the steam controller works I think on a desktop PC aswell as a steam machine, the controller has a mouse touchpad and triggers for FPS , and mouse games.
the steam machine is a cross between PC and console, at console price
O seen steamOS a while back, but whats got me buzzing is the controler.
I'm on the fence about getting a Steam Machine. Originally I was very excited but the way it sounds now on how the various systems are going to work I'll stick to PC gaming on my PC.
Quote from: W8taminute on June 07, 2015, 04:43:26 PM
I'm on the fence about getting a Steam Machine. Originally I was very excited but the way it sounds now on how the various systems are going to work I'll stick to PC gaming on my PC.
I think the controller works on both steamOS and Windows, but with a little effort, you can turn your old PC into a steam machine by installing steamOS.
I hope I'm not the only one looking at this thing and thinking, "why?" It seems pretty useless, like something you'd find in the Sky Mall magazine.
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on June 08, 2015, 06:30:29 AM
I hope I'm not the only one looking at this thing and thinking, "why?" It seems pretty useless, like something you'd find in the Sky Mall magazine.
I keep saying it, BUT look at the controller - its a cross between a gamepad and a mouse, PC gameing on a couch. the controller mousepad is one to one same as a mouse
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on June 08, 2015, 06:30:29 AM
I hope I'm not the only one looking at this thing and thinking, "why?" It seems pretty useless, like something you'd find in the Sky Mall magazine.
What's useless? The box itself or the controller? The recent video showing what the controller can do is actually the first time I've been interested - it does look really good. However I have to wonder how much time it takes to learn to type like that.
As for the Steambox itself, I still don't know who the target audience is. Anyone who already does their gaming on a desktop or powerful laptop surely isn't going to care much for them? That leaves casuals - not at these prices! - and console gamers. Now I have seen the occasional comment from console gamers saying that they find it difficult to "get into" PC gaming and they may be interested in a Steam box. But that must be a very small proportion of the console gamer market overall. Will they really be tempted to buy yet another machine at a similar price, and still maintain their Sony/Microsoft consoles for all the console exclusives and ecosystems? I just don't see it.
The Machine is a Linux setup you can setup for yourself from an old PC, based on a core Linux distro. I can only imagine its a safe way to buy steam games via the steamOS. The machine can be made more powerfull than any console if you do it yourself, the only downside is no windows games will run. A standardised PC machine that updates itself and patched games all by itself Is nice. I do like the idea of an easy life using a PC though.
I think this is going to appeal to a crowd that always dreamed of playing their PC games on a 65" flat screen TV.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 08, 2015, 08:54:39 AM
I think this is going to appeal to a crowd that always dreamed of playing their PC games on a 65" flat screen TV.
Have not seen the prices, but yes, decent box to play game on the big TV when that is fee has its appeal.
I recently installed LINUX on an external hard drive, then I just chose where to boot from USB or C: Its very easy to erase your PC if you write anything to C: at install time so readup, but I found it easy all in all. so my main PC was Linux or Windows, you can dual boot too.
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 08, 2015, 08:54:39 AM
I think this is going to appeal to a crowd that always dreamed of playing their PC games on a 65" flat screen TV.
OK, I'll bite...why can't they do that today. Granted mine is only 47", but I play stuff from my laptop and surface on it all the time through HDMI.
Quote from: gameleaper on June 08, 2015, 08:46:02 AM
The Machine is a Linux setup you can setup for yourself from an old PC, based on a core Linux distro. I can only imagine its a safe way to buy steam games via the steamOS. The machine can be made more powerfull than any console if you do it yourself, the only downside is no windows games will run. A standardised PC machine that updates itself and patched games all by itself Is nice. I do like the idea of an easy life using a PC though.
But, again, this is only going to appeal to those who already have decent desktops/laptops. What you've described is another reason
not to buy a Steambox!
Quote from: Huw the Poo on June 08, 2015, 09:49:10 AM
Quote from: gameleaper on June 08, 2015, 08:46:02 AM
The Machine is a Linux setup you can setup for yourself from an old PC, based on a core Linux distro. I can only imagine its a safe way to buy steam games via the steamOS. The machine can be made more powerfull than any console if you do it yourself, the only downside is no windows games will run. A standardised PC machine that updates itself and patched games all by itself Is nice. I do like the idea of an easy life using a PC though.
But, again, this is only going to appeal to those who already have decent desktops/laptops. What you've described is another reason not to buy a Steambox!
Im not really going to buy a steambox, but the controller may be limited on a normal pc
full article : http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/5/8733139/valve-steam-machine-half-baked
Instead of offering the best of both worlds, Steam Machines sit in a strange middle ground that's too confusing and too compromised to make sense for anyone.
The Steam Machine is an exciting idea, but that's all it is. Don't pay for mere potential.
Quote from: Pete Dero on June 08, 2015, 10:23:52 AM
full article : http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/5/8733139/valve-steam-machine-half-baked
Instead of offering the best of both worlds, Steam Machines sit in a strange middle ground that's too confusing and too compromised to make sense for anyone.
The Steam Machine is an exciting idea, but that's all it is. Don't pay for mere potential.
thx Pete,
I guess I just don't get what the point is. Unless it's just some hipster thing to do, like Google Glass - something that might seem like a cool idea but is in reality not all that impressive. I agree in general with the reviewer; the largest section of their audience are PC gamers, whom technically already own PCs.
I mean, if you want a freakin' console, buy a PS4, Xbox, or whatever.
I suppose if you cannot afford a computer, this is the way to go if you really, really want to play PC games. It will be interesting to see if this takes off, I'll admit. But from my perspective it makes zero sense to buy this if you have a PC that runs games well enough.
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on June 08, 2015, 03:09:08 PM
I suppose if you cannot afford a computer, this is the way to go if you really, really want to play PC games. It will be interesting to see if this takes off, I'll admit. But from my perspective it makes zero sense to buy this if you have a PC that runs games well enough.
I think the cheapest I've seen is around $450. I gather that PCs are cheaper in the USA than here...can't you get a gaming PC for that price? Most Steamboxes seem to be more expensive than that, too.
As for it taking off....I'm not optimistic for Valve. But on an entirely selfish level, I hope they
do, because it will do (further) wonders for the viability of Linux as a gaming platform.
You can certainly get computers that cheap here...say, $300 or so laptops on sale, but they're not exactly gaming rigs. :)
There's so many producers of PCs, chain stores that sell them, and online resources, that you can pretty much get a decent gaming rig for around eight hundred to one thousand U.S. (sans a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and all that other stuff you need to actually run the thing).
Any half-way decent gaming rig will run you anywhere from $750 to $1,000 plus...
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 08, 2015, 08:54:39 AM
I think this is going to appeal to a crowd that always dreamed of playing their PC games on a 65" flat screen TV.
That's easy enough to do with a PC these days.
My previous PC resides next to the HDTV for that purpose. You only need to use the HDMI out on the video card. Or the DVI if you want to run the audio out to a different sound system. :)
Add a wireless mouse & keyboard and that's all you need (other than a lap desk or rigid mouse "pad" perhaps). Potato PC!
Quote from: Nefaro on June 08, 2015, 05:59:16 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on June 08, 2015, 08:54:39 AM
I think this is going to appeal to a crowd that always dreamed of playing their PC games on a 65" flat screen TV.
That's easy enough to do with a PC these days.
My previous PC resides next to the HDTV for that purpose. You only need to use the HDMI out on the video card. Or the DVI if you want to run the audio out to a different sound system. :)
Add a wireless mouse & keyboard and that's all you need (other than a lap desk or rigid mouse "pad" perhaps). Potato PC!
It is not a matter of capability, it is a matter of convenience I suspect.