would be worth spending significantly more money on a proper gaming PC just for that.
The other thing I'm wondering about is how modding actually works on SteamOS.
I know some games have Steam Workshop, which obviously makes things pretty easy. But for games where you have to download mods from external websites and use something like a mod manager/loader, how does that work on a Steam Machine?
For example, if I download a Cyberpunk mod from an external website, is installing and managing it on SteamOS relatively straightforward? Are there any major limitations compared to doing the same thing on Windows?
And for games like Terraria and Stardew Valley, how easy is it to use their usual mod loaders on SteamOS?
Basically, I'm looking for a console-like experience, but with the ability to mod the handful of games I'm interested in.
Would you say a Steam Machine is a good fit for someone in my situation, or would I be better off just getting a Windows gaming PC?
I'd especially appreciate input from people who also came from a primarily console-gaming background and made the switch to SteamOS.
Thanks!