Steam Machine Too Expensive? Get Your Deck a Dock
I love my Steam Deck. I use it daily, enjoying everything from bite-sized indies and retro gems (thanks, EmuDeck!) to AAA games on its easy-to-use interface. The Steam Deck has been my primary gaming device since it launched, so when Valve announced the Steam Machine – a similar but more powerful device that plays games on a big TV screen – I was ready to pull a Futurama meme and wave cash in Gabe's face. But like pretty much everyone, including Valve, I was disappointed by the Steam Machine’s high price once Valve revealed it. Thanks to RAMageddon, Steam Machines start at over $1,000. I have bills to pay and mouths to feed, so I can’t justify dropping that much cash on a new way to play games I can already play just fine on the Deck. Thankfully, it turns out I didn’t have to. I bought the JSAUX Docking Station for Steam Deck, currently on sale at Amazon for $26.99, and I’ve been enjoying all those same games on the big screen without having to take out a second mortgage on the house. The name JSAUX might look one of those no-name “brands” that litter Amazon’s search results, but it’s actually a respected maker of electronic accessories. The dock works like a charm. It’s a tiny thing, much smaller than a Switch or Switch 2 dock. It’s basically a little plastic base that’s just big enough to support your Steam Deck (or ROG Ally or Legion Go – it works with most handheld gaming PCs). It has a little cable to plug into the power port on your Deck to charge it. And it has various ports on the back: HDMI, USB-C, and two USB-A. That’s it. It’s a simple thing. But when you connect it to power and your TV, it makes your TV the display for your Steam Deck. Just like with a Steam Machine, you can play the majority of your Steam games on your TV. Now, it's not a perfect solution. The Steam Deck isn’t as powerful as a Steam Machine, so you’ll have to play most games in 1080p, and they might look a little fuzzy on a 4K display. And you’ll need an external controller since you’ll be on your couch and your Deck is docked. You don't need the pricy, sold-out Steam Controller; I use this 8BitDo one, but you can use an Xbox, PS5, or Switch controller as well. Spending a few bucks on a dock and a maybe an extra controller is a heck of a lot cheaper than cleaning out your savings account for a Steam Machine, and the results aren’t that different. Now I can play the majority of my Steam library on my TV, and that's pretty great. Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.
I love my Steam Deck. I use it daily, enjoying everything from bite-sized indies and retro gems (thanks, EmuDeck!) to AAA games on its easy-to-use interface. The Steam Deck has been my primary gaming device since it launched, so when Valve announced the Steam Machine – a similar but more powerful device that plays games on a big TV screen – I was ready to pull a Futurama meme and wave cash in Gabe's face. But like pretty much everyone, including Valve, I was disappointed by the Steam Machine’s high price once Valve revealed it.
Thanks to RAMageddon, Steam Machines start at over $1,000. I have bills to pay and mouths to feed, so I can’t justify dropping that much cash on a new way to play games I can already play just fine on the Deck.
Thankfully, it turns out I didn’t have to. I bought the JSAUX Docking Station for Steam Deck, currently on sale at Amazon for $26.99, and I’ve been enjoying all those same games on the big screen without having to take out a second mortgage on the house.
The name JSAUX might look one of those no-name “brands” that litter Amazon’s search results, but it’s actually a respected maker of electronic accessories. The dock works like a charm. It’s a tiny thing, much smaller than a Switch or Switch 2 dock. It’s basically a little plastic base that’s just big enough to support your Steam Deck (or ROG Ally or Legion Go – it works with most handheld gaming PCs). It has a little cable to plug into the power port on your Deck to charge it. And it has various ports on the back: HDMI, USB-C, and two USB-A. That’s it. It’s a simple thing.
But when you connect it to power and your TV, it makes your TV the display for your Steam Deck. Just like with a Steam Machine, you can play the majority of your Steam games on your TV.
Now, it's not a perfect solution. The Steam Deck isn’t as powerful as a Steam Machine, so you’ll have to play most games in 1080p, and they might look a little fuzzy on a 4K display. And you’ll need an external controller since you’ll be on your couch and your Deck is docked. You don't need the pricy, sold-out Steam Controller; I use this 8BitDo one, but you can use an Xbox, PS5, or Switch controller as well.
Spending a few bucks on a dock and a maybe an extra controller is a heck of a lot cheaper than cleaning out your savings account for a Steam Machine, and the results aren’t that different. Now I can play the majority of my Steam library on my TV, and that's pretty great.
Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.
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