Valve's official Steam Machine prototype isn't cheap, but it won't be the only Steam-powered video-game console available come 2014. This morning, iBuyPower revealed a prototype of its own upcoming Steam Machine, which will go on sale for just $499 next year. For the price of an Xbox One, the computer will offer a multicore AMD CPU and a discrete AMD Radeon R9 270 graphics card — that's a $180 GPU all by itself — and come with Valve's Steam Controller as part of the package deal.
The company says the box is bigger than a PlayStation 4 but smaller than Microsoft's Xbox One, and comes standard with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 500GB hard drive. The glossy white case also has a fully customizable light bar running down the center channel, and an integrated power supply. You won't have to find room for a power brick on your home entertainment center shelves.
Ibuypower-steam-machine-560
For the price, you won't be getting Windows, only Valve's Linux-based Steam OS, which could be an issue starting out. While Valve has quite a few games running on Linux already, and says that major game developers will be building triple-A game titles specifically for Steam OS in 2014, it's not quite the same as having the entire Windows catalog as a fallback. Still, iBuyPower says that existing Steam for Linux games should run quite well, at full 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second. We're looking forward to see just how much power iBuyPower can provide for under $500.
Linux only?
This is basically sent to die unless Valve starts converting its titles to Linux
Are there gonna be other steam boxes that are Windows convertible?
Linux only?
"existing Steam for Linux games should run quite well, at full 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second."
So ... 10-year-old Source engine games will be running at 1080p and 60fps? :lenowned
How much does Windows 8 cost these days for non-students like myself (or 7 if they still sell that I guess).
How much does Windows 8 cost these days for non-students like myself (or 7 if they still sell that I guess).
About $100.
Self-installing Windows 8 defeats the whole purpose of a Steam box which is to make PC gaming easy for everybody.
Gaben might as well put out a list of his recommended components.
Self-installing Windows 8 defeats the whole purpose of a Steam box which is to make PC gaming easy for everybody.
Gaben might as well put out a list of his recommended components.
I would say fewer than 5% of people who buy this will then install Windows 8 on it. Think of it like a new console. It's meant to compete with Xbone, not gaming PC's, and is priced appropriately. The performance increase is just a benefit of the Steambox model.
The launch lineup of 400 games already puts the PS4/Xbone to shame. (http://store.steampowered.com/browse/linux/)
That's my point. I got nothing against Linux but there are way too many games missing from that catalog. No way it could compete against PS4/Xbone with so many big titles missing.
First third party box out the gate and it's already a giant fucking LED strip all around. :lol
This is basically sent to die unless Valve starts converting its titles to LinuxIf you mean just Valve, they've already got all their games on Linux. Except maybe L4D? 2 is on there anyway so who gives a fuck.
(http://i.imgur.com/ObMfyKb.png)You really are delusional.:yeshrug its a scary time for you, I get it. 2nd place in the console race, idle position in the pc gaming space slowly getting murked, execs flipping coins about whether to sell of xbox or not. It must be hard
grow up.
grow up.
This is basically sent to die unless Valve starts converting its titles to LinuxIf you mean just Valve, they've already got all their games on Linux. Except maybe L4D? 2 is on there anyway so who gives a fuck.
his stupidity, that is.grow up.
haha hes really getting to you
his stupidity, that is.grow up.
haha hes really getting to you
That design is only justifiable if that thing plays laserdiscs and/or the LED can be programmed to strobe with the music in hotline miami.Yes. Yes please.
I like trolling McD as much as the next guy brehs, but let's be real- shit isn't gonna sell to anybody with just shitty ass Linux. And no, I don't count the fandrexes of the world as people, so that statement stands.
I like trolling McD as much as the next guy brehs, but let's be real- shit isn't gonna sell to anybody with just shitty ass Linux. And no, I don't count the fandrexes of the world as people, so that statement stands.
250+ games before launch. How many do PS4/Xbone have? :smug
For the record these are going to sell like shit compared to consoles but could still carve a market out compared to PC's (which are dying a flaming death thanks to Win8 anyways.) I mean fuck, even Chromebooks are eating MS's lunch.
For the record these are going to sell like shit compared to consoles
At its Steam Dev Days event, Valve announced that the Steam Controller no longer has a touchscreen.
The Steam Controller is Valve's "different kind of gamepad" to be used with the upcoming line of Steam Machines. When it was originally announced, the developer stated that the controller's touchscreen, "allows an infinite number of discrete actions to be made available to the player, without requiring an infinite number of physical buttons." According to reports from Endgadget and various Twitter posts, it seems Valve has changed its mind, as now instead of a touchscreen, the Steam Controller will have a directional-pad (D-PAD) and a standard ABXY button configuration that can be remapped. No word where on the controller they'll be yet.
These changes were made to help with backwards compatibility issues. Additionally, Valve thought that the touchscreen distracted folks from the games they were playing as they were constantly looking at their hands instead of their TVs. In the past, Valve has said it wanted the Steam Controller to be competitively priced with other controllers. This may have been another reason they ditched the screen.
Valve also revealed that the controller will have an API that's built in to Steam API for developers. This will help them integrate the Steam Controller into their games and it will support up to 16 Steam Controllers at once.
As for connectivity, the Steam Controller will use low latency Bluetooth. For power it will use two AA batteries.
Fez
Super Meat Boy
Metro Last Light
Dota 2
Shadowrun Returns
Amnesia 2
Hotline Miami
The fuck does Xbone have? Ryse? :heh That console ain't even BC.
Fez
Super Meat Boy
Metro Last Light
Dota 2
Shadowrun Returns
Amnesia 2
Hotline Miami
The fuck does Xbone have? Ryse? :heh That console ain't even BC.
Fez - garbage
Super Meat Boy - shit
Metro Last Light - whatevs
Dota 2 - mobas are dogshit
Shadowrun Returns - whatever
Amnesia 2 - probably good
Hotline Miami - awesome
Sorry but Ryse beats out all of these games. The action packed levels gives you the element of ancient time Rome and the battles of the good old sword and shield along with blood thirsty combos that gives you the ability of hacking limbs off your filthy enemies.
Why the hate on the batteries? I'd rather have replacable batteries than built-in ones that have to be docked into a charging station or hooked up to the console while it's on (does the PS4 still require that, or can they charge in stand-by now?).
I didn't buy these Eneloops for nothing.
Valve could always a charge and play pack.Why the hate on the batteries? I'd rather have replacable batteries than built-in ones that have to be docked into a charging station or hooked up to the console while it's on (does the PS4 still require that, or can they charge in stand-by now?).
I didn't buy these Eneloops for nothing.
I just think it usually looks and feels trashy, theres really nothing wrong with it i guess. I never have a problem with battery life or charging my shit cause I'm really anal about charging my stuff after i'm done using it.
I wonder what percentage of these machines will immediately have a Windows partition installed on them as soon as they're purchased.
edit: they moved the center eight buttons to a more accessible location and ditched the proposed touch screen
Moving the button begins the slow gradual retreat to the standard controller layout- that said, the pads are probably 'enough' for what theyre gunning for
They really just want to emancipate themselves from Microsoft. That's the only way all this makes sense. Only a tenth of the library is compatible with SteamOS right now and there's no real reason that I can detect for us to use it over regular Steam or Big Picture Mode. BPM, using the Steam controller, would be enough to 'win' the living room. That's not the point though, the point is to ditch Windows and Direct X, or at least establish SteamOS and Open GL as a viable option.
I've got a Steam controller right now (was at dev days), I'm wondering what I should attempt playing with it. Need to figure out how to configure the thing. On Friday the guys will hook up Galak Z and see how it plays.
Alienware has announced its plans to launch Steam Machines every year, in order to mimic the lifecycles of consoles.www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=755423
Alienware GM Frank Azor confirmed the plans to TrustedReviews, commenting that, like the consoles produced by Sony and Microsoft, the hardware of Alienware’s Steam Machines would be locked.
"Lifecycle wise, consoles update every five, six, seven years, we will be updating our Steam Machines every year," he explained. “There will be no customization options – you can’t really update it."
The first one was horrible, this revision is bad only because of the stupid "D-pad" button system.
If they fixed that, and maybe brought the touch-pad back... it'd be almost fine.
Okay, I'll bite: Tell me how having A/B/X/Y in the worst possible position available for four face buttons was a "revolutionary" idea?The buttons as they were before weren't meant to be used like the face buttons are now. You wouldn't have had to reach across the touch screen to swing Dante's sword or whatever. The way it was supposed to work, I think, was that sectors of the right touchpad were assigned face buttons. Don't ask me how you would stop the camera from moving in those scenarios, I don't know. Lift your thumb? Incorporate a slight delay?
Okay, I'll bite: Tell me how having A/B/X/Y in the worst possible position available for four face buttons was a "revolutionary" idea?The buttons as they were before weren't meant to be used like the face buttons are now. You wouldn't have had to reach across the touch screen to swing Dante's sword or whatever. The way it was supposed to work, I think, was that sectors of the right touchpad were assigned face buttons. Don't ask me how you would stop the camera from moving in those scenarios, I don't know. Lift your thumb? Incorporate a slight delay?
Same goes for the d-pad. Assigned to sectors on the left, though the touchpad would have to know to stop moving the cursor/camera.
:kobeyuckCiv V is out on Linux, join us...