You don't have to buy specifically Steam Machine. Get a pre-built from Microcenter with a 9070XT that will be more powerful than your PS5 Pro. If you want, put Bazzite on it or SteamOS (this one will need to wait a bit for updates) for same feel/look.
Yeah, Fanatical, GMG, Loaded, etc are all fine. The key reseller marketplaces like G2A are indeed sketchy.
I didn't know this was a thing. Did you follow up with them?
You can set up a Windows PC to auto login and start in big picture mode, that's what I do for the console experience.
It's not a hybrid and any PC booting an Arch Linux directly to Steam Big Picture mode is virtually the exactly same thing.
After I lost the game, I sent a screenshot about it to CDKeys, and a few minutes later I had a new key.
This isn't a debate on the merits of one or the other.
It is when it´s a matter of price. You buy digital, you pay more and you own nothing!
I wish there were an alternative with triple the power, but I might just use this for a year or two until the next Xbox comes out. Hopefully it supports Steam, or maybe a third party will release a powerful Steam machine.
Are you going to buy an overpriced PC just because it has the Valve logo?
If you're going this route, I'll drop a quick shout out for Fanatical. Their build your own bundle deals regularly let you pick up games absurdly cheap. Like less than $1 cheap, and they're a verified seller.
I buy a lot of video games, and Steam sales do still serve an important niche for buyers.
I think the question to ask yourself is the degree to which you value the latest high fidelity graphics in gaming.
Just skip the future ones then.
Physical is about to die. People being forced to buy digital consoles in order to somehow spend less money on overpriced hardware, and I think we can forget about it when next gen arrives. Steam is still king.
Physical isn't dead yet. Sony will still be selling physical next gen, you can bookmark this.
Yep, they're mostly game license collectors.
If Microsoft's disc to digital thing is True, it's in Sony's best interest to compete with that.
On what planet are physical games cheaper?
Yeah, I have no clue what he's talking about. Literally every game that has come out for the past 5 years or so, at least, has been significantly cheaper on a keysite. The only times they aren't is when publishers don't allow, or limit, third party Steam keys.
On every planet - you can get brand new physical games for 10-15€ cheaper from shops that import them from other countries compared to the digital price!
Maybe you arent looking hard enough for deals!
Buy it on Steam, try it out, refund if you like it and buy it cheap on cdkeys. For AAA games I don't feel any kind of guilt.
Just use a normal desktop PC then, no need to wait for overpriced alternatives. Just plug it behind the TV or use moonlight if you have an LG TV, set it to launch with Steam on Big Picture mode and there you go.
It is actually a really easy transfer.
Where the hell do you live where there are multiple shops importing games from other countries and that sell them cheaper? That literally doesn't exist in most of the world. Also, you're clearly talking about consoles games, which have shitty digital pricing to begin with, so even if the physical is $10-15 cheaper, that's still more expensive than you can buy digitally on PC. So, no, for the majority of people, in the majority of the world, and the majority of games, you aren't getting a better deal buying a physical PS game over a digital PC game.
Europe
Wrong, most of my physical games I buy (except for Switch 2) are cheaper than digital PC games!
If a game exists physically and digitally you can - just because you are not smart enough to find those deals - doesnt mean they dont exist!
He has both systems, he asked for cheaper games - Magic has nothing to do with it - its all about knowing your options and being smart!
