(CES 2014) iBuyPower’s $499 Steam Machine Is Officially Coming

SteamFirst: In only a couple of days there will be an explosion of Steam machine news coming from CES in Las Vegas. While most information is already known, what is not known is who plans on selling their own Steam machines and for what price. First one out of the game should be by iBuyPower.

[Ashunderfire86]

Wow Valve just beat Xbox One before the reveal! Man what a steal $500 dollars! And watch as I get disagrees. Man I love people lol!

[I_am_Batman]

How can you say that it's a steal when most of the specs are unknown?

[PeaSFor]

this is still great for pc noobs who dont own a rig yet.

[Eonjay]

A little bit of research on AMD's Radeon R9 270 will reveal that this is indeed a steal.

[UltimateMaster]

It's basically a 499$ console with Intel/NVIDIA gear.
But you can upgrade you hardware.
I'm sure they'll be other more interesting Steam Machines.
Specs are better than the Xbox One.

[NatureOfLogic]

This is nothing more than a starter PC gaming rig without windows OS. I doubt It'll pose any real threat against PS4 or Xbox One. Connect you gaming PC to your TV and you already have a superior version of steam box.

[MadLad]

I've been saying for a while now that the specs, which were revealed, should indeed rival PS4 performance, based on benchmarks using similar builds and games that are multiplatform, such as BF4.

@PeaSFor

Games that are origin specific and those used, primarily, to push the Xbox One are going to be few and far between.
I highly doubt it is going to be as many as to warrant your choice of wording. Anyway, I was using said title purely to give a sign of performance.

[PeaSFor]

@SlapHappyJesus
uh... arent you aware that BF4/Titanfall isnt(and PROBABLY wont ever be) supported by Steam OR linux...so you can already forget that and a shit ton of titles on SteamOS

[nukeitall]

That does seem like a nice machine, but does it come with a controller, and a Windows license?

Steam machine is practically useless to me with just Linux, and an added Windows 8 license will set me back around $100 more.

If I'm looking from just a graphical power point, it is great. From a usability in my daily life, it is very limited.

Kinect One alone makes my Xbox One much more convenient for Amazon Instant Video and Netflix. While graphics has much more limited appeal to me, although I admit that while playing Ryse I did pause a few times to check out the graphics. I'm sure a Steam box would make the PS4 and Xbox One look like last generation consoles next to it though.

[GeraltofRivia]

Being that a 6 year old average gaming pc shits on the xbox one and ps4 when it comes to gaming I think a modern day "Steam Machine" will be equal if not better to the current consoles and you won't have to wait 7-8 years for hardware upgrades. More like modify whenever you want.

[abzdine]

Exclusives is the reason why people buy consoles and for a console-only gamer like myself steam machine is pointless. and for 499..... -_-'

[Rivitur]

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. And there is no powerbrick : P

Geez do some research first at least.

[DoctorJones]

@abzdine

Pc has plenty of exclusives.

[EXVirtual]

Did anyone even read the article?
'If this all pans out and you can get these spec’s for that $499 price'
The price of this thing isn't even confirmed. I highly doubt it's gonna be $500. The profit margin would be too small. I think this thing is going to be a very niche machine. It's not going to compete with the PS4 and XBO, PS4 especially.

[Mac420]

GPU alone is popping on both Next Gen consoles, they stilled haven't released what type of CPU it's got in there. But this box will be stronger then both consoles. An in 1-2 years when new hardware drops, you will be able to upgrade.

Think it's official I'm never gettin a next gen console Steam box here I come.

[alexkoepp]

In two years n4g will be flooded with headlines like "Steambox goes the way of the dodo", "Steambox: Where Valve went wrong", "100 ways to build a cheaper, more powerful PC instead of buying Steambox", "What happened to Steambox?", "Top tech fails of 2015: Steambox", "Buying PS4+X1 cheaper than Steamboxes, plus the best games"

[NeoTribe]

Im gonna take a guess that the 499 model may be more powerful than the ps4. Dont wanna sound like an ass but i kinda hope steam pushes microsoft out the game buisness. Sony, steam and nintendo have always been about the games.

[JasonKCK]

Steam machine specs are better than X1 and PS4. IDK where you guys are getting that the PS4 is on par.

[ABizzel1]

@I_am_Batman

We know most of the stat, we just don't know all of the specifics.

CPU: Doesn't really matter but my guess is it's a FX 6000, no less than an FX 4000. The FX 6000 would be best since it's 6 cores will allow it to receive straight ports from the consoles, who are both only using 6 cores of their CPU right now, on top of that the cores in the FX 6000 are at least 2x more powerful per core than the PS4 and XBO CPU. The FX 4000 should work as well, but it's best to pass on that, and spend the extra $40 to get the $100 FX 6000.

GPU: A solid mid-range GPU, which should put it around 60% - 70% more powerful than the XBO, and 10% - 20% more powerful than the PS4. Also has 2GB of GDDR5 (179.2 GB/s)

RAM was already said to be 8GB DDR3, MHz was unknown (more than likely 1600MHz).

HDD: 500GB

All for $499. The PS4 is still a slightly better deal hardware wise (the gap in performance will be covered by dedicated coding and development, and the 8GB of GDDR5 is just to much of positive to overlook, and V-Sync performance), but Steam Machines seriously put the hurt on XBO. Once again your get superior hardware, saves you money on games (thanks to Steam and PC games generally being cheaper to begin with), and still get to keep a console-like experience with friends list, free online gaming, connecting to an HDTV (a monitor would be much better), and using a 360 / XBO / DualShock 4 controller easily.

[gaffyh]

Personally, I think the box looks a bit crap, but also I saw a gaming benchmark comparison of processors, where an 8-core AMD processor lost to a 4th gen Intel i3 (dual core). So I don't think it's the best spec on the market.

[VforVideogames]

Nothing can beat the SUPERUNMATCHABLEALLMIGHTY PS4 SPECS

[Utalkin2me]

@GeraltofRivia

You know gaming is about games and gameplay right? I think everyone knows PC's are more powerful but under utilized. Games are all a personal preference, such as you liking Pc offerings more, where as i like console offerings more. That clearly doesn't mean PC's as you say "shit" on consoles.

[MicDude]

@Eonjay

If you are right about the r9 270 then it will be definitely Xbox One and equal, maybe even a little more powerful than the PS4.

[Nafon]

most of the specs are unknown? They give you the GPU, a rough idea of the cpu, we know that will have enough ram to run games, the HDD size, and none of the other specs will have anything but an insignificant effect on performance.

[el_bandito]

The GPU is already more powerful than the Xbox One's. I have a PS4 and PC with GTX 770 and I could say this is a good deal for people who don't have a decent gaming rig yet. The controller still seems iffy to me though. But you'll probably get used to it like our transition from the Nes joypad to SNES joypad to the Dualshock/360 joypad. Additionally, with a keyboard/mouse you can get the best out of some RTS, ARTS, FPS(maybe), etc.

Get your exclusives on consoles. Then get the others for the steambox. I personally believe that Steam Sales are one of the greatest things given to the gaming community. Once you get the steambox, see your HD get loaded with games you might not even play for the next two years.

[Alex_Boro]

Haha yeah, I rather pay 100 extra bucks when I can actually save money on games on steam and possibly install windows. Those two things actually are useful rather than kinect.

[nukeitall]

I value ease of use the most, and the Xbox One (and the PS4) has consistently been more user friendly in use than my PC, even with Steam in big picture mode.

Admittedly both Xbox One and PS4 is more like PC now, it still has a huge leg up, especially in convenience with Kinect One. I also really feel attached to trophies and especially achievements.

That said, the cheaper games, the freedom to install whatever you want (if you are using Windows), the breadth of software offering and humongous leap in graphical power is very enticing.

The graphical power should easily outdoo any console several times over. If we can get a convenient, small, quiet and upgradeable box with huge graphical power to a cost of $400-500 I might jump especially if it has a license of Windows.

Then again, I already have a quad core PC, with gazillion RAM, but with a somewhat anemic video card. Far cheaper to upgrade that!

[DeadlyFire]

@Nukeitall
You do know if you have a high powered PC you already have a Steam machine right?

All you would have to do to get that same experience of those Steam Machine people is to just download the Free OS and install it on a partition or a separate hard drive your choice.

[extermin8or]

The thing people on here seem to be missing is that it just can't get too powerful and have a decent price. Not financially viable. Also many console gamers choose to be so for the convinience. The convincience of ittin on the couch and jumping right in, not having to worry if a game will run properly on your hardware or run aswell as it should- so many different hardware combinations exist for pc devs can't prepare for all of them and sometime errors stop the game functioning but you have no way of knowing till you've bought it as all the benchmarks in the world wouldn't show you that might be the case.

[Utalkin2me]

@Alex_Boro

I haven't paid full priced for a console game in half a decade. Between amazon, bestuy giving cash back and the greatness of gamefly you can get retail copies pretty cheap, with resell value unlike steam.

I bought BF4 day one 47 bucks from gamefly then 3 weeks later sold it for 40.

[Alex_Boro]

@Utalkin2me That's true, but Gamefly is subscription based so you aren't really saving that much money if you buy games.

[nukeitall]

@fire:

I do know that, but it isn't quite the same.

I'm hoping for a silent and powerful machine in a package suitable for living room use hopefully with at least a controller and hopefully voice command and Kinect like functionality in my Steam box. The Kinect function is unlikely, the voice command might be possible, but likely cluncky or with little widespread support.

So that leaves me with a silent, powerful and convenient packaging.

My current Dell desktop monster is none of the above!

Also, I haven't tried Steam OS in regular use, but don't see how it would be better than just using Windows now and the for see able future.

[AutoCad]

it just beat ps aswell, if this gets the support,it will be the top dog.cant wait to hear more from this

[Parapraxis]

This has beat nothing yet.

[cleft5]

Sony 1st party support is 2nd only to Nintendo and remember the PS4 is only $400. With Gaikai the PS4 will also have access to key PS3, PS2, PS1, and possibly PSP games. That library and price tag ensure that Sony will remain strong against many competitors.

[Rockstar]

You're forgetting what sets all these different platforms apart. The Games! As much as everyone argues about power/resolution etc. the fact is you can't play Uncharted, The Last of Us, God of War, Gran Turismo, the list goes on, On PC or Xbone.

You can't play Dead Rising 3, Ryse, Forza etc. on PC or PS4.

Steam has great games no doubt but not all of 'em.

In the end, that's what really matters.

[EXVirtual]

Did you read the article?
The actual price isn't confirmed.
'If this all pans out and you can get these spec’s for that $499 price'
I doubt it will be $500. And no, this thing which seems to have no disc drive, will not compete against established consoles.

[EXVirtual]

Did you read the article?
The actual price isn't confirmed.
'If this all pans out and you can get these spec’s for that $499 price'
I doubt it will be $500. Not for those specs.

[warczar]

@cleft5

"Sony 1st party support is 2nd only to Nintendo"

That statement is definitely debatable. Not saying Nintendo doesn't make quality games but they really lack in the story telling department.

[Eonjay]

Exactly. This machine is upgradeaple, it has 4GB GDDR5 video memory with a memory bandwidth of 320GB/s, with 2816 SPUs (almost 3 TFlops of performance) and a 500GB HDD.

For $499

[Rhaigun]

Really? Because when I looked up this card it was 2gb of GDDR5 and only 2.7 Gflops. Still good, but half the card you're touting.

[Eonjay]

@Rhaigun

Yes you are right only 2GB
and
2.368 TFlops I stand corrected.

28% Faster than PS4 @ 125% of price of PS4
80% Faster than Xbox One @ 100% of price Xbox One

[Rhaigun]

It's cool. I was actually hoping you'd counter by saying this machine had a modified R9 270. :-) That would've been icing on the cake.

[Beastforlifenoob]

You guys are only considering the floating point operations per second which yes the STEAM machine does have a slight advantage.BUT

1.) The PS4's GPU uses half the power consumption (75w vs 150 w) because of this lower power consumption it means lower temperatures and quiter operation under stress.

2.) The PS4 shares a pool of 8GB GDDR5 memory which is very important once you amp up the resolution and overall graphics quality because this GPU only has 2GB of GDDR5 so when that runs out for graphics there will be a massive frame drop. Because the Ps4 has 8 GB of graphics memory it will only suffer FPS drop (or possibly shut down or close applications depending on how it deals with lack of RAM and pager files). So basically the PS4 could possibly DESTROY the r9 270 when say 3GB GDDR5 and 2GB of DDR5(for system) are being used.

Now you may come up with the argument that "but but but it also as 8GB DDR3" there are multiple problems with this the other 8GB of DDR3 on the steambox runs at 1600mhz now lets compare this to the PS4- its 8GB of ram runs at 5,500 mhz... wow... Also since the R9 270 is a 2GB GPU, once more than 2gb is used it will completely tank the fps down to about 5fps from 60. Thats the problem its not POOLED. You can only use 2gb graphic and 8gb convential wheras on the PS4 you can distribute that as much as you want depending on your type of game and its requirements but you cant do that on the convential way of thinking (convential+graphics)...

note the PS4 also as 256MB of extra DDr3 ram for some background processess.

Next, developers will STILL be able to optimize for the PS4, even with x86 there is still loads of room because of what i mentioned above, developers will optimize for pooled memory and 8 core CPU's (or 6 for gaming).

From the evidence I have looked at the PS4's graphics card is about 10% below the steamboxes' however it is almost 2x as efficent because it only uses half the energy.

AS you can see because of pooled memory, because of developer optimization, the PS4 is a more efficent and overall better gaming performance machine than this steambox. And hey its 100 bucks cheaper but you get all of the great 1st party games,

[Bigz6775]

why do you only mention xbox? valve just blew both consoles out of the water.

[Eonjay]

Because the Xbox and this machine are the same price. The graphics card in this machine is literally 2x the power of the Xbox One. It is stronger than the PS4 as well, but not to the same extreme and also the PS4 has a lower price.

In order of power
1. SteamBox 499
2. PS4 399
3. Xbox One 499

Xbox One doesn't have the price advantage to make up for its lack of power.

[dsswoosh]

Cant wait to see the disapointment on all your faces when you buy this and see games running not as well as XB1 or PS4.

This machine is a low end PC which is running games totally unoptimised for it.

The end result will either be high res graphics running at 20 fps or horribly low res graphics without any upscaling running at 60 fps at most.

You will also be putting up with screen tearing or vsync input lag.

[BattleTorn]

Exactly

[sonic989]

was about to point that out ( good job )
but i thought that i shall keep my knowledge to my self you know why share

[dcj0524]

What if it runs the Steam OS? Will this minimize the hogginess of windows.

[krazeecain]

I think you're over-estimating the console advantage. The gpu in this steambox is probably almost twice as powerful as the other consoles' gpu's. No amount of optimization is going to make up for that. lol

[tee_bag242]

@ dsswoosh

Lol wrong wrong wrong..but sorry.

This GPU can already run BF4 at 1080p at 60fps. As we all know X1 and PS4 aren't producing those results. Not even close.

[make72]

I dont know what gpu it uses,but ps4 beat my gtx 760 gpu easyli.

[webeblazing]

more fanboys spreading bs. these so called next gens isnt even producing 1080p with the amount of fidelity of pcs, yall just suddenly started touting bs about resolution. but know that next gen consoles is being out performed by a gfx card that 2x as powerful, you say its still have an advantage. yeah try harder.

low end gfx its funny because before the specs came out a month ago people was claiming the new consoles had this gfx card in it only to be disappointed. thats maybe the reason for the hate.

[deecee33]

Doubtful that it will underperform. As others have pointed out, the video card alone makes it worth the price because it's much faster than what either of the consoles have built in.

And vsync lag is really easy to eliminate. You open the console in your game and set the max FPS draw to 58 or 59. Problem solved. I play BF4 on a gaming machine hooked up to my tv with no lag using that. Doesn't mean I don't want a console, but let's not kid ourselves- the "next gen" experience has been available for a while now.

[Guwapo77]

@ dcj0524

SteamOS is still being optimized. Currently it runs on par or slightly under when compared to Windows 8 at this time. I expected it to come out and smoke it in it's beta phase but it didn't. As this being their first OS (based on Linux), it's pretty damn good.

http://www.phoronix.com/sca...

[Kenshin_BATT0USAI]

It's actually a mid-end pc. And it'll definitely play games better. LOL Optimization or not, the graphics card alone kills what consoles have.

[4logpc]

How can it be a steal if we don't know the CPU........

[decrypt]

Well they probably will use a desktop CPU. Which is way better than the tablet CPUs the PS4 and X1 come equipped with.

[thehitman]

The article is very misleading. They didnt say it is $499 they are HOPING its $499. I bet it will be more than $499 probably like $599. Which is 200 more than the ps4 and 100 more than the xb1. Also a lot of the other specs are still unknown so it could be very well more than even $599.

[iamnsuperman]

I am not sure how anyone can disagree with you. What you have said is right. This is not New I formation. The language, of the article, also says "if the all pans out and you can get these specs for that price" none of this is confirmed. People need to start reading beyond the title

[3-4-5]

I bought a Computer through ibuypower back last March and I love it. Cost me $600 at the time, AMD 7770, 8GB Ram, i5 3750 cpu and runs games on high settings good.

I'm assuming that since this is being offered now, parts have gone down and this PC could have even better specs for a better price.

I love that about PC's.

[Automatic79]

@Ashunderfire

When you add a dumb comment like that at least have the decency to back it up with a point you come off like troll.

[Ashunderfire86]

102 and counting are all in favor of my comment. With 6 disagrees > over 1 agree, it seems that you are the one that is a troll. Read article to see why I said that the Steam Box is a steal over Xbox One. A box that looks like a ripoff of Xbox one without the spy cam, with superior specs is a plus.

[Mosiac77]

A steal? The steam machine will be useless if steam goes down and it almost has the DRM futures that gamers didn't want on the xbox one to begin with.

[TheKayle1]

specs are better than both console...ps4 and xbox one

and clearly this one is upgradable.....

[deecee33]

This thing is already 1080p60 capable if the consoles are any indication. If the CPU and video are both upgradeable, this thing could be a really good long term buy.

[Necro_559]

Why are you people so stupid. Console specs on paper might not seem super great. But optimization. One set off specs across the board and unified memory. Thats what makes console special. So specs in a console are amplified because of this. The Last of Us on PS3 was done with less then 500mb of non unified ram. This Steam machine wont sell at all. No ones going to by it. Not only that, but its not a unified set of specs, it doesnt have unified ram, or custom drivers. In 3 years it wont even be able to run most games. Also, we dont even know the full spec sheet for this machine. And it most certainly doesnt shit on the Xbox ONE. Because like i said, something PC fanboys just dont want to believe. Consoles gain strength from being a closed platform with unified specs, unified ram, cptimized drivers. If you take a PC with the same specs as an Xbox ONE, the Xbox ONe is going to destroy it. Game are performing like high end PCs on the PS4 and XBox ONE. This is the reason you buy console. These are just facts. And i am talking graphics wise.

[hiredhelp]

Let me tell you why id buy this over xbox one pure raw performance visually better much better.
Heres why http://www.extremetech.com/... Do you see that long PCB Board at the top like a long retangle circuit board? Thats the graphics card one of many types why this better than Xbox one....? Full fledged PCI deadicated GPU means more stream procesors more memory boost.
Heres the deal i think steambox users may! Get that PC users had for Years thats in game graphics tweaking 16x aa anyone ok realisticly i put down to 4x.
This all means better FPS. Because as you see theres a seperate CPU like memory HDD ect ect. Plus i think to a point its upgradable.
Myself if i wanted best both world like last year PS4 Steam box if you dont want to get into building pc.

[JsonHenry]

Just a little bit of a google search and you will know that this machine sports more power and certainly more customization than either "next-gen" console as well as a game library that makes them both look silly.

It probably won't replace my PS4 for console gaming but I know my wife would love to play PC games on her big-screen in a worry free environment (SteamOS) akin to a console so I will by buying her one of these.

[inf3cted1]

It also beats the PS4 so I dont see your point.

[frostypants]

Too bad it can only play games made for Linux. Fail.

[Beastforlifenoob]

What this guy said is true you wont be able to play hell of alot of games unless you install windows

[ZombieKiller]

I was going to get a rig to hook up to my TV but I might go with this instead. It really depends on how customizable it is.
If it's like a PC, then I am sold. If I can run any program I want like winamp, or skype etc etc, while playing a game then I am sold. I want a PC to customize my experience to MY liking. Not to Sony's or Microsofts.

My goal is to have party chat, while playing custom soundtracks with my friends. I have a PS3, PS4 AND xbox 360 and still cant do it the way I want to.

[Syntax-Error]

Everyone should just wait for the review

[frankiebeans]

You dont even know whats in the dame box other tank its a computer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and you complain about disagrees??????? are you a stupid ass?????????

[combatcash]

no blu ray player definitely not a steal bro.

[AO1JMM]

What gamer are they marketing this thing towards though?

I already own a gaming PC and I own all the consoles for their respective exclusives so.....?

Unless Valve gets exclusives that wont be on standard Steam on PC then I don't see it being more that a niche product.

[otherZinc]

No Halo?, well, the Steam Box serves a zero threat to the XBOX ONE. Try PS4.

[GizmoFusion]

At $500 this is a steal. The video card alone is a beast. Very exciting to see this become official. Hopefully we get a release date too.

[SkippyPaccino]

We don't have the full specs and i doubt that it's going to make that much of a difference in the market...The reason Sony and Microsoft sell their consoles at a lost is that they know they will make up the money with royalties for every game sold...Now why would say Asus or any other pc manufacturer sell a steam machine below cost? They don't make a cut off royalties from game sells...all steam machines will be sold at a profit meaning that building your own PC still remains the better option?

I see steam machine becoming the new beats audio of PC or just die and go back to its roots

[Starbucks_Fan]

Computer noob here.

Is this a better value than building my own computer? Also can it run a lot of the top demanding games?

[GizmoFusion]

With that video card, if this all turns out to be true which is all but confirmed at this point, yes it will be a beast of a PC.

[Starbucks_Fan]

Can you put Windows on it? Or is is SteamOS only?

[Slapshot82]

@Starbucks_Fan SteamOS runs on a Debian form of the Linux kernel, not Windows.

I'm not testing SteamOS, because as of right now, it can't be dual-booted on a single system. From what I've read, SteamOS is an extremely stripped down and basic form of Linux in its current stage. It is not user friendly at this point in time.

With that said - it's Linux. The community will make it make it continually better from this point forward. I'd expect that the Steam Box will be dual-boot compatible in the future, as well as it being able to a Virtual Machine, like VirtualBox, which allows you to legally install and run Windows through SteamOS.

[Rivitur]

@star

http://m.youtube.com/watch?...

[Ashunderfire86]

Its sure is a better value than a system with a required camera, that could watch your every move. $500 dollars with better specs. $500 dollars that craps on Xbox one. $500 dollars where Valve put the money where their mouth is.

[GizmoFusion]

Hell's yea!

[JsonHenry]

It craps on both consoles in terms of power. Even at $100 more it is still better bang for you buck perfomance-wise than any console you can purchase today.

[Slapshot82]

@krazeecain Yes, I actually am indeed reading these comments and believe it or not, I've studies how SteamOS works and I can tell you that it actually isn't a "normal PC" like so many people choose to believe that it is, if you choose to keep SteamOS on this hardware.

In its current format, you can't do anything put boot into Steam and play games that are formatted for Linux within that one system. It doesn't have the connectivity of functionality to do anything else, but run Steam at the moment.

If you, however, decide to wipe SteamOS off of the hardware, then yes, you could do whatever you want to do with it. In that sense, yes, it is a "normal PC." Install Windows (and therefore the Windows compatible version of Steam), etc.

But what is going to be interesting is the fallout between Microsoft and Valve that is all but inevitable because of this console becoming such a strong competitor to the Xbox One. Microsoft is going to want to have some stake in it, just like it does now with PC.

[I_am_Batman]

Can't say much about the value without knowing all the specs.

Since it's a basically a normal PC you should be able to install Windows on it.

[Slapshot82]

No, it isn't a "normal PC." A "normal PC" run Windows as an operating system and the SteamOS is not Windows.

[krazeecain]

@Slapshot82 He's talking hardware-wise. It obviously doesn't run windows out of the box. That's why Starbucks_Fan is asking if it runs windows. Are you actually reading these comments?

[_QQ_]

to your windows question'probably not', this will pretty much buying an upgrade-able console that plays multiplats at the best settings for consoles and has PC exclusives. Also i'm pretty sure MS and Valve don't get along.

[tee_bag242]

You couldn't be more wrong. Steam want this to be open platform, that's the point! I'm not sure how you reached your conclusions there but its entirely untrue.
They will ship with Steam OS (which is basically their custom version of Linux) and you can install Windows if you so wish. Its up to the user. The way it should be .

[_QQ_]

@teebag, its only what ive heard, i thought the boxes were built around steam os.

[Jack_Of_All_Blades]

You could put windows on it as its a pc, but that will be another hundred

[Kenshin_BATT0USAI]

I've been looking into this for awhile. Given the known specs, it's basically impossible to build something as good as this on your own. I can only assume IBuyPower is getting bulk part deals and passing on the savings to the consumers.

[Majin-vegeta]

I would buy this to go next to my PS4.Are these upgradeable?

[GizmoFusion]

Yep!!

[XiSasukeUchiha]

Steam and Sony, and Microsoft are battling each over for console dominance

[Insomnia_84]

Me too! Sony and Steam for me.

This just made the XBone the most expensive and unnecessary gaming device in your household.

[XboxFun]

But what about DRM and the likes of it all that all you Sony fanboys were so adamant of never supporting?

Steam has all that sweet DRM that you Sony fanboys were so mad at MS for trying to implement.

Now all of a sudden Steam is the way for most of you to go? Oh the sweet 180's you all do.

[Rockstar]

Not looking for an argument from the PC elitists here that want to argue keyboard/mouse vs controller but...
Will this handle my windows controller/ps4 controller?

[Rockstar]

Disagrees = no?

or are people just disagree happy?

[Kryptix]

If it's a PC that looks like a console, then it will.

[Insomnia_84]

I would be the happiest madafaka in the world if they made it DS4 compatible!

[DoctorJones]

A 360 controller will work natively, and I'm pretty sure you can use the ds4 as well now.

[Rivitur]

Yes it will and once the wii u pad is compatible with PC's it will be compatible as well.

[Kryptix]

If that becomes the official price, I'm definitely going to buy a Steam Machine in the future that goes along with the PS4. PS4 will be for physical discs and great exclusives and the Steam Machine will be for digital games since Valve has the best deals for digital games.

[TooTall19]

I could see AMD and NVIDIA making cards specific for Steam machines if they sell well. If those specs are true with the R9 270 this should be an insta-buy for anyone without a gaming PC.

[tee_bag242]

They already do - The current GPU's that are out! What point are you missing here?! The idea of Steam machines is they are open and upgradable with current off the shelf PC hardware. They don't need to be specified for niche closes system designs - That's totally goes against this whole movement. You don't need to be told what you can and can't do anymore - Grow up and think for yourself.

[TooTall19]

You honestly think any video card could fit in a box that's barely bigger than a PS4? Do you have any understanding about the heat produced by these cards?

[AO1JMM]

From what I have heard these Steam Machines are pretty much off the shelf components put in a custom case.

[GizmoFusion]

@starbucks_fan It will come with SteamOS but the beauty of a full blown PC... Put windows on if you like :)

[nevin1]

What kind of exclusive games it will have?

[JBSleek]

PC exclusives.

[Slapshot82]

DOTA 2 is plenty enough - eh?

[sonic989]

dont expect anything beside the PC stuff

[Plagasx]

Love the stealth troll lol...

[AKissFromDaddy]

Steam Workshop for Skyrim, Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter Strike: GO, etc.

Then Mods like Just Cause 2 multiplayer & most Steam multiplats, in my opinion.

When EA's Origin games or Ubisoft's UPlay games supports Linux, then Steam Machines may play Respawn's Titan Fall or Ubisoft's The Division. They still make money on digital ports to Linux.

[tee_bag242]

Some exclusive that I play are:

Shadow Warrior
Metro Last light
Sniper Elite v2
Day Z
Assetto Corsa
Test Drive Ferrari
Nascar 2013
Arma 3
Rising Storm
Trine 2
7 Days to Die
Chivalry
War of the Roses
Killing Floor
Serious Sam series

Not to mention all the Elderscrolls series and other games with mods. Plus that list above probably cost me around $130 in the steam sale

PC will give you access to about 30 years of other PC exclusives. Also all the other multiplatform titles
Plus all the indie games which are pretty much AA releases now days.

Its a good time to be PC gaming. Thats for sure!

[WeAreLegion]

Some of those are on consoles, as well. Great games though. I finally got Shadow Warrior this week during the sale.

[AO1JMM]

You should look up exclusive in the dictionary my friend. A few of those are not exclusive to the PC.

Metro Last Light
Shadow Warrior (PS4 bound)
Trine 2
Serious Sam Series

etc

[Kayant]

Value games that have been ported to linux. Left 4 Dead 2, Dota 2, CS;Source, Hail Life series & Portal Series.

Once you install windows you get all the other hundreds of exclusives.

[_QQ_]

PC exclusives, so in other words the most exclusives, PC had more exclusives than all 3 consoles combined in the year 2013.

[SpideySpeakz]

Day Z
DOTA 2
Total War: Rome 2
Garry's Mod
Star Bound
Civ5
Arma 3

Also, it's backwards compatible with older games, and unlimited access to Mods. So yes, they have exclusives.

[ArtificiallyYours]

Excellent news, now to really decide....

[ArtificiallyYours]

Ok ok, it's not fully confirmed, but it's inevitable. :U

[Kaiou]

This is an amazing value , considering that through the use of emulators the PC can play almost every game on existence .

[4logpc]

Except you know....xbox 360, ps3, ps4, Wii u, and Xbox one.

[Kaiou]

You mean x360,ps3,ps4,Wii u , Xbox one *Exclusives* only , That's why i said "almost".

[Miacosa]

Until the Steam Box Linux games library gets on par with that of the Windows side this console is going to struggle.

[Slapshot82]

It's to my understanding that a large amount of developers are in the process of making its Steam games Linux compatible. I've also heard that Valve is working with them to make it as smooth of a transition as possible.

[annus]

Struggle to do what exactly? And stop calling it a console, it's not. It is fully customisable hardware and software. Want windows? Install windows. Want more RAM? Put in more RAM. Want steamOS on your current PC? Install it.

It's a cheaper ALTERNATIVE to purchasing a PC.

[tee_bag242]

Still. if you compare the current library of Linux games on Steam to the current console library of games, it looks massive.
Otherwise just install Windows is its not enough.

[dannphou]

Is the AMD Radeon R9 270 a good card at all? Can it run games at high settings?

[JBSleek]

Yes.

Raw power it has TFLOPS of about 2.70 to put that in perspective that is about double the raw power of the Xbox One and 50% more of PS4.

It will run modern games on High at 1080p easily.

[Half-Mafia]

2.37 not 2.70. This is a R9 270 not a R9 270X.

[Rhaigun]

Does it have a disc drive? Because with only a 500 gb HDD, and being digital only, it's gonna be a problem.

I know I could upgrade the HDD, but dropping $500 on a system and expecting it to last me a year before doing so is a reasonable request.

[Rockstar]

I've got a 500 gig drive in the rig I'm typing on here and I've got 44 steam games (so far) with room to spare.
Having said that I've got windows booting off of a separate 90 gig SSD.

[Rhaigun]

They must be mostly smaller games then. I only have 6 on my PS4 and have used 70gb already.

[Rockstar]

There is a big difference between Steam downloads and PS4 downloads. My biggest Steam download clocks in at maybe 9 gigs while Killzone clocks in at what 40 gigs?

Smallest Steam download at a couple hundred megs maybe.

As a comparison AC4 is 21.2 gigs on PS4, 17.2 on Steam

[Kaiou]

Well , you can always get an external usb disk drive if needed.

[Rhaigun]

That's a good point.

[Are_The_MaDNess]

you guys are also forgetting that the steambox that they sent out for testing had another space for another 2.5inch drive with its own sata cable and power. think this will have it aswell since its cheap just to put it in there. people can always change the hdd to a 2tb drive or something.

[GadgetGooch]

How long are the specs in the PC world going to hold up though? will it be useless in two, three years? Consoles are looking at a 7-10 year life cycle which means all the blockbuster games will be in reach for consoles gamers for this long and with jus one initial price...how often will I need to buy or upgrade a steam machine?

[beatled]

well it will ALWAYS be WAY more powerful than ps4

if you want to you can just pull out the video card in 4 years, sell it for some $$$ and then buy a new card to stay with the highest settings

or just be happy knowing you got something for $500 that has double the power of the ps4

[Anomander]

In 4 years swap out the video card for one in the $200 range and you will be good to go for another 4 years. That's what is nice about this is it is upgradeable. Plus you will save money on the game sales that Steam has as well.

It's not a bad way to go if you are not looking to build your own and just getting into the PC field. As much as I like the idea of a Steam Machine. I'll most likely end up building a new Gaming desktop and and dual boot both Win and Steam OS as needed.

[extermin8or]

well depends what cpu it's using really...

[kingduqc]

There is a myth that pc hardware suddenly become unplayable magically. Here is a news flash: GT 8800 released for 199 in 2006 same time as ps3 play games better then the ps3 today on games released in 2013.

You people always think just because pc gamer like to upgrade their rig they HAVE TO do it. It's not true at all. The mythical "Optimization zomg" is just some bullcrap you year from console gamer who knows not much about hardware. A 270 will outpower the ps4 in framerate or resolution with same image quality in 2020 and that's a fact.

[MultiConsoleGamer]

Steam Box is the future!

[KiLLUMiNATi_89]

How is the steam box the future, what's soo revolutionary about it ?

[krazeecain]

It's bringing affordable PC gaming to the living room? I think that's a fairly big deal.

As an added bonus, it's also going to remove what is currently the biggest hurdle in the way of ditching windows completely and ultimately destabilize Microsoft's monopoly on computer operating systems. Which is huge. TY Valve!

[bobsmith]

dam I just got ps4 shoulda got this I hate paying to play online

[JBSleek]

You will also same tons of money with the Steam Box as well. Well worth the extra $100 over a PS4 including it has 50% more power.

I would also have a console with the Steam Box due to games that aren't on PC such as sports and certain exclusives but the software on consoles are ridiculous and paying for multi player when most games are still peer to peer is weird.

[Grimhammer00]

I second this earlier question: is this machine digital download only?

I live in Canada where providers are greedy bitches! My bud last month was over his 200gb limit by 24gbs! And that's mostly due to his new ps4 and Netflix.

That KZ mp weekend set you back 49gbs!!! Insane!

The other important question - how many AAA ips are there that are willing to launch at same time as Sony or MS machines? Will these third party devs & pubs create a server infrastructure to coincide with LIVE or PSN? Is stream going to handle this?

I'm not a PC gamer. So I apologize if I don't know how steam fully functions.

[krazeecain]

I just wanted to point out that I also live in Canada and I don't have these issues with my internet. It all depends on your ISP, there are many Americans that have similar issues. I'm with MTS, and afaik there isn't any limit. Me and the other 4 people sharing the line have certainly tested that. ;)

[make72]

with pc u cant have real good exlusives just multiplatforms and mostly mmo:s i dont even remember any good pc exlusives besides mmo:s.Last time pc exlusive game won gamespot game of the year trophy was 2004.I still like play pc games but mostly i play with consoles.

[darx]

Wrong!

[Riderz1337]

Looks good, but the thing holding me back is that god awful controller. The console itself is incredible, specs wise.

[darx]

Use a different one

[Riderz1337]

Didn't know you could, thanks. Any idea on if there will be exclusive games available on it?

[Moncole]

The PC exclusives.

[Xristo]

Use an X360 controller, a PS3 controller, an X1 controller, a PS4 controller, a keyboard/mouse, a logitech controller. I could go on but I think you get the point.

[4logpc]

The r9 270 is essentially a glorified 7870 which has been out for 2-3 years now. Dont expect the 270 to stay relevant for more than 2 years.

[JBSleek]

Good thing this is upgradeable...

[4logpc]

Upgradeable to an extent. I highly doubt a 290x with a decent cooler will fit, plus we have no idea what kind of PSU is in it.

Is everyone forgetting If you put more powerful hardware, you have to have something to drive the power?

[WeAreLegion]

Yeah, but look at the case. We could be looking at a highly modified thing here. I guarantee that's a 2.5" SATA in there. It's probably incredibly tight. Look at iBuyPower's Revolt lineup to get a better picture of what to expect.

[krazeecain]

The PS4 and XB1 have lesser gpu's? How long are they going to stay relevant? I've had a 5770 1GB for 4 years, and it's still playing the latest games at med-high settings @1080p. Still seems pretty relevant to me...

[darx]

Wow! Lot of uniformed gamers in here.

[Grimhammer00]

Inform us! Serious. I need to know how steam works. How it would handle say cod? Is it p2p? Servers offloaded to publisher? In house steam servers?

Are games going to remain $10 cheaper? Is it all digital download? How am I going to buy 2-3 games a month that are 45gbs+ a piece? No trading games? Or did steam ever make that functional?

Too many variables for me to wrap my head around.

I also would like to point out that historically the console market has never sustained more than 3 consoles. Which probably means someone's going to get pinched out of the market....

[Conzul]

Ninty, or MS, if I had to put money on it....

[webeblazing]

read get use to learning and communicating with others(not here they spread bs for fanboy reasons). like people said above me and this is not just about steam.
i dive into pc gaming long ago only played unreal tournament and mugen, than later in 2010 jumped into into it again. loving it(was a big ps fanboy, loved xb360 but hate paying for online).
so im gonna try to tell you what i know and answer your questions if anybody know more or if im incorrect speak up. this should go for any platform a gamer is curious about.

1. it can handle it i would be surprise if anything in the last 5-7 couldnt handle it.

2. pc have a mix of p2p and dedicated server popular and heavy fanbase games alway have dedicated servers in them. which you find old games that was once loved to death are still being played online because people will pay for servers to enjoy it with other that love the game to. thats why devs use to give free dlc or so called dev created mods for they loyal fanbase. games last longer

3. some most publisher on pc do their own servers and rent out servers too. and steam do the same. it different from consoles the worst effort would be p2p, but hey its free.

4. with gamer jumping to buy games at $60 last gen some games are 60. its mostly high profile game that come out every 3-4 yrs. but they usually go on sale right after or you can get a bs preorder discount.

5. im sure its all digital. you will soon forget about it cause they give you cd keys, so if something happen to the company you can get the game from the devs.

6. games take less space than consoles. idk why when they look better. most of the games i buy are under 10gb (can somebody post the avg game size away from home).

7. not sure im sure you can or did they take that out. i know you can buy packs for dirt cheap and give and trade to others. but i remember people use to trade their games but said it stop because of abuse. not sure can someone speak on it.

this isnt really a console so to speak. its to broaden gamers options. you can fully customize pcs even to the setting how well you want to run games.

thank about all the talk on this website from this whole year. if you want to run at 60fps and your pc maxes out at 30fps, you can lower the settings in different categories that fit "your" taste to get to that point, you can even lower the resolution to do it. if you care more about gfx effect than fps and resolution, than max it out then lower the resolution if it cant say above 30fps. <<< this is why people that play on pc are laughing at fanboys and bash at them. whats the point in bashing other consoles because of fps and res. you should be buying consoles for the games you like the exclusives you cant get no where else. what the point in bashing gamers for their preference. pc gamers play a wide array of genres. look at the successful indie scene and other popular games thats not graphically intense that people seem make out that pc gamers tilt their nose to. they except more creativity than most.

you should be buying every console if you have the money. unless the company is straight up robbing you.

[Good-Smurf]

This thing wouldn't sell in my country where we're not spending our time modify our PC and as much as delicious spec these steam machines offered it just doesn't have name or games to compete like Sony had.
I want one as well but this thing is compete with itself,it's in the different league than PS4 or Xbone.
Really Steam is for people who wants more horsepower and even more money to upgrade it. (non PC gamer wouldn't touch it)
Most people will still be perfectly content with PS4 and Xbone.
No offense to all the Steam lovers here it will sell well but not a million in 24 hour level that's for sure it's not exactly the most accessible console but you can modify and upgrade it once again you can't have everything you know without throw even more money into it as always.

[bobsmith]

will I be able to play titanfall on this

[Xristo]

Well, it's being released on the PC but nobody knows what games will be compatible with the Steam Box. Maybe not the answer you want to hear but it's the truth. :/

[dsswoosh]

Probably, but it wont run anywhere near as good as the XB1 version, which will be completely optimised specifically for the XB1 hardware.

Titanfall PC wont be optimised at all for this machine.

[sorane]

You have absolutely no clue what you're talking about. Not sure if you're just a troll or just that badly informed. This will run rings around the XB1 version of Titanfall at higher resolutions and better graphics. You should learn a bit about tech before posting again.

[WeAreLegion]

Absolutely. It's running on the Source engine. My off the shelf laptop can run any Source game and it has an integrated card. (Essentially the worst possible type of card) This Steam Machine could run Titanfall on Ultra. I guarantee it.

[OverPaperSkies]

This > PS4...

Cheap games.
Steam OS.
Free online.
Possible mods in the future.
Roller coaster tycoon ;)

[Conzul]

Uhhh, no.
PC exclusives are legion, but will never stand against Sony's first party.

I'll watch this newcomer, but I'm not expecting much.
Also "Sins of a Solar Empire" is the best PC exclusive ever made.

[DoctorJones]

There are plenty of games other than exclusives. Great exclusives that I enjoy each year on consoles amount to a handful.

That's great, but I need more than that, so the multiplats are, by and large, the meat and gravy of a system. And if a Steam machine can play those multiplats better than on console, then it's a great choice to game on.

Besides, there are more exclusives than Sins of a Solar Empire. X3, the Stalker series, the Arma series, Civ 5, Dota 2, the Total War series, etc, etc.

Exclusives are just a tiny amount of games people enjoy.

[jcnba28]

You forgot backwards compatibility :)

[jjb1981]

I'll wait for a $1,000 unit if I'm gonna buy one. I own all consoles so I'm not biased but I'd prefer to run every game at least at 60 fps with at least 1080P and 16xAA

[AceBlazer13]

Ps4 wii u and this/A pc and my gaming needs will be set.

Oh, a 3ds and a vita added would be perfection.Time to go jub hunting while releases are dry.

[_FantasmA_]

It could definitely knock out the Bone from the picture, but I don't think it will beat PS4. Sony has a great record, established franchises and 3 previous highly successful consoles. I think the Steam machines should have came out around the same times as the others.

[beerzombie]

Not going to happen. MS has the money to lower the price with Kinect still in box by a hundred dollars. Who's gong to make money off of the steam boxes? the big three make money of software they publish and selling rights to sell games own their hardware. These steam box will have to make profit for the company selling them.

[HacSawJimThugin]

There are way too many unknown variables at this point in time to say that SteamBox will be able to compete with the big three. Just like Good Smurf stated above this machine is very niche and only the ppl in the know will suppport it. Consoles are very low maintenance, in about 10 yrs or less you upgrade case closed.

With the SteamBox, how often are will a person have to upgrade the hardware to play games that the X1 and PS4 do with ease? How can Valve explain to a person that has owned nothing but Nintendo,Sony,Microsoft the benefits of owning a SteamBox versus what they are use to?

Its still early but I got to know more before I start making rash decisions.

[iamnsuperman]

Very true and the fact that, despite the article title, none of this is confirmed. The article specifically says they hope it to be like that for 500. I seriously doubt I buy powers can afford to take such a small profit if their only income is the sales of the system (since Value owns steam). Valve hasn't made a big enough push to support Linux based games either

I think this thing will have a niche audience

[Plagasx]

It has BEGUN! Valve will reign supreme with the Steam Box!

[level 360]

Final judgement will always come back to *games.

What sort of games(?), how many line-up of games are we seeing(?)..

[LAWSON72]

I dont see the SteamBox lifting off like everyone thinks. I applaud Valve but the only people interested are those seriously considering or are already PC gamers who are not completely ignorant to the platform. This is not really that great if the systems GPU (or even CPU) cannot be upgraded. Your average consumer is not going to buy a game console from a company that is not MS, Sony, or Nintendo that comes with a strange controller (I think it has serious potential, but the thing visually just raises eyebrows with people asking wtf is that)and as no games at stores .

I only see it help giving those that say 'I wish I could game on PC but I dont think I have the money or knowledge to do so.' If I am wrong I will feel like an idiot but I dont think this machine could come anywhere close to any console this generations when it comes to sales. The only thing I could see doing well is a stream machine with this controller because most PC gamers would love more options that enabled them to game on the couch more conveniently and being a rather cheap option is appealing.

I hope I am wrong because STeam and PC gaming are awesome, but I dont see consumers being very happy when they buy it and need Windows (for $100) to play pretty much every game on Steam except a select few, especially when iBuyPower is planning on marketing it as the machine that can play any game on Steam at 1080p/60fps (according to forbes). Then if your average consumer gets Windows they then need to use software they never heard of to make a usb drive (sorry if there is a disc drive I dont see one) able to install windows. Yes this is easy, but your average person has no clue what to do. The thing is not plug and play, and that would turn many people away.

[make72]

I allready have a good gaming pc why would i buy medium end pc in console box to play mmo:s in tv?:)I liked your writing.Btw 1972 is year of the Lord:)

[unknownbystander]

Let's See....

*PS4: $400 + $60 (Extra Control) + $60 (One New Game) + $50x (Optional ; PS+) (X = years of subscription)

PS4: Conclusion Total Price = $520 (Console, Controller, Game) + $50 more dollars per year (If yearly subscription is bought)

*Xbox One: $500 + $60 (Extra Control) + $60 (One New Game) + $60x (Optional ; Xbox Live) (X = Years of subscription)

Xbox One: Conclusion Total Price = $620 (Console, Controller, Game) + $60 more dollars per year (If yearly subscription is bought)

*Wii U: $300 (Console + 1 or 2 Games Free Depends on Bundle) + $50/$60 (Pro Controller or Wii Mote Plus w/ nunchuck combo) + $60 (One New Game)

Wii U: Conclusion Total Price = $420 (Console w/ 1 or 2 included games, one separate game, controller). No Monthly Subscription fee.

*PC/Steam Box: $500+ (PC Depends on Power preference) + $70 (Decent Mouse w/ Keyboard combo) + $60 (One New Game)

PC/Steam Box: Conclusion Total Price = $630+ (PC/Steam Box of your preference, mouse, keyboard, game) No Monthly Subscription Fee. Unless You bought games that need them. EX: Skyrim Online

These are basically what you are spending on average when getting these consoles from scratch.

In my opinion I would do a PC/Wii U/PS4 combo as some of Xbox One Exclusives/Features are already found on PC which can do more. Wii U/PS4 have good 1st party exclusives, indie friendly, and Cheaper than Xbox One. Also Most 3rd parties are going to apear in PC/PS4 and the Wii U will have one of a kind games (Bayo 2, Monolithsoft's X, Mario Kart 8, Yarn Yoshi, Zelda U, Metroid U, etc.)

Although if you do not agree with me, that is fine. Everyone has different tastes and preferences. Just make sure you enjoy gaming, and not insulting each other because of your console of choice.

[LAWSON72]

Dont forget ESO will have subscription costs on next gen consoles too.

[unknownbystander]

Yes but regularly most PC gamers would buy that. PLus it's already bad enough that you have to pay online subscription fees for PS+ and Xbox Live and people have to pay for their internet monthly already.

Also why the disagrees??

[MadLad]

Greatness awaits

[sAVAge_bEaST]

Nice, xbox done son.. Gamers got love for valve.

I'm gonna pick one of these up, fo sho., Ps4 & Steam Machine.. Woərd! :

[mysteryraz11]

is gonna fail, noone outside the internet will buy it,its running linux so not really have a good library plus all the ps4 and xbox one consoles have the same hardware in them and the games get better as the hardware ages, this is basically a pc in disguise as a console,its already known there will be multiple models with different hardware in them, besides the library will be sup par probally better sticking to consoles or build a gaming pc

[KakashiHotake]

Steam Machine is like a smack in the face to Xbox One. It's doing almost everything Microsoft originally planned for digital before the 180 but with much more power and stronger emphasis on games. I'm still not sure what I think of the Steam Machine but so far I like their proposition a lot better than Xbox One for $499.

[thexmanone]

And a lot better that the PS4

[KakashiHotake]

I see your point but at least PS4 is at the right price to match their specs. In all honesty Xbox One should be cheaper than PS4 and not priced the same as Steam machine. Here's how it should look:

$499 Steam Machine
$399 PS4
$350 Xbox One
$250 Wii U

Even though I understand the Kinect and Wii U's gamepad adds to the overall manufacturing price. Those are really just two extra peripherals that people could go without.

[Adolph Fitler]

Can't wait for the shock when THE REAL PRICE is actually announced....$699 is my guess....Could be wrong...
Problem is, 1. It's called the SteamBox????It sounds like somewhere people take a sh1t in third world countries. (But I guess the Wii was as bad a name, BUT it had the Nintendo badge on it)....Valve has absolutely zero credibility in the electronics manufacturing market... MS were giants that everybody knew & almost everybody had there software loaded on there pc, so a certain degree of trust & a humungous amount of brand recognition was already there....Sony was the same when they debuted, they were already making games & were THE BIGGEST electronics company in the world (maybe not in monetary terms, but definitely in brand recognition, Sony were just the in thing & everyone knew Sony...so they also had that huge feather in there favor cap.... Nintendo came from trading cards to game&watch & anyone who knows gaming, knows they entered the console market at a great time, & gave it a resurgence in the 80's after Atari & others dropped the ball..& the rest is history, which entails Nintendo being the household name for console gaming all through the 80's & up until Playstation 1 came out & kicked a$$ & stole the mantra... And Sega, well, bad business & new blood, killer competition & more bad business was Sega's downfall.. But there brand name had the potential to be a force & DC was a great little system, but they just screwed up marketing & money....so the mighty can fall easy, & you need every edge you can get.......

This is where Valve will struggle....Only hardcore gamers know them, & pc nerds, which are usually a hand in hand partnership anyhow...But fact is, Valve just can't compete with the big 3...I mean, look at how Nintendo is struggling, can Valve afford to take mass financial hits like Sony, MS & Nintendo have over the past years....MS lost THREE BILLION $ with XBOne alone, & without Live subscriptions, they would have lost double that with 360 with the RROD plague... PS3 also lost mega billions with PS3.... Valve are crazy even trying this really.... Panasonic has tried & failed & they are more known than Valve & released a very decent machine, Atari same story & they were a huge videogame name....

I think some of you Valve fanboys are dreamers, as the R&D costs & manufacturing, marketing & such means Valve won't be offering this at a bargain basement price, as they need to make back that money FAST...

[mysteryraz11]

rather get a xbox one,I got a ps4 so I could care less about steam machines, I mean atleast the xbox one can do shit like watching tv while you play games and has better exclusives then the steam machines, I want good games I dont care about slightly better graphics, xbox one needs a price drop though, makes no sense for it to be 100 dollars more then a stronger console, why ppl hate on the xbox one for? competition is good

[mochachino]

I think at 500 I'd take a steam machine over xone. Gives you tianfall and upgradabilty.

Can't even swap out a broken hard drive on xone.

For the people saying valve can't market it, let the gamers do the marketing via word of mouth and the hardware speak for itself.

Too often people are sold crap like kinect 1 when the best way to garner long term sales and good wil is to sell the product, not have the consumer sold. If that makes sense.. One produces buyers remorse.

IPhone did it, and media and consumer word of mouth spread like wild fire. Don't sell promises, sell hardware/software ability.

Basically short term gains versus longevity.

I'm always going where the best price to power to games balance is. No brand loyality, although plus is pretty amazing.

[mysteryraz11]

who cares about upgrading, whats the point when the pc can do everything this can do thus making it pointless, xbox one can do more then game though you can watch tv and play a game at the same time for christ sake,ryse and forza 5 isnt on the pc either neither is quantum break or the new killer instinct, the xbox one needs to be cheaper though thats true, noone outside some nerds in there basements on the internet will buy this, you know its gonna fail

[mochachino]

Good luck watching a TV show and playing a game at the same time.

If I wanted to do that I could already with my tablet, computer or phone and netflix, etc. But I don't because I'm not sure the human brain is capable. Plus I don't want my screen size reduced, and what about sound? Just not sure how it works to be honest, it would be like trying to have two separate conversations on different topics at the same time.

The only thing I could imagine doing simultaneously is TV/movies and internet but internet on your TV is terrible compared to tablet or laptop.

When I play games I tend to focus.

[ElementX]

Even reading the Steam discussions for various games, it's clear that Linux development comes secondary, if at all. Most of the indie titles I see are released on Windows with plans for Linux sometime in the future. Also I haven't seen anything about Origin or UPlay working on Linux very well so new games from those companies might not run on the Steambox.

[MadLad]

You then need to acknowledge Steam, what is basically PC gaming as a whole, is now pushing for Linux support in releases going forward.
Developers and publishers, let alone the indie scene as a whole, care enough for PC gaming that almost any release finds its way to it as a platform.

Do you really think they won't be looking at Linux going forward?

[ElementX]

As it stands now only around 3% of all Steam users run Linux and there was just an article which said 20% run Windows 8. Linux is small potatoes when it comes to gaming.

[ElementX]

There may be more support going forward, but what about looking back? Even games a year or two ago don't support Linux and probably will never support it. I'd rather stick with Windows and play everything.

[WitWolfy]

God forbid Sony or MS release a discless console, but let Steam do it then its A OK!!! Lol man I hate hypocrytes.

[BOLO]

What are you spewing in idiocy? Nowadays as a PC gamer you can have the option to remove your disc drive to go "discless" anyway. M$FT scheme was way more devious then just going without a disc drive. Perhaps you should read up on what they were seeking to do... http://www.gamesindustry.bi...

[WitWolfy]

My PC still has a DVD drive so trying to talk on everybody's behalf is pathetic bud. I have my opinion and you have yours... Good for you!!

[MasterCornholio]

PS4 + Steambox

Sounds like a good combo to me plus the steambox can be used as a PC.

[Adolph Fitler]

Question 1. would PC nuts buy a SteamBox that is drastically underpowered as opposed to top end pc's, or would they just buy a f^cking new pc, or upgrade the one they have, if good enough?

Question 2. Would a console gamer buy a SteamBox, over a recognized, heavily supported & probably price reduced XBone, or even cheaper PS4, when Halo, Gears, Forza, Unchartered, GT, GOW, & ALL the other exclusive already established & fan supported IP's, as well as the exclusive developers to those brands, are on the brand consoles they already know?

Question 3. Really, SteamBox sounds like a cardboard box in the slums of India, filled with fresh laid steaming sh1t....It sounds like a third world public toilet, seriously....

Unless it can swing the vote & garner enough hype to get in early adopters....How can it get a foothold in an industry dominated by 3 BIG brands....Two of which were the biggest in there respective fields BEFORE they even decided to enter console production?
The thing is releasing at the HIGHEST price point...A price point that many were uncomfortable paying for a XBOne....& still are....
And lets not forget to add Wii-U is even cheaper again, & Nintendo should not be discounted, just because of the far weaker hardware, as Wii's success was something I could never have guessed & still shake my head at.
SteamBox offers nothing new, & really nothing in the way of exclusive, hype ridden games, the controller also looks like a shocker, & I can't see how it would be accurate for movement with those pad things...Hope I'm wrong, I'm not opposed to competition...But this is a hard business to crack into.. Harder than ever, I would say, as there really is bugger all money to be made from the console hardware itself.... & Valve have nothing to offer that isn't available on a pc...I mean, jesus, maybe if they would have Half Life 3 ready for launch & new Counterstrike & Team Fortress, but they are bringing nothing of value I can see, to the table.

[90Supra]

meh....i already have a rig

I'll just wait for Steam OS to work in dual-boot and use it then...

[madjedi]

Only really useful to me if they can get alot of the pc's backcatalog compatible with linux. Although you could dual boot.

Sorry but i think they will have more success selling a gaming os than a steam machine. I honestly see no point versus a regular gaming pc, other than buying a prebuilt pc from someone besides alienware or garbage store pcs.

I don't think too many console people will switch sides, maybe this is for pc guys looking for a cheap decent rig to get the job done.

[TomahawkX]

this or any other steam machine variant will be the best place to play multiplatform games and pc-exclusives.

[Droid Control]

This box is for me.

I'm a console gamer, but i haven't brought a PS4 or an Xbone. (I will NEVER buy an Xbone)

I use steam on my crappy PC and love it. These steambox's are made for people like me who have never built a PC, don't want to, want to play on the couch and save money.

[zombie78rock]

you can't compare the same game on different systems then it becomes opinions only because every game is built from the ground up system to system. It also can be the most powerful console and blow chunks seen may of those in my life. GREAT GAMES are what matter most (not hardware) And I'm not a fan of steam.

[ChristopherJack]

The R9 270 performs on average a little better than the standard Radeon 7870 which the PS4's GPU is based on. So expect similar graphics for most games for the next few years.

[Mac420]

What rock do all these posters live under. Don't know how many times I say something along the lines of " Exclusive are why people by console's" What are you smoking on because I would love some.

Console are bought because the ease of use an easy connectivity, Sony or MS exclusive's haven't been able to compete with Multiplats in years. Don't know what planet these people live on.

[unjust75]

This system will not sell very well.

[Goku781]

If this is basically a PC and there is a PC version of Titan Fall personally I would by one just to do anything to avoid buying another crapy MS system or play it on 360. If most XBOX One game go to PC, and this is basically a PC, no reason whatsoever to pay for the less powerful Xbox One.

[CrustifiedDibbs]

Have fun with origin lol. You talk shit about Xbox, only to support a far worse company. Sometimes blind hatred will make you do dumb things though. I will gladly buy an Xbox well before I play game with origin, and I have a pc with a 680.

[jacksjus]

Why only the X1? Why would it not pull sells from The PS4 as well?

[air1]

Can this thing be upgraded like a pc? If you can that's what's going to keep my attention on this thing. I really don't understand why consoles makers don't do this I would imagine they can make it as easy as it is to change out a ps3 hdd hell even the new did something similar with that turk expansion pack thing..

[sgtGanGreen]

500$ pc
Nothing special

[Benschachar]

The real potential of the Steam box comes in the mid to late console cycle when they will be several times stronger than consoles at a nice price point.

[JonnyBigBoss]

This news is from November. Come on N4G...

[MadLad]

I love how the argument has shifted from "console gaming is all about price for excellent performance" to "it's all about the exclusives".
One, just goes to show how fast PC gaming hardware is evolving that you can sell a pre-build, with controller, at a price that rivals consoles.
And two, guess what, this never seems to be acknowledged in said arguments but, PC has its exclusives as well. In fact, I just bought a PS3 and I only bought it for six games. I bought more quality PC exclusives than that last year. Everyone has their own taste, I just found this to be a fun fact.

So, here is where we are at.

This Steam Box is going to be at the level of performance, more or less, than a PS4. Though it will vary from title to title for both sides. Valve is pushing for more Linux development, so you will definitely see a shift to it down the road, along with Windows obviously. This limits it, but no more than really what consoles are experiencing. From what I know to be true, Steam OS is going to allow people to stream any games they sell, which is, essentially, their version of Gakai - which will allow people to Stream previous Playstation releases, though, even then, I doubt it will be the entire catalog.
Steam Box is, for all intents and purposes, a console. It is a pre-built box, aimed at ease of use and with a lower price tag than your average gaming PC and it even comes with a controller. Valve has also Stated they are in talks to bring more exclusives to Steam itself.
As a console, this thing has a lot to offer. A giant back catalog, a marketplace that offers fair pricing post-release allowing people to pay what they feel is fair for a game and performance that rivals the other systems out at the moment while still giving the option to upgrade for those who wish to.
Valve does have a winner on their hands and now it is all about marketing. They need to get them in homes. Let us remember that Xbox started off slow as well. I do believe this may just be a long-term investment for Valve to bring a lot more people to PC gaming.

[webeblazing]

yeah this always happens on this website gamers on here should be trying to make the state of gaming better. but they focus on blindly following a company and bashing their competition for no reason. i not gonna buy unless i just have money to blow since i have a pc and this would be good for taking when traveling. being more powerful than consoles and access to make steam games is tempting but broke dont see it happening for a few years.

like you said slap poeple dont seem to release everything valve do is for long term, but like i said they are not trying to see it anyway.

[lennonisgod]

Will I be able to play games that aren't on Steam? Or is like every PC game in existence already on there? Ive always wanted to play SWTOR or maybe that Marvel Heroes game.

[psDrake]

Competition is good in any type of industry. It'll drive innovation and creativity. Both console manufacturers and publishers will put more resources and effort to come up with appealing products.

As a gamer, I welcome the SteamBox with open arms. More competition means better overall gaming services & opportunities for gamers...

[KontryBoy706]

PS4 will continue to reign in it's lane of $400. but they just put their foot in Microsoft's arse

[evil_element]

Lets gets this right.

You buy games for a console for only that period of that console i.e.

PS2 = Plays only PS2 games, you paid $300+ for all your games.
PS3 = Doesn't play the PS2 games and you have lost $300+
PS4 = Doesn't play the PS3 games and you have lost $300+

Xbox = Plays only Xbox games, you paid $300+ for all your games.
Xbox 360 = Doesn't play the Xbox games and you have lost $300+
Xbox One = Doesn't play the 360 games and you have lost $300+

(Example amount: $300+)
Yet...

Steam Machine:
It will never matter if you upgrade your hardware, change software or lose your computer. You will always be able to see, buy and download the games you have paid for. Be that a year ago or 10 years ago. Yet the haters hate it because it scares them.

[AO1JMM]

Steam OS is Linux correct? Not all Steam PC games run on linux.

[webeblazing]

a lot do not all. at least not yet thats what they are trying to do.

try harder next time.

[evil_element]

Steam OS will be able to run Windows games.

[urwifeminder]

Most powerful console in da world incoming well that thrown did not last long anyway good luck steam looks great but my rig and XB1 will be enough.

[MadLad]

It is a fantastic entry point for people to get into PC gaming.
This specific system might just be shaping up into exactly what I was hoping it would be. I have been promoting this specific machine for a while now. Seems, even here on N4G, the reaction to it is rather positive and it seems it will be a companion console for their PS4's and Xbox One's.
This can only serve to help PC gaming as a whole.

[urwifeminder]

I agree the more on steam the better it is the best value in town and if the tech in pc gaming gives you the fear this is the answer.

[finite]

Linux and streaming windows games FTW .... ill stick to windows PC ... since only a handful of developers create anything on Linux

[Chrisgamerguy]

Well it looks cool but what exclusives will it have

[Gamerita]

no thanks i already have gaming pc already plus i need proper AAA console games like uncharted & all the great stuff on the playstation platform.

[combatcash]

What processor is this system using it only states multicore amd processor unless its an fx 8320 or fx 8350 amd processor it wont be a beast that's for sure.

[AO1JMM]

No standard has been set I believe.

[JoseV76]

Better than ps4 too!watch all disagrees

[Thomaticus]

I may be in, if I can get a good controller for the system.

[LordHiggens]

Could someone put this things power in a statement I can understand? How good is this GPU?

[Father Murder X]

this steammachine is not doing crap to anyone. I can't play Halo, GTA, God Of War, Uncharted, Killzone, Forza,mario, zelda Gran Turismo,etc on the steambox/pc.

Honestly there isn't much I can't play on the consoles that's on steam/pc. i rather have a slightly inferior version of a game than to not have access to many other games. Do you think EA is going to put Battlefield on steam?

In 2 years we will all be wondering where did valve go wrong.

[ipach]

remember when the PS3 ran Linux? not technically inconceivable that a playstation could actually run SteamOS and be a steambox as well...