What is Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS). How does Estim therapy work. What are the benefits of using a stim machine. Can Estim help with pain management and muscle recovery. Who should consider using Electrical Muscle Stimulation. What are the different types of Estim available. How can you safely use Estim at home.

Understanding Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS): A Comprehensive Guide

Electrical Muscle Stimulation, commonly known as EMS or Estim, is a revolutionary technique that has gained popularity in recent years. This non-invasive therapy uses electrical impulses to stimulate muscles, offering a wide range of benefits for both athletes and individuals seeking pain relief or muscle recovery.

What exactly is Electrical Muscle Stimulation?

EMS is a method that applies electrical stimulation to muscles or muscle groups through electrodes placed on the skin. These electrodes deliver controlled impulses that can induce muscle contractions, reduce spasticity, and alleviate chronic pain. The technique can be applied to various parts of the body, with or without direct skin contact, making it a versatile tool for different therapeutic purposes.

The Science Behind Estim: How Does It Work?

Estim therapy operates on the principle of electrical impulses mimicking the signals sent by the central nervous system to muscles. When these impulses are applied to specific areas, they can produce various effects:

• Muscle contraction and strengthening
• Pain signal interruption
• Increased blood flow and circulation
• Reduction of inflammation and swelling
• Improved flexibility and range of motion

By targeting specific muscle groups, Estim can help strengthen weak areas, assist in rehabilitation, and promote overall muscle health.

Exploring the Benefits of Electrical Muscle Stimulation

The use of stim machines offers a multitude of advantages for various individuals, from athletes to those recovering from injuries. Here are some key benefits:

Enhanced Muscle Strength and Recovery

EMS can significantly contribute to muscle strength and recovery. By stimulating muscle contractions, it helps build and regain strength in atrophied muscles. This is particularly beneficial for individuals who have been immobilized due to injury or surgery.

Pain Management and Relief

One of the primary applications of Estim is pain management. The electrical impulses can effectively interrupt pain signals, providing relief from chronic pain conditions. This makes it a valuable tool for individuals suffering from back pain, arthritis, and other musculoskeletal disorders.

Improved Blood Circulation

Estim therapy promotes increased blood flow to treated areas. This enhanced circulation can accelerate healing processes, reduce inflammation, and help flush out toxins from muscles.

Muscle Re-education

For individuals who have lost muscle function due to injury or neurological conditions, EMS can help in muscle re-education. It assists in reestablishing proper muscle activation patterns and can be crucial in rehabilitation programs.

Types of Electrical Stimulation: Understanding Your Options

There are several types of electrical stimulation techniques, each designed for specific purposes:

1. Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES): Focused on muscle strengthening and re-education
2. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS): Primarily used for pain relief
3. Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES): Helps restore function in individuals with neurological disorders
4. Interferential Current (IFC): Combines two medium frequency currents to reach deeper tissues

Understanding these different types can help in choosing the most appropriate Estim therapy for specific needs.

Is Estim Therapy Right for You? Determining Suitability

While Estim offers numerous benefits, it’s not suitable for everyone. Certain individuals should exercise caution or avoid EMS altogether:

• Pregnant women
• Individuals with pacemakers or other implanted electronic devices
• Those with epilepsy or seizure disorders
• People with active cancer
• Individuals with severe heart conditions

It’s crucial to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any Estim therapy, especially if you have pre-existing medical conditions.

Maximizing the Benefits: How to Use Estim Effectively

To get the most out of Estim therapy, consider these tips:

Proper Electrode Placement

Correct placement of electrodes is vital for effective treatment. Follow guidelines provided by your therapist or the device manufacturer to ensure optimal results.

Gradual Intensity Increase

Start with lower intensity settings and gradually increase as you become more comfortable with the sensation. This approach helps prevent discomfort and allows your muscles to adapt to the stimulation.

Consistent Usage

Regular use of Estim, as recommended by your healthcare provider, can lead to better long-term results. Consistency is key in achieving and maintaining the benefits of EMS.

Estim at Home: Safe and Effective Use of Personal Devices

With the increasing availability of personal Estim devices, many individuals are incorporating this therapy into their home routines. Here are some guidelines for safe home use:

Choose the Right Device

Select a reputable Estim device designed for home use. Look for FDA-approved options and read user reviews to ensure quality and safety.

Follow Instructions Carefully

Adhere strictly to the manufacturer’s instructions and any guidelines provided by your healthcare professional. Proper use is crucial for safety and effectiveness.

Monitor Your Response

Pay attention to how your body responds to the treatment. If you experience any unusual discomfort or adverse reactions, discontinue use and consult a medical professional.

The Future of Estim: Emerging Trends and Research

As technology advances, the field of Electrical Muscle Stimulation continues to evolve. Researchers are exploring new applications and refining existing techniques to enhance the efficacy of Estim therapy.

Integration with Wearable Technology

The integration of EMS with wearable devices is an exciting development. This combination could allow for more targeted, continuous stimulation throughout daily activities, potentially revolutionizing muscle rehabilitation and performance enhancement.

Personalized Estim Protocols

Advancements in AI and machine learning are paving the way for more personalized Estim protocols. These technologies could analyze individual responses to stimulation and adjust parameters in real-time for optimal results.

Expanded Applications in Neurological Disorders

Ongoing research is exploring the potential of Estim in treating various neurological disorders. From stroke rehabilitation to managing symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, the applications of electrical stimulation in neurology are expanding rapidly.

As we continue to uncover the full potential of Electrical Muscle Stimulation, it’s clear that this technology holds immense promise for improving health, recovery, and performance. Whether you’re an athlete looking to enhance your training regimen, someone recovering from an injury, or simply interested in exploring new ways to maintain your health, Estim offers a versatile and effective solution.

Remember, while Estim can be a powerful tool, it’s essential to approach it with knowledge and caution. Always consult with healthcare professionals before starting any new therapy, and use Estim devices responsibly. With the right approach, Electrical Muscle Stimulation can be a valuable addition to your health and wellness routine, helping you achieve your physical goals and improve your overall quality of life.

As research in this field progresses, we can expect to see even more innovative applications and refined techniques in the world of Estim. Stay informed about the latest developments, and don’t hesitate to discuss the potential benefits of Electrical Muscle Stimulation with your healthcare provider. By embracing this technology responsibly, you can tap into its potential to enhance your physical well-being and recovery processes.

In conclusion, Estim machines and Electrical Muscle Stimulation represent a fascinating intersection of technology and healthcare. From professional athletes to individuals managing chronic pain, the applications of this therapy are diverse and promising. As we continue to unlock the full potential of Estim, it’s an exciting time to explore how this technology can contribute to our health, fitness, and overall well-being.

What is Estim and What Are the Benefits

• What is Estim (Electrical Muscle Stimulation)?
• What can Estim help with?
• Does Electrical Muscle Stimulation cause pain?
• How Estim therapy works
• Benefits of Electrical Muscle Stimulation are:
• What are the different types of Estim?
• Who should use Estim Therapies?
• How can e-stim be used at home?

What is Estim (Electrical Muscle Stimulation)?

Electrical stimulation, also referred to as e-stim, is a tool that applies electrical stimulation to a muscle or muscle group for pain, spasticity and muscle contraction. It is placed on your skin by electrodes that come in different sizes to the specific area you want to treat. The electrodes deliver impulses through the skin to make a muscle contraction, inhibit spasticity, and relieve chronic pain.

Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) is a method of non-invasive muscle shock therapy that has been used for years and is now being adopted by athletes and frequent travelers because it helps reduce muscle fatigue and soreness and increase the rate of recovery. It also reduces stress on muscles while increasing the range of motion due to decreased stiffness in the joints. The EMS technique can be applied to any part of the body, with or without skin contact.

What can Estim help with?

Electrical stimulation can help build and regain strength in muscles suffering from atrophy. It is also used to inhibit spastic muscles to help gain a specific range of motion that someone may be lacking in. It is most commonly used for spasms in the back which help relieve pain by sending currents from the electrodes into, and through, the skin directly to the spasm itself.

Does Electrical Muscle Stimulation cause pain?

E-stim can be an unusual feeling, but is not a painful therapy. Many who experience low sensation actually enjoy the opportunity to be able to feel their muscles (sometimes for the very first time!). As you would hear our occupational therapists say, sensory drives motor function. If you can’t feel the muscles, you can’t use them, which is why e-stim is a wonderful therapeutic tool.

What is Estim (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) and what are the benefits? 2

How Estim therapy works

Electrical stimulation is used in a few ways to achieve different effects, such as muscle strengthening and relaxation. EMS uses short bursts of high-energy, low voltage electric currents that stimulate the muscles.

When the electricity is applied to a specific site through electrodes, it interrupts the pain signal transmitting the sensation of pain from the brain to that area. In addition, the electrical energy damages some cells at the application site and stimulates nerves that then transmit more positive signals to other parts of your body. As a result, you will feel less pain and more relief.

Estim can target specific muscle groups. The current stimulates the muscles, causing them to contract over time. With continued application, these contractions will cause strengthening of the targeted area and help it relax by increasing blood flow and circulation in both directions. This helps improve flexibility as well. EMS therapy is also known for reducing inflammation and resulting swelling.

Estim has been used for years in physical therapy offices, chiropractic clinics, and some hospitals to increase mobility and maintain strength without overworking a patient’s body part or joint.

Benefits of Electrical Muscle Stimulation are:

• Stim machines help improve people’s bodies by increasing blood flow (circulation) to body parts that are weak or injured, making it easier for them to heal.
• Electric pulse therapy is beneficial because it gets your muscles moving, which can help build up strength in weak areas. Muscle stimulators do this by assisting the nerves to send messages from the brain to the muscles, making it easier for your muscles to move.
• Estim therapy is used to treat injuries by stimulating tissue that has been hurt or damaged. This causes the body’s natural repair process to begin sooner and speeds up recovery time.
• Electric stimulation therapy treatments are not painful, but they should never be stopped mid-session. Turning the power off mid-session will not hurt you, but recovery time can be delayed.

Side effects include dizziness and headaches, and estim is not for people with diabetes or heart conditions. 

What are the different types of Estim?

At Crawl Walk Jump Run, we currently utilize Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation, or NMES, and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator, or TENS, units. According to the Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Association, an associate of the American Physical Therapy Association, NMES “…involves the use of devices that transmit electrical impulses through electrodes to stimulate muscle groups. There are two different types of NMES: one is functional electrical stimulation (FES) and the second is lateral electrical surface stimulation (LESS).”

We utilize FES a great deal at our facility, as it works to replace stimuli from destroyed nerve pathways through electrical muscle stimulation. One of the machines we utilize FES on is our RT600™, as this form of e-stim works to improve muscle tone, strength, and the ability to increase independence – especially with walking. We also utilize NMES with our VitalStim® unit, helping those with oral motor weakness and feeding difficulties.

Additionally, we utilize TENS units, which apply electrical stimulators directly to the pain site. TENS are commonly used to relieve pain from surgery, symptoms caused by a traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, muscular pain, etc. One of the great benefits of a TENS unit, is that you can use these in an inpatient, outpatient and even a home setting.

Other procedures include:

• Electrical Stimulation of Tissue Repair(ESTR): To alleviate pain by reducing inflammation and improving blood flow
• Interferential Current(IFC): Pulses are helpful in reducing pain.
• Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation(NMES): Useful for increasing muscular strength and recovering muscle function.
• Functional Electrical Stimulation(FES): Aims to create long-term stimulation to keep muscle and motor skills strong.
• Spinal Cord Stimulation(SCS): Relieves spine discomfort and pain.

Who should use Estim Therapies?

Anyone can use estim therapy, with it being a non-invasive method of treatment. Estim is also known for reducing inflammation and resulting swelling. In addition, it’s safe to reduce chronic pain because estim will not damage the nerves through overexertion like other methods such as surgery do.

Estim can be taken home by the patient and used on all parts of the body, even when there is no skin contact. The process can be applied virtually anywhere on the body, including the neck, shoulders, legs, and lower back. Electrical Muscle Stimulation targets specific muscle groups with brief, high-energy pulses of low voltage electric currents that stimulate the muscles

Estim stimulates nerve receptors in the muscles and interrupts pain signals sent from the brain to the body. Estim is also known for increasing range of motion due to decreased stiffness in joints and can help reduce tightness, soreness, and fatigue.

Estim is easy to use, portable, and very inexpensive.

How can e-stim be used at home?

As you may or may not already know, various forms of e-stim can certainly be used at home. Most commonly you will see people with their own TENS units, especially if they deal with chronic and deep muscular pain. E-stim units, like smaller four-electrode FES systems, can also be purchased for in-home use by themselves, or in accompaniment with other devices such as a WalkAide.

If your therapist believes an e-stim unit would be beneficial for in-home use, they will incorporate this into your personalized home exercise program, or HEP. Please speak with your therapist if you would like to learn more about the varying forms of electrical stimulation, and how they can benefit your everyday life.

Conclusion

If you’re an athlete, a frequent traveler, or just looking to stay in shape without going through the pain and stiffness of exercise, then Electrical Muscle Stimulation might be your answer.  In this post, we talked about what it is precisely and how you can use it to reduce muscle soreness and fatigue while increasing the range of motion for joints. 

At Crawl Walk Jump Run Therapy Clinic in Clinton Township, we empower patients through physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy to advance their lives. Our intensive one-on-one sessions enable children and adults with neurological or orthopedic conditions to improve their symptoms using advanced treatments cutting edge technology, state of the art equipment.

If any of these benefits appeal to you, don’t hesitate to connect with Crawl Walk Jump Run today for a complimentary assessment.  

Resources:

http://www.ppta.org/docs/default-source/insurance-relationsreimbursement-committee/ElectricalStimulationModalities.pdf?sfvrsn=0

What is Electrical Muscle Stimulation (ESTIM)? (Uses and Benefits)

If you’ve ever visited a physical therapist to rehabilitate a soft tissue injury, it’s possible you’ve experienced a form of electrical muscle stimulation, or e-stim therapy (also referred to as EMS, electromyostimulation or neuromuscular electrical stimulation, and NMES). Another form of e-stim therapy called TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) works on nerves rather than muscles.

During e-stim treatment, a therapist secures electrode pads to your skin. He or she then turns a dial or presses a button on an electrical muscle stimulation device, a console that’s either plugged into the wall or battery-operated. This machine generates electric impulses that stimulate your skeletal muscles to contract. An e-stim device has various settings, meaning the contractions may be barely noticeable or they may feel, and look, like involuntary muscle twitches.

The primary purpose of e-stim therapy is to simulate what happens in the body when you voluntarily contract and release a muscle many times in a row. This process strengthens and repairs tissue, particularly muscles which have become shortened, weakened, or atrophied due to injury or disease. For example:

• If you’ve torn an Achilles tendon, the muscles in your calf and foot may become atrophied from wearing a boot to immobilize the ankle, or from changing your gait to favor the injured ankle.

• If you have a shoulder injury (e.g., a rotator cuff tear or impingement), resting, immobilizing, or favoring the shoulder may cause the muscles in and around that shoulder to weaken.

• If you have neuromuscular dysfunction or a neuromuscular disorder (such as muscular dystrophy), muscles throughout the body may weaken progressively; e-stim can help to slow this progression and improve motor control.

E-stim can also be used by athletes as a muscle conditioning or recovery tool. Some studies have indicated that e-stim can be targeted to create contractions in different types of muscle fibers, allowing athletes (with the guidance and help of professional sports therapists) to train injured or weakened muscles for particular functions and responses. For example, a long-distance runner might use e-stim therapy as a complementary technique to train muscle fibers to resist fatigue.

How Exactly Does E-stim Work?

EMS therapy mimics the action potential that comes from the central nervous system. Action potential is what we call it when a neuron (cell in the nervous system) transmits information (electrical impulses) along an axon (the thread-like conduit leading away from the neuron body, toward other cells). When these impulses pass a threshold, the action potential is fired and something happens. In this case, that something is a muscle contraction.

EMS therapy creates steady electric impulses that stimulate muscle contractions–many of them over a sustained therapy session. This repetitive contracting and relaxing of the muscle has the effect of:

• Increasing circulation (blood flow) to the affected tissue area, which aids in repair.

• improving strength by flexing and working weakened muscles.

• slowing the process of muscle atrophy by strengthening weakened or unused muscles.

• adapting (training or “educating”) muscle fibers to certain patterns of response (e.g., contracts the fibers that are responsible for force, which results in building strength).

Another form of e-stim therapy called TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) works on nerves rather than muscles. It’s used primarily for managing or blocking pain signals to the brain, and has been in regular use by doctors and physical therapists since the 1960s.

TENS therapy can issue electrical stimulation at different wavelengths for different purposes (relaxation, circulation, blocking pain) and can sometimes be performed at home, after the patient has been taught proper and safe use of the equipment.

Uses and Benefits of E-stim Therapy

When used for recovery, rehabilitation, muscle training, or pain relief, EMS and TENS devices are normally prescription-only and administered by professionals: for example, sports medicine physicians, physical therapists, or orthopedists. There are however, some devices available for over-the-counter purchase and home use.

Some of the common uses of prescription EMS therapy include:

• Relieving back spasms. Electric muscle stimulation can relax back muscles, easing tightness and soreness in the lower back area. Sciatica symptoms, for example, can be caused by back muscles in spasm. Stopping the spasm may relieve the pressure on the sciatic nerve. EMS can also help with muscle tightness and soreness from other spinal issues, including postural problems and scoliosis.

• Working weakened or atrophied muscles. Broken bones, soft tissue injuries, spinal cord injuries, neuromuscular disorders, stroke, and certain forms of illness can inhibit movement and exercise, causing muscles to become weak from disuse. E-stim can be used to keep these muscles active and prevent atrophy.

• Retraining muscles after surgery or illness. Occasionally, following orthopedic surgery or illness (such as a stroke), a patient may have difficulty contracting muscles at will. In such cases, e-stim can be used for “muscle re-education.” The electrical impulses contract the muscle involuntarily. If the patient concentrates on voluntarily contracting this muscle during the therapy, the brain may re-learn how to do so without help.

• Aiding athletic recovery. E-stim active recovery program settings use specific low-level frequencies to increase blood flow, remove lactic acid, release endorphins, and promote muscle relaxation. Athletes working out at high intensity levels–who may be prone to intense cramping or spasms–may find this program beneficial. Endurance athletes, for example, may wish to work regular e-stim sessions into their routines so they can keep their muscles loose and continue training without injury.

TENS therapy, on the other hand, is normally used to manage pain (acute or chronic), rather than working with muscle function. Many varieties of TENS devices can be purchased without a prescription for use at home. However, patients are advised to consult with a doctor first, to receive instruction and guidance regarding how to select and use the equipment.

TENS sessions can be helpful in managing pain and discomfort from the following conditions:

• Arthritis

• Back or neck problems (including sciatica)

• Bursitis

• Carpal tunnel syndrome

• Fibromyalgia

• Foot and toe issues (OA, plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia, bunions, hammer toes, sore arches, peripheral neuropathy)

• Multiple sclerosis

• Tendinitis

Both EMS and TENS have been in wide use for decades. When administered by professionals, they are safe and painless and have very few if any side effects. Administered correctly, these techniques can make a difference in pain levels and can aid muscle recovery, relaxation, and rehabilitation.

To find out if you can benefit from this therapy, you should first have an assessment by a physician. People with open wounds or certain health conditions (such as a pacemaker) should not use use e-stim or TENS therapy without approval from a doctor.

Please contact Coastal Orthopedics in Corpus Christi with any questions about the use of E-Stim or TENS at (361) 994-1166.

Article written by: Rob Williams, MD

Rest in Peace Steam Machine

the bright but short life of Steam Machines – Iron on DTF

Sales did not save.

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On April 1, the section with Steam Machines branded computers disappeared from the quick access in Steam. Now it is available only in the search or via a direct link.

The date wasn’t the best, but Valve wasn’t joking. According to the company, the section of the store wasn’t visited by enough people to justify its further spin-off on the marketplace.

Steam Machines doesn’t really sell like hotcakes, but our intentions to build a competitive open source gaming platform haven’t changed much.

From Valve Statement

And even though the company did not directly refuse to develop its own gaming platform, many players and experts took this step as an actual recognition of the defeat of Steam Machines in the market. What happened?

How it all began

A wonderful year 2012 is in the yard. The end of the world according to the Mayan calendar should happen very soon, and on October 26, a personal apocalypse knocked on the door of Gabe Newell. Microsoft has released its new operating system, Windows 8, with a built-in app store as a key innovation.

No wonder that Valve, with its 75% share of the PC market, was in no hurry to lose ground. Moreover, Windows was the main platform for the company from Bellevue and with its move, Microsoft directly threatened the revenue of the “valves”.

Gabe Newell at that time was not shy about epithets worthy of films about the end of the world.

This is a disaster for all participants in the PC market.

Gabe Newell

President of Valve Corporation

To protect its business from Microsoft’s unpredictable policy, Valve decided to urgently enter into direct competition for the gaming audience on two fronts at once: hardware and software.

On the iron front, the Steam Machines initiative was announced, namely Valve-certified compact PC builds from partners. At the same time, Valve did not have any general restrictions on price and configuration, which later played a cruel joke on the company.

The computers had to be installed with an operating system of their own design. Released a few years ago, SteamOS is a Debian-based custom Linux, and it’s still in beta.

Steam Machines were clearly intended as a response to Microsoft’s attempts to turn Windows into a closed operating system. UWP, emphasis on native app store, regular suggestions to block installation of third party apps. Against this background, Valve’s idea to make their own OS seemed reasonable, but, of course, they needed the support of hardware manufacturers (most PC users in Western countries buy computers with a pre-installed OS).

Sergey Galyonkin, founder of the SteamSpy 9 service0007

On paper, everything looked beautiful and logical. However, the Steam Box (such a nickname was given by the press to Valve’s initiative) started having serious problems right from the announcement.

What went wrong

To understand the problems of Steam Machines, just look at the history of Xi3 Piston and Alienware Steam Machine.

Piston was shown at CES 2013 and was, according to the manufacturer, the role model on which Valve built the entire concept of their computers. It was a small and light PC based on the integrated AMD Fusion platform, which had to work with SteamOS and run many new products confidently on good graphics settings.

The price, however, was clearly not good. The most modest Piston cost a thousand dollars. But for Newell, this was not the main problem.

After CES, the relationship between Xi3 and Valve seriously went wrong. A sober-minded manufacturer of Linux market share wanted to pre-install Windows on its PCs, which completely went against the idea of ​​​​Valve. As a result, already in the fall of 2013, Piston, which by that time had made a lot of noise in the press, was demonstrated on Windows without the participation of Newell’s company.

But Xi3 was a niche vendor and his “betrayal” cost the Steam Machines platform not so much.

In September 2013, Valve revealed its plans for its own hardware and software, including a Steam Link local streaming device and a very unusual Steam Controller. The devices were supposed to come out in a year, in 2014.

The list of vendors also inspired confidence, among which the largest player in the market of pre-assembled Dell PCs (through the Alienware brand) appeared. Alienware’s offering wasn’t the most budget-friendly, but it had established brand strength and compactness behind it.

And then problems began on the side of Valve itself, due to which the company lost the “right of the first night” with this key partner as well. Following feedback from testers, Valve was forced to push back the release of its Steam Machines platform to 2015. Alienware didn’t hesitate and released its “steam machine” Alpha the year before. According to the company, it was a “100% Steam-ready build,” but it came preinstalled with Windows 8.1 and included an Xbox 360 controller.

In 2015, Steam OS, Steam Link and Steam Controller finally made it to a market that had changed a lot in the three years since the announcement of the Steam Box. Then a number of “machines” from Alienware, Zotac and Cyberpower appeared on the shelves.

The hype in the press by that time had finally come to naught. First, eighth generation consoles entered the market, which cost $ 400 and offered an incomparable picture quality when compared with Steam Machines in the same price niche.

Secondly, Microsoft also woke up from hibernation, seriously improving its OS with the release of Windows 10 and DirectX 12. However, the Microsoft store didn’t gain wild popularity either, so many of Valve’s fears never turned into direct threats to business.

However, as is often the case, the main problem was the library. At the start of the platform, the choice of games was very poor, and the few AAA hits available were noticeably worse than on Windows. The fact that a huge number of advertised SteamOS ports were simply quietly canceled did not help the platform much either. Among them were such hits as Project CARS, The Witcher 3 and Batman: Arkham Knight.

Did not come true

The

Steam Controller also turned out to be a very controversial thing, which, moreover, was also very difficult to buy.

Steam Machines was a great idea… Three years ago.

Tom’s Hardware Guide

The proverb “Road the spoon to dinner” perfectly describes the reaction of the press and players to the release of Steam Machines. Since then, the platform has quietly withered until it completely disappeared from sight.

According to unofficial data, 500,000 Steam Machines have been sold as of June 2016. By comparison, Sony sold 10 million PS4s in 2016 alone.

What the market says

Answering the question “what happened”, almost all market participants shrug their shoulders.

We didn’t want our customers to be limited in their choice of games on SteamOS. I no longer remember when it all happened, but at some point we decided that a living room computer could only be made based on Windows.

SteamOS lacks support for powerful configurations, the system does not offer performance gains, and its game library does not grow.

Kevin Wasilewski, CEO of Origin PC (vendor of Steam Machines with Win10/SteamOS)

Supported by Wasilewski and a colleague at Alienware.

The Windows version of the Alpha computer is seriously outselling its counterpart running SteamOS.

This is because the Windows game library is much larger. However, it shows that users want to play on PC while sitting on the sofa in the living room.

I think Steam Machines was a kick in the ass for Microsoft, a reminder that the company could lose the market it has.

Frank Azor, co-founder of Alienware

What is now

Steam Machines from four vendors are currently available in the Valve store, including Alienware. Dell is the last major manufacturer to support the platform.

Now the danger is clearly over – Microsoft could not make the Windows Store a real competitor for Steam and did not dare to close the OS for third-party applications. So the need for Steam Machines has disappeared.

The current situation, when Microsoft develops and promotes the OS, negotiates with hardware manufacturers, and Steam simply removes 30% from the gaming market, completely suits Valve.

Sergey Galyonkin, founder of the SteamSpy service

To understand the attitude towards Steam Machines among vendors, it is enough to turn again to the words of the co-founder of Alienware.

We still offer the SteamOS and Steam Machine […] platforms and sell hundreds, thousands of units every month. But this initiative is not as important for us as it was two years ago. We are fine on Windows too.

Frank Azor, co-founder of Alienware

What’s next

According to Valve itself, the company’s focus is now shifting to the development of Linux and the free Vulkan API.

Curiously, the keynote post on the Steam forum doesn’t actually say anything about the future of “steamboxes”. Such silence speaks louder than any words. Valve only notes that based on feedback from live, real users of gaming Linux, they have collected a huge amount of valuable data that will help the company make the “free” OS the best place for games.