The Steam Machine is slightly bigger than a portable Blu-ray / DVD player. (I just checked this with my own players)
I can’t wait for someone to make the equivalent of the Gamecube’s GBA Player for discs. Because of its size, It could even be a plastic shell where you put an existing Hitachi/LG portable drive without having to disassemble anything
Reminded me of the Panasonic GameCube (Panasonic Q). Not a separate DVD player, but built-in. Still, interesting ideas and neat designs!
Off topic, but how does the Steam machine’s dimensions compare to a GameCube, which is bigger?
I love physical media, but are optical discs really a good match with the steam deck? What exactly is the use case here?
As someone who grew up in the ERS of the Sony Discman, I can testify how annoying it is to try to get an optical disx to read while holding it in your hands. The PSP largely solved this with UMD’s- addign an expensive and bulky plastic shell to the discs to stabilize them. I don’t think it is a coincidence that Sony decided to remove that entirely from.the Vita. I can’t remember any other handheld that has used discs. Everything else uses cartridges or is digital-only.
Disc drives are common on laptops, and portable DVD players used to be common. These larger form factors are expected to rest on your lap or a table, so are more stable.
Another consideration is power. It takes a lot of energy to spin those discs around. That’s one of the reasons why SSD’s have almost completely replaced HDD’s in mobile devices.
Another issue is- are you planning on carrying a CD wallet full of discs around with you?
What is the use case for a disc drive on the Deck? For the games I have in disc, its easier to just rip them and keep them digitally. Same with movies and music.
I think a disc drive could be a cool part of a Steam Deck docking station, but I have a hard time seeing myself ever using discs in any other situation.
Edit: Nevermind I got the Deck and Machine mixed up lol
