Update []:
The Verge has confirmed that the promising EmuDeck project is dead.
Apparently, only 40 orders were taken for the machine, and at least 100 were needed to make the project viable.
All backers have been refunded, and the EmuDeck team say they're already working on something else, which hints at another hardware-related project in the future.
Original Story: There were reasons to be sceptical of the turnkey, emulator-centric Steam Machine idea, and reasons to root for it too — but in the end, Sedano tells me he only got around 40 orders, and that he needed closer to 100.
He says he’s already refunded every backer, and did produce these two cases before shutting the project down.
The team behind the popular Steam Deck emulation offering EmuDeck has revealed that it is working on its first hardware project, dubbed EmuDeck Machine.
The venture has just launched on IndiGoGo, and offers a retro emulation mini PC (clad in a Dreamcast-style shell) running the Linux-based OS Bazzite. You'll still sign into your Steam account and get access to all of your Steam games, but you'll be able to access stuff like community-made Decky plug-ins and your ROM collection seamlessly.
Twinned with EmuDeck, the system aims to offer "automatic" and "zero config" access to your favourite retro games, but because it's available in two variants (the EM1 sports an Intel N97 APU, while the EM2 has an AMD Ryzen 8600G), you'll be able to play modern-day games, too.
In addition to this, a docking station for the EM2 variant is also on the cards. This will include an AMD Radeon 7600 desktop GPU to significantly boost the EmuDeck Machine's graphical grunt for AAA gaming.
Despite that, the focus here is very much on retro gaming, and putting players in touch with their favourite classic titles as easily as possible. Speaking to Overkill.wtf, EmuDeck project lead dragoonDorise said:
Getting a new PC can be a hurdle if you're not tech-savvy. I've been using an ITX build as my gaming rig for so long, trying to find that console-like experience. Now we can get that with Bazzite.
Pricing kicks off at €299 / £257 / $322 for the base EM1 EmuDeck Machine, while the base version of the EM2 costs €609 / £512 / $675. Shipping is currently planned for December 2024.
This isn't the first time a product like this has made it to market; the modular Polymega system also uses PC-based emulation and offers a massive database of games, with the catch being that you have to leverage your physical software collection.