[user43928]

Yes, for gaming specifically, the Mac mini is often limited to 2D games.

However, at the price of $1130 for Steam Machine + controller, you might as well buy the Mac mini and a PS5 on top for $1250.

It just seems like a poor deal.

The best argument I have heard is that people already have large Steam libraries, but then again, those people typically already own a gaming PC.

[fwipsy]

Neither of those options is good value. PS5 charges more for games and you have to pay extra to connect to the Internet. The value proposition of PC gaming is openness. You can play on whatever you want, on anything that can run it; you're not locked into one hardware vendor or game store. This means competitive pricing across all market segments, except where consoles sell at a loss to buy lock-in.

[Forgeties79]

>PS5 charges more for games and you have to pay extra to connect to the Internet

To be clear, you have to pay to play certain games online. A lot of popular ones are free and general internet access does not cost anything.

A lot of folks also aren't all that interested in playing games online anyway.

[fwipsy]

You're right, I was imprecise. Additionally, I wasn't aware that some multiplayer games are free. I'm obviously not a PS5 user.

[croes]

And then you still need a gaming PC for the games in your steam library

[aeturnum]

Buying a gaming pc is always a bad deal compared to a PS5! Even though anyone buying a gaming PC is getting a "bad deal" - many people prefer it. You can do lots of things on a PC that you can't on a PS5 - and there are reasons someone might want a 6" cube instead of a full PS5 and a mac mini. None of them are low price but they are reasons nonetheless.

A great example of the target audience are the people who've been playing games on the Steam Deck, but want something with a bit more oomf without the hassle of building a PC. I am not in that demographic! But I have a friend who is. He's quite happy to pay more for convenience. He already has a gaming laptop, but I can see him getting this to replace his ancient Steam Link.

[cassianoleal]

> Buying a gaming pc is always a bad deal compared to a PS5!

If you only compare the hardware, that's true. Even if you don't consider all the other functionality that a PC has vs. a console, add all the different ways to get free and heavily discounted games on Steam/PC, and the results of that calculation might start to look very different.

[amlib]

Your response is essentially OPs reasoning, read it again :)

Anyways, just wanted to add that the steam machine and PCs killer differentiator: a truly open platform that no mac, ps5 and other consoles can offer. Do whatever you want, install whatever software you want, whatever OS you want. Break the rules, face the consequences. Live life like a living being, not as a slave to some corpo.

[cassianoleal]

> Your response is essentially OPs reasoning

I take it you meant GP (as in, the post I was responding to - which to this post is actually GGP but I digress).

I don't think it is. Their reasoning is:

> there are reasons someone might want a 6" cube instead of a full PS5 and a mac mini. None of them are low price but they are reasons nonetheless.

Mine is that it is indeed price, only not the price of the hardware alone but rather the price of the ecosystem as a whole. Another aspect that I didn't cover is that a game that you buy today for PC will likely still work on whatever PC you have 20, 30 years from now. The same cannot be said for consoles.

I do agree with your second paragraph though! :)