Steam Machine: What Is It & Should You Buy One?
Steam Machines: A New Approach to PC Gaming
Steam Machines, frequently referred to as Steamboxes, represent Valve Corporation’s initiative to extend the PC gaming experience into the home entertainment center.
Essentially, these machines are designed to rival established game consoles such as the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Wii U in terms of accessibility and ease of use.
Diverse Manufacturing and Customization
Unlike traditionally branded consoles, Steam Machines won’t be produced by a single entity. Instead, a multitude of manufacturers will be crafting these PCs.
This approach mirrors the existing landscape of gaming PCs, offering consumers a broad spectrum of hardware configurations and price points.
SteamOS and DIY Options
Beyond pre-built options, users are also empowered to construct their own PCs.
Valve’s SteamOS operating system can then be installed on these custom-built machines, providing a unified gaming experience.
This flexibility allows for a highly personalized gaming setup, catering to individual preferences and budgets.
PC Gaming in the Living Room Environment
Currently, Valve’s Steam platform dominates the landscape of PC gaming. It functions as a digital distribution platform, a social hub, and a comprehensive service designed to simplify the process of acquiring, downloading, installing, and maintaining PC game libraries.
The ability to transition PC gaming to the living room is already achievable. Connecting a gaming PC to a television through an HDMI connection is all that’s required. Furthermore, Xbox controllers, or similar, can be readily connected to the PC.
This allows the PC to function similarly to a traditional game console, enabling the enjoyment of controller-supported games on a larger screen. Steam offers a dedicated “Big Picture” mode, specifically designed for controller navigation on televisions, eliminating the need to interact with the standard Windows desktop for game launching.
Valve aims to streamline this experience further. Steam Machines are being developed as purpose-built solutions for living room gaming. The concept involves purchasing a Steam Machine, connecting it to a TV via HDMI, and logging in with an existing Steam account using a controller.
The intention is to provide a seamless, out-of-the-box experience on televisions, removing the complexities associated with Windows, including desktop navigation and operating system updates. To facilitate this, Valve is also developing its own operating system, SteamOS, alongside a dedicated game controller.
Key Components of the Steam Ecosystem
- Steam: The core platform for purchasing and managing PC games.
- Steam Machines: Pre-built PCs optimized for living room gaming.
- SteamOS: A Linux-based operating system designed for gaming.
These elements are designed to work in concert, providing a user-friendly and integrated gaming experience. The goal is to make PC gaming as accessible and convenient as console gaming.
By abstracting away the technical intricacies of PC setup and maintenance, Valve hopes to broaden the appeal of PC gaming to a wider audience. This approach focuses on simplicity and ease of use, allowing players to concentrate on the games themselves.
SteamOS
Related: 8 Insights into the Alpha Release of SteamOS's Linux Foundation
SteamOS represents a central component of Valve’s overarching strategy. It is designed as an operating system specifically tailored for living room entertainment. Fundamentally, SteamOS is a bespoke Linux distribution, constructed upon the Debian Linux base – a common architecture shared by operating systems like ChromeOS and Android.
All games currently compatible with Linux will inherently function on SteamOS. This necessitates Valve’s efforts to encourage game developers to release titles for Linux, in addition to Windows. Limited Linux game availability could present significant challenges for SteamOS’s adoption.
Currently, a Steam store search indicates 758 games with Linux support, contrasted with 9397 supporting Windows. It’s important to note that these figures may include downloadable content (DLC). Nevertheless, this provides a general understanding of the current Linux game landscape on Steam. Valve reports receiving commitments from major gaming companies to support SteamOS in future releases, alongside growing Linux support from independent developers.
SteamOS also emerges as a response to Windows 8. Microsoft’s operating system introduced a new interface focused on apps from the Windows Store, with Windows RT unable to run traditional desktop applications. Valve is restricted from releasing Steam as a Windows 8 app due to the limitations of the platform and Microsoft’s control over the storefront. Developing SteamOS and expanding Linux game support provides the PC gaming industry with an alternative should Microsoft restrict desktop functionality or limit software sources.
Furthermore, Valve gains the ability to fully customize the Steam Machine experience and distribute SteamOS without incurring Microsoft licensing costs. This offers greater control and flexibility in their ecosystem.
While many Steam Machines will ship with SteamOS pre-installed, some models may offer Windows as an option. Users also retain the freedom to install Windows on a Steam Machine independently. However, Valve is primarily focused on promoting its own operating system.
SteamOS incorporates a solution for compatibility with Windows games. Users can stream games running on a Windows gaming PC within their home network to a Steam Machine. This allows for playing Windows-exclusive titles on a TV without requiring a Windows installation on the Steam Machine itself. Valve anticipates that its target audience already possesses a Windows gaming PC.
The Steam Controller
Valve also engineered a dedicated controller to complement their Steam Machines. Its use is optional; users can connect an Xbox controller or utilize a traditional mouse and keyboard with a Steam Machine. Furthermore, the Steam controller is also compatible with standard Windows PCs.
Instead of replicating established controller designs, Valve opted for a unique approach. This involved creating a controller featuring dual touchpads equipped with haptic feedback, alongside a central touchscreen. The primary goal of this controller is to facilitate playing PC games on a television screen.
The touchpads are intended to emulate the accuracy of a mouse while retaining the analog control of a joystick. This design aims to make games, particularly first-person shooters and those demanding precise cursor control, playable on a TV using the Steam controller. Games originally designed for mouse input, which might not function optimally with an Xbox controller, should experience improved compatibility.
Valve will implement a system of "profiles" that translate controller inputs into keyboard commands. This allows the controller to function with games not originally developed for it. Users can customize these profiles, and Steam will automatically provide popular, community-created profiles for each game.
Currently, utilizing a controller with unsupported games often requires manual button mapping through third-party software like Xpadder or JoyToKey. This process can be cumbersome and inconvenient. Valve’s profile system aims to streamline this experience significantly.
Key Features:
- Dual touchpads with haptic feedback
- Central touchscreen
- Compatibility with Windows PCs
- User-created and automatically downloaded profiles
- Simplified control mapping for unsupported games
The Steam controller represents a novel approach to game input, designed to bridge the gap between PC gaming precision and the comfort of television-based gameplay.
Identifying Valve’s Intended Customer Base
Individuals uninterested in a Steam Machine may fall outside of Valve’s current target demographic. Valve is adopting a measured approach, and isn’t initially positioning Steam Machines as direct rivals to the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 consoles. Currently, Valve defines the Steam Machine audience as existing Steam users desiring to experience their PC games within a living room environment.
Rather than undertaking a personal computer build, navigating the Windows desktop on a television, and contending with controller compatibility issues common in PC gaming, Valve is developing a unique PC configuration, operating system, and controller. This aims to deliver a streamlined PC gaming experience to the living room.
Steam Machines: A Diverse Range of PCs
Steam Machines fundamentally represent a new category of personal computer. Consequently, it’s unsurprising that Valve showcased a selection of Steam Machines crafted by established gaming PC manufacturers such as iBuyPower, Falcon Northwest, Alienware, and Gigabyte.
These machines more closely resemble PCs than traditional consoles, boasting a broad spectrum of hardware specifications. Options range from a $499 model designed to compete with console pricing, to high-performance Steam Machines equipped with premium gaming PC hardware costing $2500 or more. Unlike consoles, there isn’t a standardized Steam Machine hardware configuration.
Related: How to Dual Boot Windows and SteamOS
Users also have the option of constructing their own Steam Machine by assembling a PC and installing Valve’s freely available SteamOS operating system. The free availability of SteamOS is strategic; Valve generates revenue through game sales on Steam, negating the need to profit from operating system or hardware sales.
Targeting the PC Gaming Enthusiast
Those content with their Xbox, PlayStation, or Wii, and unfamiliar with Steam or PC gaming, are not currently the focus of Valve’s Steam Machine efforts.
Conversely, if you are a Steam user and actively engage in PC gaming, Valve intends to offer you a Steam Machine. This will allow you to extend your PC gaming experience into the living room. You’ll be able to access your entire Steam game library – with Linux compatibility being a requirement, and in-home streaming available for Windows-exclusive titles.
Valve is presenting a complete, convenient solution, featuring an operating system and controller specifically designed for living room gaming.
Addressing the DIY PC Community
A significant challenge for Valve lies in appealing to the PC gaming community, which frequently prefers building their own computers. The question arises: why would a PC gamer purchase a pre-built Steam Machine when they could construct a comparable living-room gaming PC, even with the option of installing SteamOS at no cost?
Valve’s response centers on convenience. If Steam Machines are competitively priced upon release, they may prove to be an attractive option.
Ultimately, is a Steam Machine right for you? If you’re unfamiliar with Steam, it likely isn’t. However, if you’re a Steam user seeking a straightforward way to enjoy your game collection in the living room, a Steam Machine could be a viable solution.
Image Credits: Steam controller image via Valve