Not pretty, but a neat idea: ROG GR8S Steam Machine.
Not pretty, but a neat idea: ROG GR8S Steam Machine.
Will Steam Machines make your Xbox and PlayStation consoles obsolete? Siobhan Keogh takes a look.
Steam Machines, which were due last year, are going to be hitting shelves - and TV cabinets - in 2015. And I hope they kick Sony and Microsoft right in the pants.
A Steam Machine - often called a Steam Box by manufacturers - is Valve's attempt to bring PC gaming into your living room. It is is a piece of hardware designed to sit next to your Xbox One or PlayStation 4.
There are a couple of things that make it a bit different, however. First, there will be many different Steam Machines made by different manufacturers. And second, all of the devices will run PC gaming software Steam.
Essentially, you'll be able to play your PC games in your living room. This is already possible, of course (see review of the Alienware Alpha below), but the Steam Machine is designed to make it easy and appeal to a wider audience.
Valve has unveiled the first run of Steam Machines, which will be priced similarly to game consoles at the low end, with an extra US$50 ($68) a controller tacked on. CyberPowerPC's Syber division, Alienware and Falcon Northwest have all put their hands up to release devices, along with about a dozen other partners. United States customers, at least, will be able to buy them from spring of this year.
I really, really want Steam Machines to succeed. Actually, what I want is for them to be so popular and beloved that even the biggest Sony and Microsoft fans defect. I want Steam Machines to be in everyone's living rooms in place of Xboxes and PlayStations.
Of course, competition is good. It gives consumers options. But let's just get into a bit of a dreamland for a moment and think about what would happen if everyone was a PC gamer.
First, assuming the price of PC games doesn't rise, games would be cheaper for everybody. The price of a new release PC game on Steam is around US$50-$60, or $65-79. Sometimes games are marked up in different territories, but they're usually cheaper than console games. Steam also has regular sales where games are massively discounted, sometimes by up to 90 per cent. Even if your gaming budget is less than $10, you can still find stuff to play.
Yes, this ignores the fact that Valve would be free to jack up its prices if it didn't have any competition. But still.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, exclusives would become a thing of the past and everyone would save money on hardware. Sure, a Steam Machine might cost more than an Xbox One, but it would cost less than both an Xbox One and a PS4. And then once you had one you could play every game you pleased on it. You'd still get your Halo and your Uncharted - Sony and Microsoft wouldn't stop publishing money-making franchises.
But I'm dreaming. Fortunately for Sony and Microsoft, the Xbox and PlayStation brands are worth too much to be beaten by some Steam Machines. And frankly, while Valve has always prided itself on Steam being an open, transparent platform, I'm not sure that letting any manufacturer have a go at making a Steam Machine is the best approach unless they all have a consistent look and feel. And so far, they don't - the Syber ones are particularly hideous.
Still, I live in hope that one day, somewhere, exclusives and fanaticism about particular consoles will be a thing of the past.
That might make a good Tui billboard, actually.
Review: Alienware Alpha
Alienware Alpha. Photo / Supplied
Though the full range of new Steam machines won't be here before spring, there is an option that, if you're desperate, will keep you going until then. The Alienware Alpha is a sort of proto-Steam Machine. It doesn't run on Steam's operating system, but on Windows 8.1 with Alienware's own UI layered on top, which allows you to adjust settings and launch Steam.
The layered user interface causes some issues: once, a Windows error message popped up, and I couldn't get rid of it without plugging in a regular PC mouse and clicking "OK". And when I first booted up the device I thought my controller wasn't working because the Alienware UI doesn't allow you to use the thumbsticks, just the D-pad.
The box itself is very small - much smaller than an Xbox One or PlayStation 4. And it's stylishly designed. It should fit right in alongside your other devices without looking too gaudy.
I trialled the lowest-end version of the Alpha, which comes in at $800 (top-end is $1400) and has an Intel i3 processor, a custom 2GB Nvidia graphics card and 4GB RAM.
It was hardly a powerhouse: while the Alpha ran some games beautifully, others were a challenge. Metro: Last Light ran at a low frame-rate even on the lowest video settings. Until developers are building with Steam boxes in mind, it's likely to be an issue. I have no doubt other Alpha models would have performed better, but they cost more.
It also doesn't use Steam's controllers. You'll need to use an Xbox controller and a wireless dongle to play your games.
This is surprisingly inhibiting. Though many modern PC games can be played with a controller, a lot can't or are unwieldy with a controller - like Magicka, which I found to be virtually unplayable with the Xbox controller.
I wouldn't recommend you buy the Alpha right now. You should wait for the proper Steam Machines with the right controllers and operating system.
Chances are the prices will be better, too.
But it does have the advantage of being on sale now, though, so you won't have to wait until spring.
What: Alienware Alpha Price: $800-$1400 Available: Now
