Valve is still hard at work behind the scenes for the release of its Steam Machine, after plans were stifled via a delay due to the ongoing RAM crisis. Fortunately, a new update could be a strong indication that its launch date announcement might be closer than we expected.
Announced on Steam, Valve has released SteamOS 3.8.0 preview with ‘initial support for the upcoming Steam Machine’. It comes with numerous graphics driver, performance, and stability fixes, and notably, improvements for both the Steam Deck and non-Steam Deck handhelds that use SteamOS.
Unfortunately, the RAM crisis and its impact across the PC hardware market are seemingly ever-present, and an indefinite delay has been looking more likely in recent months (and could arguably be the ideal solution), especially since the Steam Deck OLED, which uses similar memory and storage, has been affected by sudden drops in availability.
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Nonetheless, the patch notes suggest the 3.8.0 preview is a ‘small update’, but there are a significant number of improvements that may prove to be massively beneficial to the Steam Machine’s functionality from day one, once it finally launches.
One of those fixes is the long-anticipated improved support for screen sharing and casting on Discord and OBS while in SteamOS game mode. This should make Discord much easier to use for both handheld and Steam Machine users.
More importantly, these updates are indicative of a potential release date or price announcement being imminent, but that doesn’t necessarily mean consumers will be able to get their hands on it anytime soon.
It’s quite evident that Valve doesn’t want to make a mistake by announcing a price that isn’t feasible.
If Valve’s Steam Machine has a higher price than what most are anticipating, it will likely be a major dealbreaker for consumers. However, a more affordable price might not be ideal for Valve, considering the unstable state of the market and prices for memory alongside storage, but please its customers.
It’s a tough situation for Valve, but there’s a good chance it’s poised to take another step towards the Steam Machine’s much-anticipated launch.
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