Finalized launch lineup of Steam Machines + Controller

[Bolivar]

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Valve has unveiled the final make of the Steam controller at GDC, along with the launch lineup of Steam Machines which will be available Fall 2015. There's a Steam Store page (http://store.steampowered.com/sale/steam_machines) where you can check out the boxes that will be available.

It's very similar to the lineup we saw at the initial unveiling, in that the manufacturers are still delivering incredibly overpriced pre-built machines. The low point to me is the $600 Gigabyte device with an integrated Intel graphics chip - in benchmarks, it runs games at about half the resolution as the current gen consoles. There's also Falcon, who's machines go up to 16GB DDR3 and a 4790K but at a starting price of $2,000, it better.

That said, some of these aren't too bad. Alienware, iBuyPower, and Syber each deliver boxes that approach console pricing, with GPUs that mostly keep pace with console benchmarks, although some might fall a bit short. My favorite is the ASUS GR8S - $700 for a GTX900 series card and a killer form factor, although the memory capacity might be a concern.


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If you're someone who games on a laptop and curious to see what a more dedicated PC experience is like but are too intimidated to build your own, you could do a lot worse than some of these. For everyone else, you really are better off buying a console or building your own. Also keep in mind these boxes run Steam OS, so a game will have to be available on Linux to run natively. There's a Steam Sale right now showcasing what that library looks like (http://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamos_sale), it's actually already very substantial.

[Slothy]

Interesting. There are some strange hardware choices in the boxes that seem like budget boxes. That Gigabyte one is strange to me: an i7 with no discrete graphics card? You'd get more mileage from an i5 with even a somewhat budget card.

And we've got other weird choices in some of them like SSD's in lower priced ones, or inexplicably high amounts of hard drive space. Seems like some companies who aren't sure what niche the boxes are for and making some bad choices because of it. Seems unless you go extremely high end they aren't really sure what they're doing. That said, on paper the Asus box looks like it's probably the best bang for your buck out of the lower cost options.

I'm a little disappointed there aren't any sub-$400 versions though. Considering game streaming is supposed to be part of the whole SteamOS experience I'd expect something cheap that would serve primarily as a machine to stream to for those with capable hardware already. Still early days though so we might see something down the road. Hopefully these companies get their shit figured out though. As is I feel like I could put together better low cost options than a lot of these.

Still excited for the controller though. Can't wait to get my hands on one.

[Bolivar]

They're billing that as Steam Link (http://store.steampowered.com/universe/link), I'm guessing they don't have the details ready for it yet. That's actually something a lot of enthusiasts probably will be on board for, especially if they can ship it with a controller and price it competitively with PlayStation TV.

[escobert]

Why would I buy a steam console when I basically have one in front of me right now? :p

[DanielCLFFF13]

How does the Steam controller work? I mean I read the store page. But those 2 trackpad is somehow confusing. There's already A B X Y button, and yeah the left track pad basically for movement thingy. So what's the right pad for?

Maybe if I can order it from Steam, I'll get it :p Hopefully there's a sale for it :D

[DMKA]

Why would I buy a steam console when I basically have one in front of me right now? :p
Yeah, that's the thing I don't get either. Dedicated console gamers aren't going to be drawn to these things in the least, and PC gamers are going to have the same response as you.

Maybe Valve fanboys are the target audience? Lord knows you can get a way better bang for your buck if you just build your own machine. But then, that's always the case with prebuilds.

[Slothy]

There are a lot of people out there that wouldn't mind having a decent gaming rig but have absolutely no idea what to get. The idea of these is to simplify that. Figure out your price range and you can get one that fits that budget and know you're getting a reasonable gaming rig.

Flaws with their hardware choices aside (especially with the low end ones where I think they could best serve that customer niche), the concept is sound. Which is why I hope they sort out these hardware choice issues sooner rather than later and put out some machines that I could realistically recommend to someone as good value for the money.

[Bolivar]

I think Valve at least successfully catalyzed the manufacturers to start thinking about more cost-effective prebuilt systems, small enough to fit under the TV, with a form factor that won't make them look embarrassing down there. I think the $450 range ones are definitely better than what's in that price range today. And if some of the pricier options can get a GTX 980 in there for under $1k, that's actually a pretty great deal. Unfortunately, the video cards I've seen in the lower tier won't really keep up with what's in the PS4/Xbox One, which will be selling for around $299 a piece by the time these machines come out.

[Pike]

Why would I buy a steam console when I basically have one in front of me right now? :p
Yeah, that's the thing I don't get either. Dedicated console gamers aren't going to be drawn to these things in the least, and PC gamers are going to have the same response as you.

Maybe Valve fanboys are the target audience? Lord knows you can get a way better bang for your buck if you just build your own machine. But then, that's always the case with prebuilds.

Well I dunno about other people but I have a lot of things on Steam that I'd love to play as couch co-op games without having to run an HDMI cable all the way across my apartment.

[Skyblade]

Why would I buy a steam console when I basically have one in front of me right now? :p
Yeah, that's the thing I don't get either. Dedicated console gamers aren't going to be drawn to these things in the least, and PC gamers are going to have the same response as you.

Maybe Valve fanboys are the target audience? Lord knows you can get a way better bang for your buck if you just build your own machine. But then, that's always the case with prebuilds.

Well I dunno about other people but I have a lot of things on Steam that I'd love to play as couch co-op games without having to run an HDMI cable all the way across my apartment.

HDMI cable = $10
Steam Machine = $400

I'd stick with the cable, thanks.

Besides, it's your own fault for actually having friends.

[Pike]

You would also have to somehow get the controllers all the way across the apartment too :p

I guess I just see it as another opportunity to get the most out of the hundreds of Steam games I have. :gator: I'm not one to balk at more options.

[Slothy]

I've often thought about building myself an HTPC. If I could get a decent low cost Steam Machine with a cool form factor I would strongly consider that over building my own. Mostly because I haven't seen an HTPC case I like.

[Bolivar]

^ Yep, there's no way any of us could build a PC with a similar form factor as some of these, especially the Asus. It's also important to note these are modular, so you could buy in with a mid-range Steam Machine and upgrade down the line with a better GPU. I'm also with you about HTPC or ITX cases - they're almost all these ugly little cubes.

Pike, I think Steam Link is what you're looking for, similar to what Vivi and I were talking about above. You will be able to just stream your library to a micro-console over your home network, which comes with a Steam controller. Also, because it's streaming, I believe you won't be limited by Steam OS and Linux for the kinds of games you can play. The Steam Machines are more for people who don't have dedicated desktops already.

[Slothy]

^ Yep, there's no way any of us could build a PC with a similar form factor as some of these, especially the Asus. It's also important to note these are modular, so you could buy in with a mid-range Steam Machine and upgrade down the line with a better GPU. I'm also with you about HTPC or ITX cases - they're almost all these ugly little cubes.

I'm pretty sure with the right tools I could make a small HTPC case that I liked, but there are a thousand different reasons I can't be bothered to do that. Honestly, the only small form factor case I've ever cared for is the Mac mini and there are another thousand different reasons I don't want to touch that thing either. So I was really hoping for something decent to pop up among the Steam Machines. I guess I'll find myself waiting for the second wave or whatever to see if anything better comes along. That or see what Steam Link brings us. I already use my PC as a media server of sorts for my PS3, but being able to stream games and having it not be quite as finicky would be pretty awesome.

[escobert]

Why would I buy a steam console when I basically have one in front of me right now? :p
Yeah, that's the thing I don't get either. Dedicated console gamers aren't going to be drawn to these things in the least, and PC gamers are going to have the same response as you.

Maybe Valve fanboys are the target audience? Lord knows you can get a way better bang for your buck if you just build your own machine. But then, that's always the case with prebuilds.

Well I dunno about other people but I have a lot of things on Steam that I'd love to play as couch co-op games without having to run an HDMI cable all the way across my apartment.
I've played with my PC from a recliner for years :p Wouldn't be hard to move to a couch! I should note I am using a desk at this time though.

[Shoeberto]

I think Steam has garnered enough popularity outside of the traditional hardcore PC gamer that people are finding it worthwhile to have a good machine, but not everyone has the same knowledge required to spec out and build their own machine. So from that perspective it makes total sense. It's lowering the barrier to entry into PC gaming by essentially saying that these machines can be bought pre-built, to Valve's spec, ready to go in any environment you want - be it at a computer desk or in the living room.

I've considered holding out for a Steam Machine, since I'd like a new build at some point in the future. I'm still on the fence. I love using my PC with an HTPC setup, though. I've been using it like this for ~2 years and haven't looked back. If I can get even tighter integration between the OS and a 10' UI, it's going to be glorious.

Super stoked about the controller, too. It looks great.