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The Steam Machines

L

LeviathanZERO

Supreme [H]ardness
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http://live.theverge.com/valve-ces-2014-press-event-live-blog/

CES Flyer from the show with..some specs
http://media.steampowered.com/store/steammachines/SteamMachinesBroc_WEB.PDF

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Really dig the Alienware one. What a hot little box.
Zotec looks like a router!

Video of the Alienware, close look and interviews with Valve designer Greg Coomer and Alienware product manager Marc Diana
http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/6/52...ow-alienware-is-realizing-valve-console-dream
 
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Like the Gigabyte and Alienware ones but will never pay any money for them. Can build your own cheaper and with better specs. I think controller will be available on sale separately and can be used with PC so these machines seem a bit redundant.

Also not sure what that Alternate is trying to sell lol.
 
KickAssCop said:
Like the Gigabyte and Alienware ones but will never pay any money for them. Can build your own cheaper and with better specs. I think controller will be available on sale separately and can be used with PC so these machines seem a bit redundant.

Also not sure what that Alternate is trying to sell lol.
Click to expand...

the Alternate is what a typical cube style atx case is like
 
Wildace said:
the Alternate is what a typical cube style atx case is like
Click to expand...
I just didn't expect it for a Steam machine. My expectations were for it to look more like a console especially given the first one shown with a GTX Titan in it.
Same for Falcon and Digitalstorm. Too big imo.
 
KickAssCop said:
I just didn't expect it for a Steam machine. My expectations were for it to look more like a console especially given the first one shown with a GTX Titan in it.
Same for Falcon and Digitalstorm. Too big imo.
Click to expand...

well the Alternate is not a brand of steam box, its showing how small the steam box is compared to an "Alternate" case setup that can fit traditionally the same hardware as a steam box.
 
Alternate is a German PC vendor.

I hope Valve isn't really proud of this showing. Apart from the Alienware system and the iBuyPower box — the latter actually being kind of intriguing — all of these systems seem to really drastically miss the mark.
 
Wildace said:
well the Alternate is not a brand of steam box, its showing how small the steam box is compared to an "Alternate" case setup that can fit traditionally the same hardware as a steam box.
Click to expand...
Oh ok then. Either way, I looked at pricing on the PDF and only the ones that appeal to me are the 499-599 boxes. Neither of which have the specs that I would even consider to play PC centric games/console ports. I would rather just put the PC behind the shelf, connect an Xbox controller and run Steam on windows and be also able to do shit metric ton of stuff on bigger screen with that setup (even beyond gaming).
 
That is why I believe that Valve wants to make their out machine. Also that 2 by 4.5 inch steam machine is interesting as well. I see potential.
 
KickAssCop said:
Oh ok then. Either way, I looked at pricing on the PDF and only the ones that appeal to me are the 499-599 boxes. Neither of which have the specs that I would even consider to play PC centric games/console ports. I would rather just put the PC behind the shelf, connect an Xbox controller and run Steam on windows and be also able to do shit metric ton of stuff on bigger screen with that setup (even beyond gaming).
Click to expand...

But your own PC won't come with complimentary steam trading cards and badges.
 
Kinda cool they come in multiple different housings Maximum PC has a list of them offered and pics.
These things are inbetween the PC and console the Console being totally X-box PS3 and Nintendo.
Not sure if these will take off because they are middle of the road for gaming not as good as a PC but put consoles to shame.
 
So, Dell/ Alienware is going to sell one. None of these machines will be cheap by the looks of it but, if they have good warranties, it could be interesting.
 
The more the Valve Steam Machine story develops, the more I find myself scratching my head asking "aren't these just pre-built PC from various mfg.'s with a special OS?"

I am obviously a big fan of the steambox concept, as I've made several of my own, down to the custom case. But I feel like the "Steam Machine" initiative is just putting a different spin on hardware/systems that have alread been available (Falcon Northwest, Alienware, Digital Storm, white box builds, etc.)

The big difference between a PC and an official "Steam Machine" seems to be the OS, and from what I gather the OS will actual limit what the hardware can do over using traditional Windows OS.

I have a PC.... in a console-like case.... with 4 wireless controllers sync'd to an internal receiver.... which launches straight into Steam Big Picture Mode (WIn7).... Is this not a "steam machine"?

I don't get it. But I am happy to see something "new-ish" hit the tech scene once and awhile.
 
I thought the point of Steambox was to both make it easier on the consumer and developers by having a a set-system or at least a limited number of sets (IE configurations).

These just seem like.....regular pc's in smaller then average desktop cases.
 
There is a pricing pdf linked in some other thread on this forum. Prices are ridiculous for some of the machines and as high as almost 2000 bucks. Really?

My big ass PC with pretty decent hardware that chews through games didn't cost more than 2500 tops. :rolleyes:
 
Many of you dont seem to understand the point of Steamboxes. They are not made for those who have Desktop gaming PCs. They are not made for those who build thier own PCs

These are simply ITX gaming PCs which include an OS that creates a crossover between console and PC. Its a simple way of getting a PC into the living room for those who are'nt knowledgeable with setting up thier own machine.

THIS IS SIMPLY AN IDEA THAT VALVE HAS CREATED TO ADD THOUSANDS OF NEW CUSTOMERS WHO BELIEVE CONSOLE IS THE BETTER WAY TO GAME
 
KickAssCop said:
There is a pricing pdf linked in some other thread on this forum. Prices are ridiculous for some of the machines and as high as almost 2000 bucks. Really?

My big ass PC with pretty decent hardware that chews through games didn't cost more than 2500 tops. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

The link is in the OP.
These obviously are not for you, but my brother who hasn't had a new computer since 2004, and is a console nut, is in the market. 8GB of RAM and an R9 for $499? That isn't a bad deal at all. Look at the video cards on some of these, the low end is priced pretty aggressively. Don't forget you also get an OS, new controller and power connections. Not bad at all.
 
LeviathanZERO said:
The link is in the OP.
These obviously are not for you, but my brother who hasn't had a new computer since 2004, and is a console nut, is in the market. 8GB of RAM and an R9 for $499? That isn't a bad deal at all. Look at the video cards on some of these, the low end is priced pretty aggressively.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Very weird, but my brother is in the market for the same thing as well.
 
Too expensive and nothing is unison. With so many and everything so different doesn't it defeat everything they were trying to do? Now, it's just the same as someone going to any computer website and buying a computer. I thought these were supposed to be easy for people to buy and understand. I don't know.
 
That console gamer is not going to pay for $2000 for a PC equivalent. The console gamer is looking for a sub-500 solution (hell many people still have issues with MS 499 tag on XBONE). The only one that comes close is CyberPowerPC which based on their pricing of regular PCs, I would be extremely shocked if the specs they listed even come close the price tag of $499.

Even assuming that CyberPower box exists with the specs posted, it will not be the best way to spend $499 and enjoy games considering the PS4 is cheaper and would be more capable at playing games relatively smoothly and/or the XBONE without making a dent in the pocket. Games purchased on consoles can be resold. Consoles has far more release of quality games that don't show up on PC rather than the other way round (see 2013 for example; GOTY for PC was an indie game lol). Everything that is priced in the range of 500+ has already lost in my opinion.
 
King Icewind said:
Too expensive and nothing is unison. With so many and everything so different doesn't it defeat everything they were trying to do? Now, it's just the same as someone going to any computer website and buying a computer. I thought these were supposed to be easy for people to buy and understand. I don't know.
Click to expand...

They are console like, it was never said that every machine would have a standard. Besides its a PC which you can upgrade yourself!
 
Domini said:
They are console like, it was never said that every machine would have a standard. Besides its a PC which you can upgrade yourself!
Click to expand...

That goes against the whole 'these are for console users.' Regardless a lot of them look very difficult to upgrade or just plain can't.

They might as well just list the SteamOS as an option with all of their computers that they sell...I just am not seeing the broader picture when they vary so much in looks, size, hardware, upgrade-ability, and price. It's like reinventing the wheel; console people are just going to be at same place.
 
KickAssCop said:
That console gamer is not going to pay for $2000 for a PC equivalent. The console gamer is looking for a sub-500 solution (hell many people still have issues with MS 499 tag on XBONE). The only one that comes close is CyberPowerPC which based on their pricing of regular PCs, I would be extremely shocked if the specs they listed even come close the price tag of $499.

Even assuming that CyberPower box exists with the specs posted, it will not be the best way to spend $499 and enjoy games considering the PS4 is cheaper and would be more capable at playing games relatively smoothly and/or the XBONE without making a dent in the pocket. Games purchased on consoles can be resold. Consoles has far more release of quality games that don't show up on PC rather than the other way round (see 2013 for example; GOTY for PC was an indie game lol). Everything that is priced in the range of 500+ has already lost in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Hypobole.

When have you ever seen a Falcon Northwest box priced for low end? I'll wait.
Different manufactures are choosing different price points based on their market. You will never see a 499 box from Falcon, PC or Steam box. Now the smaller boxes that are aggressively priced, will be going against the consoles in consumers minds.

Anyone seriously considering the Falcon, is not comparing it to home consoles. And you can't, because at those specs they're not comparable at all. You just want it because you can. Like spending money on a Ferrari or something
 
This is definitely not what I was expecting. I think they would have done better with a more limited set of specification to make things easier on consumer. Over time, that specification set could grow, however I think it would have been fantastic if they had some standardization here. All they did hear was put some marginally overpriced PC into slightly smaller cases and call it a Steam Machine.
 
KickAssCop said:
Prices are ridiculous for some of the machines and as high as almost 2000 bucks. Really? My big ass PC with pretty decent hardware that chews through games didn't cost more than 2500 tops. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
The machines upward of two grand are probably not much less capable than your "big ass" PC. The size of one's case has nothing to do with performance.

King Icewind said:
Too expensive and nothing is unison. With so many and everything so different doesn't it defeat everything they were trying to do?
Click to expand...
It's hard to say. They still categorically fall into "good", "better" and "best", with the low end in the Brix Pro and the high end in the boutique FNW and Digital Storm builds, but the "better" field seems to be all over the place component-wise.

Suffice it to say there are a wide range of configurations here. May be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your viewpoint.
 
King Icewind said:
That goes against the whole 'these are for console users.' Regardless a lot of them look very difficult to upgrade or just plain can't.

They might as well just list the SteamOS as an option with all of their computers that they sell...I just am not seeing the broader picture when they vary so much in looks, size, hardware, upgrade-ability, and price. It's like reinventing the wheel; console people are just going to be at same place.
Click to expand...

Its meant for console users to move into the PC territory without taking them out of the comfort they've come to love. Its obviously not going to be exactly like a standardized console.

Many of you dont realize that this could be a huge move to improve gaming. Think of yourself in the mindset of a console only gamer.

1. More devs will develop for Linux.
2. More PC games may include local MP
3. Consoles will finally have worthy competition
 
LeviathanZERO said:
Hypobole.

When have you ever seen a Falcon Northwest box priced for low end? I'll wait.
Different manufactures are choosing different price points based on their market. You will never see a 499 box from Falcon, PC or Steam box. Now the smaller boxes that are aggressively priced, will be going against the consoles in consumers minds.

Anyone seriously considering the Falcon, is not comparing it to home consoles. And you can't, because at those specs they're not comparable at all. You just want it because you can. Like spending money on a Ferrari or something
Click to expand...
My comment had nothing to do with the manufacturer but the fact that neither of the solutions are potentially compelling with better options around at every single price point that is being targeted.

That said, there aren't that many Ferrari buyers either so the whole point of SteamBox introducing more gamers to PC gaming and/or PC gaming introducing more gamers/creating more gamers is just bullshit with the demos that are shown.
 
wonderfield said:
The machines upward of two grand are probably not much less capable than your "big ass" PC. The size of one's case has nothing to do with performance.
Click to expand...

The machines upwards of 2 grand are similar to my PC with half the capability to run functions that my PC can perform unless you install a Windows OS on it and then you have practically converted them to a PC and defeated the whole SteamBox concept.

Alternatively, the two grand machines perform similar to my PC but do not come with the monitor that I included in my 2.5K calculation making them a much more expensive solution than my PC.

Either way these machines are not going to convert anyone. They will be toys for people already familiar with PC gaming so the whole SteamBox concept/marketing bullshit that probably Doug Lombardi farted out of his ass in the hype that was created is just that, BULLSHIT!
 
Domini said:
Think of yourself in the mindset of a console only gamer.

1. More devs will develop for Linux.
2. More PC games may include local MP
3. Consoles will finally have worthy competition
Click to expand...

Consoles have nothing to worry about based on what has been shown. If the prices were lower or the specs were higher, then maybe people would worry. Consoles will continue to get by on standardization and the knowledge that the console they buy now is still going to be playing new games in 5 years. With these Steam Machines, the lower end models will be lucky to make it 24 months before running into performance issues.
 
I'm not sure how I feel about Steam machines yet. Long time PC gamer, long time console gamer as well. I guess these are for someone other than myself, but I'm having a hard time understanding just who yet.

I'm sure 100 people could explain 100 different reasons, but at a high level this just seems so niche. Valve and Co will sell quite a few of these at the beginning but I simply do not see the mass appeal these devices could bring. Perhaps this is simply a trojan horse for Valve to get more Linux support for games to eventually move off of Windows entirely in like 10 years or so.

Regardless, exciting to see new stuff like this enter the market. Its a risk, costs a lot of money as well. It will very likely evolve over time and Steam machines 2.0 or SteamOS/Big Picture will now likely be getting better, much faster because of it all. In the meantime, I am extremely happy and content with the combination I have today.

Gaming PC + WiiU. I need nothing else.
 
I guess, ultimately what I'm thinking is these pre-built PCs have existed for quite sometime now. And if the real difference is how they'll be used (OS), why aren't we seeing more about that? It's all hardware, hardware, hardware. But really none of that is new. I think we'd all like to see more about the Steam OS. Of course, maybe there isn't much to it for marketing to work with. With hardware, at least there is nice shiny hardware to peddle to the general public.
 
Isn't Valve also supposed to announce their software partners at this CES? I mean, hardware is one thing, and some of these, especially Alienware's machine, looks like they could have mass market appeal, but it all won't matter much if Valve also doesn't have some big software names in their corner. Be it Ubisoft, EA, Activision, Square Enix, Sega, etc, I'd feel much more comfortable going with a Steam Machine if I knew there were some software companies bringing their games to SteamOS as well.
 
Stiler said:
I thought the point of Steambox was to both make it easier on the consumer and developers by having a a set-system or at least a limited number of sets (IE configurations).

These just seem like.....regular pc's in smaller then average desktop cases.
Click to expand...

The point of SteamOS and Steam Machines is quite simply to apply the Android effect to the living room game console. All the brain surgeons spouting herpa derpa "I dont get it cuz like I already have windoze & I just build my pee cee" aren't the target demographic.

LIVING ROOM. Its a longterm play that will attract people that like living room gaming convenience but would be willing to pay more for the hardware to do traditionally PC only things like playing mods or upgrading for better performance. Valve has no delusions of overnight success trying to compete with PS & Xbox. They dont have that pressure of selling 3 million consoles within a month and investor gun to their heads.

Again, longterm play for the living room. I remember the naysayers raging on forums over Steam originally and that it would never take off and then it did. Took years but it did.
 
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I'm going to check back on the Steam OS in a year or so. It needs lots of time to develop it seems. I'm still very unsure of this whole "SteamBox" thing.

I'd love to try the controller so I will be getting that day one when its out.
 
If they let me buy the controller by itself, I'm done. I'll build my own machine, install SteamOS, and use the controller.
 
flegg said:
And why do we want the controller so badly?
Click to expand...
Why not? Looks like it would be fun to try out! I like my xbox 360 controller on my machine, but that new controller might be nice to use.
 
They appear to have actually nailed how to handle keyboard+mouse in a controller for a console. that alone is why I'm interested.
 
svet-am said:
They appear to have actually nailed how to handle keyboard+mouse in a controller for a console. that alone is why I'm interested.
Click to expand...
Word. (minus the keyboard part)

I currently use a K400 in addition to my xbox 360 wireless controllers for a the total HID package, or whatever you want to call it. At one point I did use a Cideko Conqueror (air mous/qwerty/gamepad) but it didn't play nice with the other xbox controllers.

Having a little touch pad might be cool. I do believe there has been success with paring the PS4 controller with PC.

(unrelated: it would also be great if someone could come up with a good stable way to use the chatpad on a wireless xbox360 controller on PC)
 
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