Why did Valve discontinue its first Steam Machine attempt in 2018?

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Valve discontinued its first Steam Machine attempt in 2018 due to tepid sales.
Valve abandoned its first Steam Machine project in 2018 after it had tepid sales. The earlier attempt began in 2015, but it was discontinued over the weak commercial performance rather than any later hardware or pricing issue.
The 2015 Steam Machine attempt was ended in 2018
Valve attempted a Steam Machine launch in 2015 and later abandoned the project in 2018. The key fact tied to the discontinuation is that the product recorded tepid sales during that period.
Tepid sales were cited as the reason
In explaining the 2018 discontinuation, Valve pointed to tepid sales as the deciding factor. The available information does not break down what specifically drove those sales, but the sales performance itself is explicitly named as the reason.
Valve later pointed to different momentum from Steam Deck
After the first Steam Machine was dropped, Valve launched the handheld Steam Deck console in 2022. Valve said the Steam Deck sold millions of units, and this success gave new impetus to a Steam Machine stand-alone device.
The new Steam Machine launch followed a separate set of constraints
The newer Steam Machine launched on June 23 and is set to start shipping on June 29. Its entry-level price is US$1,049, and Valve linked the pricing and limited launch production to the global shortage and elevated cost of memory chips, which it said stemmed from manufacturing conditions over the prior six months.

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Why did Valve discontinue its first Steam Machine attempt in 2018?

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