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Steam Machine unboxing
- Thread starter fluffydelusions
- Start date
Or there is just a variance between production of ps4s. It happens. My ps4 is not loud and even if you put your ear up to it it's quieter than my PS3 slim. I have an Xbox One too and it's not loud at all when running. Yet there were a few people with loud fans. They returned the X1s and their replacements weren't as loud. So clearly not all production of consoles are 100% the same.
gutter_trash
Banned
why was he alwasys filming the side of the console? why?
SneakyStephan
Banned
it's about 4x more powerful than the gpu in xbone
for comparison the gpu in xbone is about 6x more powerful than the gpu in xbox 360 and that is after 8 years....
I'm more worried about the lack of buttons on the thing
you know how shooters suddenly only had 2-4 weapons on your char at once, how strafejumping dissapeared, no more alt fire, only 2 syringes in far cry 3 etc etc when they all went multiplatform
some devs WILL gimp the shit out of their game design and controls and mechanics wise to cater to this dumb controller:\ every k/m gamer is going to suffer for this pos existing sigh
thunder_snail
Member
Holy shit that white led on the front is bright. One thing I hate most about some computer cases are their tendency to light up the entire room at night. Hopefully other manufacturers of steam machine will be smarter.
Other than that, that is a sexy form factor. Looks like the gpu is mounted sideways which is cool. Like the simple design as well.
Other than that, that is a sexy form factor. Looks like the gpu is mounted sideways which is cool. Like the simple design as well.
gutter_trash
Banned
question is, will the Steam Machine allow you to use other USB controller or arcades sticks?
It's a crude prototype.
Exactly why they sent it out, need the feedback of the testers, to work and modify it into something more robust...
GillianSeed79
Member
I can't imagine they wouldn't allow you to. Maybe you'd have install Windows or something though. The Steam controller looks interesting, but I want to hear some impressions. I'd just as soon use a 360 or DS4 tbqh. That being said, I don't play competitive games on PC. I'm actually kind of hyped for these Steam Machines. I want to wait to see what the Linux support is going to be like though from developers.
justsomeguy
Member
mmm nice... Wonder how long that spec will stay viable?
justsomeguy
Member
I was under the impression that offline mode still needed a check in, just less often than every 24h but from another poster it looks like that may not be the case? My PC is always online so I've never had to try it but I'm fairly sure my mum 's started complaining after a while and i had to put it back online. I may have a wrong understanding of how steam offline works though?
Valve did inadvertently introduce a bug to Offline Mode that caused the saved log-in credentials to expire after two weeks (something you could force simply by setting your system clock forward), but this was promptly* fixed.
* Relatively speaking, being Valve n'all.
lifeexpectancy
Member
This is the thing I don't get about them. I can almost understand having, say, 2 different iterations. A 'low' and a 'high' version. But having multiple different iterations across multiple different manufacturers means that it's nothing more than a pre-configured PC packaged with a new controller variant. Maybe I'm failing to see what makes the steam machines 'different' than other gaming PCs from other manufacturers, other than perhaps that they don't run on Windows or iOS. Because if the operating system is the only TRUE difference between their multiple configurations and any other PC manufacturer's multiple configurations, then that's really no difference at all (since you can change out the OS on other machines yourself if you know what you're doing) and amounts to little more than re-branding a previously existing product.
ashecitism
Member
This sounds all good in theory, but to what extent do you think would Valve change things based on feedback? Hypotetically let's say the overwhelming majority will come to hate the trackpads, so what then? Back to the drawing board?
I have a feeling Valve already has this on lock.
justsomeguy
Member
I think my confusions is all explained by this:
must have been unlucky and set up her Steam account and PC while it was an active bug!
gutter_trash
Banned
reason why I ask is because the PS3 accepted generic USB HID controllers
That or OM just broke; it's still stumbles from time to time for some people.
Dreams-Visions
Member
probably but we need to see some vids of people playing with reasonable sensitivity settings.
Nabs
Member
We also don't know how well he plays TF2 or any other FPS with a kb/m or controller. We should probably wait a while before jumping to conclusions.
lifeexpectancy
Member
I'm not applying console reasoning per se. What I'm wondering is what is the point if it's got so many different iterations that it's basically nothing more than a linux-based PC. It just doesn't make sense in the current marketplace. Most non-gamers that own a computer own either a tablet or a laptop. It's rare to see anyone that doesn't play videogames on PC owning a tower or a horizontal PC case anymore, which (from what I can tell) is basically what these things are.
Now granted maybe they're bringing high-end PC gaming tech into a more affordable package by getting rid of all the bloat that normally accompanies pre-configured PCs, and bringing the entry price more in line with building your own, without having to actually build your own. In that sense maybe it's a good proposition.
But I disagree that they're doing something 'different'. They're just creating a different version of a product that already exists, that any tech-savvy person could build one of their own if they so chose by buying the individual components and putting it together.
Dreams-Visions
Member
I wish these people would wait awhile before posting videos.
Why do people post videos of them playing like shit anyway? All we learn is that you're shit.
ashecitism
Member
I can't wait for some Dota vids
MutonCommander
Banned
Why?
lifeexpectancy
Member
Because...the rest of the post you quoted?
Nabs
Member
I hope people take the time to learn how to use the thing. It would suck to get a weeks worth of shitty videos.
plasmawave
Banned
The controller looks awkward as hell, but I guess it's a matter of getting used to it.
justsomeguy
Member
Don't underestimate the power of a strong brand / marketing. Just ask Sega about the Dreamcast.
However I do struggle to understand fully the market for Steam Machine. Enthusiasts will likely continue build their own, it's not aimed at being your "desktop pc", so that leaves console gamers or Alienware buyers.
To compete vs consoles, there's an expectation of price, form factor, noise, and ecosystem and not all steam machines will target that. Then you get the problem of multiple skus diluting the brand (remember the xbox arcade edition?).
Fascinated to see how this pans out. There's definitely a potential market with people no longer absolutely requiring Windows at home plus consoles being a bit disappointing hardware wise.
justsomeguy
Member
So don't make a drive by comment like that, offer up some of the key differentiators. If it's already done to death in another thread then apologies for missing it.
lifeexpectancy
Member
Yeah that's kinda what I was getting at/thinking. It seems like this thing mostly targets enthusiasts, and enthusiasts already know how to build, and have been building, similar setups for years. If the goal is to get the price point lower for gaming PCs, enthusiasts have already been doing that on their own, and non-enthusiasts are unlikely to have this thing on their radar.
I am curiously watching how it unfolds, but it just seems like an odd product to try to bring to market.
MutonCommander
Banned
I failed to understand your point. A gaming PC with console-like simplicity doesn't exist today. A console with PC-like openness and customizations doesn't exist today. No matter how you look at it a Steam Machine is a new class of device. If you disagree then please explain.
The Steam Engine
edit: blah. now I have to scroll backwards to see what Durante was replying to.
MutonCommander
Banned
Depending on your point of view it's either a simplified PC or a customizable console. There's nothing like it in the market today.
justsomeguy
Member
Alienware box plus steam in big picture mode?
Linux has support for them and Valve seems to of even improved the 360 pad driver in SteamOS.
MutonCommander
Banned
It's still Windows, with everything that that entails. It's not nearly as simple as a console.
Marko_Baomoro
Member
S-box unboxed
justsomeguy
Member
I agree to an extent, however it's not completely different either (i.e. not in my view a completely new class of device). I'm off to get breakfast now plus probably wise to duck out of the thread before it goes too OT. If i get time later I'll dig up the SteamOS thread and continue there
But it's not. It's a set of pre-built and pre-configured Linux PCs which run an OS (with significant scheduler and compositor changes) and GUI optimized for gaming.
What I see here is an argument for creating Steam machines to open up the mid- to high-end "PC" gaming market to just those people you refer to.
That exactly what it is, but only partially. In addition to these advantages, you also have
- an OS that is specifically focused on and tuned for gaming,
- a controller device designed for couch use which can be used to interact with the whole UI, and
- you will have clear branding that will tell people exactly what to expect when buying one.
If you apply such high standards for being "different", then no, it's not different. The way I look at it, they are applying the Android model to the high-end console gaming marktplace, and that could be pretty revolutionary.
It has been done to death in every Steam machine / Steam OS thread. Otherwise I wouldn't be nearly as annoyed and do what you suggest. Like the first 8 times. But I never learn, so you can read some key differentiators above. Again.
MutonCommander
Banned
Every time someone asks "what is th point" I am always reminded of reactions from when the iPad was announced. "What's the point, it's just a bigger iPod". "What's the point, it's just a smaller PC".
justsomeguy
Member
Thanks - very interesting points. As per my previous post I'll continue in the appropriate thread if there's anything new to add. I suspect there's a large amount of violent agreement going on
Kocolino67
Member
Anything you can connect to PC and has driver support will work. For example, I connected my 360 controllers to Ubuntu with Steam and it worked seamless.
lifeexpectancy
Member
If the goal were bringing high-end PC gaming to the living room with the simplicity of a console, then I can see the point.
Where the Steam Machine fails for me, though, is the fact that it is going to have not one, not two, not even (presumably) three hardware iterations. It's going to have so many different iterations that devs aren't going to be programming specifically for the hardware in the way they do for consoles. This is where the "branding so that people know exactly what to expect when they open the box" fails. People don't know exactly what to expect, because there's going to be such a wide range of hardware and capabilities associated with the 'Steam Machine' brand.
And if that's the case, then there are likely going to be pains associated with gaming on Steam Machines that are going to differ very little from the pains associated with gaming on PCs already.
The people that WILL know exactly what they're getting out of the box are the people that are already well-versed and tech savvy enough to understand what they want out of their machine, and which version of the Steam Machine they should get to meet those needs. This also puts them squarely in the camp of people that don't necessarily need a steam machine to do anything for them any cheaper than they're already doing, and will in many instances only buy one once their machine becomes dated enough that they feel they need to start again from the ground up and will look into the steam machines as a matter of convenience, not as a matter of cost savings.
I don't think it's going to open up the mid-to-high end PC gaming market to many *new* entries because the people gaming on mid-to-high end PCs already know what they want and how to get it at a reasonable price for the most part. I don't know a single PC gamer personally that goes out and buys a $3,000 alienware rig when they can build the same thing for $1200-1500 easily, if not cheaper.
Sure the machines' hardware and UI are tuned for/designed for gaming. But if that's the case then who are they targetting? Console gamers? Because we've had hardware and UI tuned for gaming for decades and we've been just fine with not being on the cutting edge of system power/capabilities. You're not going to pull in console gamers with a system that has multiple variants, multiple hardware configurations, etc, because the only reason we would be interested in it (I'm generalizing here, not speaking for ALL console gamers) is if we could get significantly MORE raw power than we can from our consoles, for significantly LESS money.
That means that the $400 version of the Steam Machine needs to be, at a minimum, noticeably more powerful than the PS4 to compete in the marketplace, at least if you're targeting console gamers. But it also needs the ease of use and simplicity of a console, and the multiple hardware configurations risks ruining that if there are any decidedly "PC" hurdles to overcome, like having to update drivers and tweak settings to get games to work, something that you don't have to do on consoles beyond a mere "push A to download update" prompt.
And if you're NOT targeting console gamers, then you're either targeting casuals or existing PC gamers. Casuals aren't going to buy into the Steam Machine. They're just not. If this turns out not to be the case and the Steam Machine becomes the next Wii, attracting tens of millions of gamers into the fold that have never owned a gaming PC before, then I'll eat my words. But I just do not see that happening.
So that leaves PC gamers if casuals and console gamers aren't the target. And as I said before, I just don't see Steam Machine being revolutionary for PC gamers. It might be EVOLUTIONARY, and a natural progression of the PC gaming sphere. If that's the case then fine, and maybe moving forward millions of PC gamers will be periodically purchasing new Steam Machine variants every 3 years or so rather than upgrading or rebuilding their own custom gaming rig. And if that's the goal then fine and it should do ok as long as PC gamers adopt it en masse.
But I just do not see it significantly EXPANDING the PC gaming market to any significant degree, and that's the point I was trying to make more than anything else. I just don't see the point of it beyond being an option for PC gamers to choose rather than building their own rigs.
UnrealEck
Member
Ok to clarify for some people who aren't sure about the controller.
There's a video here with a more experienced user showing how it can control fairly similarly to a mouse and how it offers better precision over using thumb sticks.
- The two circular trackpads have a tactile feedback (you can see/hear it here) sent through them and can be changed depending on the game and possibly the user in future. Which means you will have the option of having different tactile feedback and information related to the game can be sent to you through them too. Things like a different feeling when moving your character over a different surface. Here's a video which shows the technology. I believe they can also translate sound into a feedback for the haptics too.
- The controller is symetrical. I'm sure you can think of why that can be a good thing.
- Both trackpads are clickable, making them buttons too.
- The four square buttons in the middle will be replaced by a clickable touch screen.
There's a video here with a more experienced user showing how it can control fairly similarly to a mouse and how it offers better precision over using thumb sticks.