Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Shams Jorjani sat down with The Game Business podcast last week to discuss Valve’s freshly announced Steam Machine, and the Helldivers 2 boss didn’t exactly sound convinced about the living room PC’s chances.
Valve dropped its triple hardware bombshell on November 12, revealing a cube-shaped console alternative launching early 2026 that runs SteamOS and promises six times the power of the Steam Deck.
Jorjani’s take cuts straight to the problem. Speaking on the podcast, he explained his skepticism about the device’s market position:
Well, I agree that this should have a more narrow appeal than a Steam Deck. It doesn’t have that functional thing. So, you’re choosing between, effectively, a console or a proper PC.
Coming from someone who’s spent the last year steering a live service title through unpredictable player sentiment, the insight feels earned. Whether Helldivers 2 has landed in a sustainable place long-term remains to be seen, but Jorjani’s comments about the Steam Machine’s identity crisis are harder to argue with.
Why the Steam Machine Faces an Uphill Battle Against Consoles and PCs
Stronger than Deck. Less sure of itself. | Image Credit: Valve/YouTube
The Steam Deck worked because it met a real need. PC gamers wanted portability without leaving behind their game libraries, and Valve gave them a solution that clicked. As podcast host Christopher Dring pointed out, around 90 percent of Deck owners were already using Steam before buying one. The device was an extension of their habits, not a replacement.
The Steam Machine doesn’t have that advantage. Console players already own devices that just work without fiddling with compatibility layers or worrying whether their game runs on Linux. PC gamers build or upgrade their rigs with specific preferences in mind.
So, who sits between those groups desperately wishing for a small cube under their TV? Jorjani admitted he won’t be buying one himself, pointing out the obvious when asked:
No. I have a high-end PC, so I’m fine. but I will say I’m pretty excited about this because, first off, it’s great to see Steam spending that uh 30% cut on something that advances the games industry. And they’ve done this for a while now. So I think this time might be the charm hopefully. But, like, this looks good. It depends on the price point.
Pricing could definitely change the whole calculation if Valve undercuts PlayStation and Xbox significantly, but Jorjani doubts that will happen.
The hardware specifications suggest a price range of $800-$ 1000, based on early estimates. At that price point, customers face a real choice between proven consoles or just building an actual PC instead of buying Valve’s middle-ground compromise.
Valve’s last shot at the living room, the 2015 Steam Machines, failed for similar reasons. Confusing hardware partnerships and unclear value messaging buried the idea before it ever had a chance. Valve making this one themselves fixes part of the problem, but not the fundamental one: who is this for?
Helldivers 2 Between Xbox Growth and GTA 6 Pressure
The podcast conversation covered more than just Steam Machine skepticism, though. Jorjani also talked about Helldivers 2’s surprise Xbox launch in August, a port even he didn’t see coming:
Yes. I would admit so. I’m super happy PlayStation wanted to do it ultimately. It’s their strategy. It’s their thing. We’re just along for the ride, but we’re so excited to be part of it. And it’s always fun to be part of gaming history!
The Xbox version launched alongside Halo: ODST-themed content, timing the crossover with Microsoft’s platform debut. Jorjani noted the reception went well across the board, though he kept details vague beyond acknowledging PlayStation praised the numbers in their financial disclosures.
He also touched on (timestamped here) how the GTA 6 delay gave Helldivers 2 breathing room. The game was slated to compete with Rockstar’s juggernaut in May before Rockstar pushed the release to November 2026, creating an extra six months without that particular shadow looming:
It gives us a stay of execution. (Laughs) Us and everyone else. GTA, on one hand, we’re like, ‘surely can’t be that big.’ But on the other hand, it IS that big, right? It is going to blot out the sun in a way unimaginable for everyone else. And if it’s, you know, releasing six months later, then it means that’s another six months of uninterrupted work without GTA looming over us.
Whether Helldivers 2 makes the most of that window depends entirely on how Arrowhead handles the next stretch. The game’s recent stumbles have cost it valuable momentum, and much of the goodwill it built up earlier in the year has eroded. Rebuilding that trust won’t happen automatically.
Does Valve’s Steam Machine solve a problem you actually have, or does it feel like hardware searching for a purpose? Think Jorjani’s right about the narrow appeal? Let us know in the comments below!
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
