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Valve reveals specs for prototype Steam Machines.

The only downside with buying a steam machine is re-downloading your entire library again.

At least my internet is pretty blazing fast:
M8jJzGL.png
 

kartu

Banned
I'm not sure what's the problem with that?
The problem with that is a small form factor.

Why would I want anything for gaming that *isn't* am Intel/Nvidia machine?
Why would a gamer care about another gamer's personal preferences?
AMD has better bang for the buck, some care about it, some don't.

Why are you even talking about how many games are available on Linux NOW, when the point is how many will be when they will start releasing this thing?
And if you really want Windows, you can put in WIndows.
Why would I buy something that is effectively "just a PC with Linux by Valve" now then?
(and apparently I don't mean me personally...)


The GTX660 is in the same price and power range.
It's not only slower than 7870, but also good 30% more expensive, 149+Euro vs 189+Euro.


There are many that will start doing it, eventually.
That's the most puzzling thing.
Game developers will start releasing Linux because... Valve announced some generic gaming PC specs? Doh...

Allot more now then there used to be before valve pushed for a linux version of steam, imagine what steambox can do for that momentum.

You mean a lot of non-indies doing 3D? (I guess sure indies with mostly 2D stuff were fine on Linux)
My understanding was, small Linux user base plus DirectX being vastly superior to OpenGL was the reason next to nobody was doing Linux/OpenGL development.
 

bj00rn_

Banned
no one cares what you do with your money, so don't buy it

I don't know but I have a feeling he was rhetorically questioning the market for these devices. And it's not like there's just one or two people around puzzled about who these are going to be for you know.. And I for one have absolutely no idea.. I'm intrigued but confused by its seemingly weird place in-between consoles and gaming PCs.
 
The only downside with buying a steam machine is re-downloading your entire library again.

At least my internet is pretty blazing fast:
M8jJzGL.png

You don't have to.

You can simply move your files from another machine to the new one.

I do this all the time with old games I don't have installed; instead of re-downloading them, I just copy-paste the files from a friend's hdd. And then let Steam recognize them.
 
My understanding was, small Linux user base plus DirectX being vastly superior to OpenGL was the reason next to nobody was doing Linux/OpenGL development.

Which is why a huge part of Valve's current Linux push is working to improve Linux drivers, optimize OpenGL, and build Linux-oriented dev tools like debuggers.
 

Durante

Member
My understanding was, small Linux user base plus DirectX being vastly superior to OpenGL was the reason next to nobody was doing Linux/OpenGL development.
DirectX, as an API, isn't really superior to modern core profile OpenGL at all (in fact, the latter might have fewer overheads). There is a massive difference in tool quality though, which Valve appear to be trying to address as charlequin mentioned.
 

goomba

Banned
if lack of backwards compatibility is no big issue for ps4 or xbone, why is it such a big deal for steamos?
 

Sentenza

Member
if lack of backwards compatibility is no big issue for ps4 or xbone, why is it such a big deal for steamos?
What's interesting is that the "lack of backward compatibility" will be far easy to solve for SteamOS, especially in the long run, as far as these devices are even moderately successful and can gain some traction with developers' support.
 
This PC is a similar size.
small_bolt-dimensions.jpg


And if you look at the inside you can see how it could be reduced further quite easily with less cables and better engineering.

small_digital-storm-bolt-13.JPG

I kinda wish they could just integrate everything and make it even smaller, I'd definitely get one if they were smaller.
 

Durante

Member
I kinda wish they could just integrate everything and make it even smaller, I'd definitely get one if they were smaller.
I can't really imagine a situation where a size of 12 x 12.4 x 2.9 in is an issue. But maybe I'm not creative enough.

Edit: wow, I just realized that's actually smaller than an XB1 in volume!
Another reason to be concerned about that size either being off or the noise during load. It's (potentially) 4 times as powerful as XB1, uses modular, replaceable parts instead of a fixed design and is smaller.
 
From that link:

But you probably won't ever be able to buy it. Instead, Valve sees it as a testing rig to inform any manufacturing it might take on in the future. "There's lots of telemetry built in to a really granular level," in the prototypes Valve is delivering to select gamers who are competing for a beta-testing role and developers, Coomer said. That technology will send home information about how the machines are being used – like which buttons are being pushed, which games are being loaded, or if users swap out hardware.
 
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