Steam Machine vs PS5 vs Xbox: Can You Still Play With Console Friends?
Your friend just bought a Steam Machine
Someone in your group chat just posted a picture of a black cube on their desk. They're switching from PS5 or Xbox to the Steam Machine. The first question everyone asks: can we still play together?
The answer depends on the game. Not all of them handle this the same way.
How crossplay works with Steam Machine
The Steam Machine runs SteamOS, which is Linux under the hood. But for online play, most game servers treat it exactly like a Windows PC. If a game supports crossplay between PC and PS5, the Steam Machine connects to the same servers and shows up the same way.
This means the crossplay compatibility you're used to checking between PC and consoles applies directly to the Steam Machine. The categories are the same:
Games with full crossplay (console + PC/Steam Machine):These work no matter what platform everyone is on. Fortnite, Rocket League, Minecraft, Fall Guys, Call of Duty, Apex Legends. If your group played these on mixed consoles before, adding a Steam Machine changes nothing.
Games with PC-only multiplayer:Titles like Lethal Company, Valheim, Deep Rock Galactic, and Satisfactory only support multiplayer between PC players. A Steam Machine player can join other PC players fine, but not console players. If your group was all on PS5 before and one person switches, these games are off the table for cross-platform play.
Games that don't work on SteamOS:Some competitive multiplayer games with kernel-level anti-cheat don't run on Linux. These won't work on the Steam Machine at all, regardless of crossplay. Check Valve's Deck Verified ratings before buying.
What console players lose when switching
Moving from PS5 or Xbox to Steam Machine means:
- Losing your console game library. Your PS5 digital games don't transfer. You're rebuying on Steam.
- Losing platform-exclusive multiplayer. Games with console-only multiplayer won't include you anymore.
- Gaining access to PC-only games. Thousands of multiplayer games on Steam that never came to console.
- Keeping crossplay games. Anything that supports PC crossplay still works.
The critical thing is checking which games in your group's regular rotation support PC crossplay. If your group plays Fortnite every Friday, you're fine. If your group plays a console-exclusive title, the person switching might be left out.
How to check before your friend switches
Before anyone makes the jump, check what your group can still play together:
1. Go to pickthe.games and create a board
2. Set the platforms to include PC (for the Steam Machine) and whatever consoles the rest of the group has
3. Everyone swipes through games
4. The results show what works across that specific platform mix
Or check specific combinations:
The crossplay pages show every game confirmed to work between those platforms. If your group's go-to games are on those lists, the switch won't break anything.
The mixed-platform group is the new normal
The Steam Machine adds a fifth platform to the mix alongside PC, PS5, Xbox, and Switch. But for crossplay purposes, it's just another PC. The real challenge isn't the Steam Machine itself - it's that gaming groups have never been more spread across hardware.
Every new platform makes the "what can we all play" question harder. That's exactly the problem PickThe.Games was built to solve. Instead of everyone checking compatibility one game at a time, the whole group swipes and the app figures out the overlap.
Find games your group can play together