They’re not locking purchases to only the PS store. Retail can still sell codes in boxes, just no discs that don’t contain a playable game anyway like currently.
Comment on Physical disc production ending in January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles
enkonju@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Consoles now cost nearly as much as a PCs, digital purchases are being revoked, and now discs are going away and you’re being locked into one storefront where Sony can charge whatever they want. I’ve enjoyed owning consoles for my entire life but they don’t make sense anymore. Somehow, Sony just made the the Steam Machine look like a smart purchase.
GoatSynagogue@lemmy.world 2 days ago
samus12345@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
…codes which can only be redeemed through the PS Store.
GoatSynagogue@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Why does that matter if you can buy them anywhere?
samus12345@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
I’ve never seen digital codes at discount prices on official storefronts.
samus12345@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Maybe not the Steam Machine itself, but a dedicated PC plugged into the TV using SteamOS, certainly. That’s going to be my “console” going forward after this gen.
mrmaplebar@fedia.io 2 days ago
To be fair, i'd say the Steam Machine is relatively cost competitive with other PC pre-builds. DIY will save you money but you'll never end up with a system that's as small or quiet, and you have to really know what you're doing.
The Steam Machine is not such a bad deal really, aside from the fact that every PC is a bad deal in 2026.
mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
The Steam Machine is a good value for its form factor. Some people prioritize form factor. Some people don’t. That’s really the main factor in whether someone would want a Steam Machine. I feel like both sides of the argument are ignoring that.
GoatSynagogue@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Giving up every other reason to buy a PC just for the form factor is ridiculous.
samus12345@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Right now it’s way too expensive for me, but that’s because I currently have a PS5, Steam Deck, and Switch 2 that were bought when prices were reasonable. Once games I want to play come out that I can’t play on my current hardware, we’ll see where the market’s at and what makes sense, price-wise. I might have to go without high-end games for a while or even for good if prices never become sane again. Hoping I can squeeze several more years out of what I have now.
If someone had no way to play games and wanted to start gaming on the TV now without having to build something, a Steam Machine still would be a hard recommendation when the Switch 2 exists at a decent price, with the added benefit of being portable. The Steam Machine’s only worth it at its current price for people who like to tinker.
Nouvellalia@lemmy.world 2 days ago
You can totally build a system as small and as quiet. You really have to be experienced to do it, for sure, but it can be done. My last build was a shoebox sized mini itx. It was 1" taller and one 1.5" longer than the top of the line video card I put in it. It had 4 SSDs and a full size PSU. It was whisper quiet until you asked for the absolute maximum output. It was always silent doing anything a console could do.
mrmaplebar@fedia.io 2 days ago
I get what you're saying, but it's worth mentioning that even a Mini ITX board has a larger foot print (6.7" squared) than the Steam Machine's absolutely tiny 6" cubic form factor. It's really a very small device!
FWIW, I've always found that small form factor parts are a little more expensive too.
GoatSynagogue@lemmy.world 2 days ago
It’s not upgradable, it’s a bad deal. One of the main reasons to play on pc is upgradable hardware, which the Steam machine doesn’t have.
GoatSynagogue@lemmy.world 2 days ago
That’s not going to be an option for most people on account of SteamOS not betting able to play all of the biggest, most popular games.
samus12345@lemmy.world 1 day ago
The only ones I can think of that don’t work are online ones that use Anti-Cheat. They can use Windows instead, then.
GoatSynagogue@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Yeah, and that’s 99 of the top 100 most popular games.
Try selling someone a pc in 2026 that will never be able to play GTA6 lol.