Steam rolls out official marketing launch of all things SteamOS, including hardware

[ControlD]

This is also the most interesting thing for me. Im assuming we can us KB + Mouse with this thing?

Hmm ... good question. I was under the assumption that you would need to buy a couple of the Steam controllers to work with the device, but the pictures I saw make it look like there are a couple of USB ports on it, so maybe a mouse+kb will work as well.

 

[sweenish]

Are people seriously framing their arguments in a world where console exclusives don't exist, console games never go on sale, and everything on Steam is 90% off?

"Why buy consoles?"
Exclusive games and ease of use
Unless something changed and Uncharted 4 (new Zelda, Halo, GoW (both), etc.) is coming to PC, consoles will always have great games exclusive to them. SteamOS is designed to be friendly, but it's still a computer at the end of the day. At some point, someone will be told to open up Synaptic or a terminal to troubleshoot their Steam machine. That just doesn't exist on consoles.

"Steam sales are amazeballs and consoles don't have them"
This is a true statement.
So you're telling me that if I want to play GTA5 at launch, I can only pay $6, because it will be on sale? Oh wait. Launch prices are the same on both platforms. Oh, and GTA5 is not going to be available on SteamOS. SteamOS's library is growing, and getting some AAA love, and that's great. But it's still missing a lot of great stuff that will likely never make its way over. Of those 4500+ titles, how many are crappy indie games? Given time, I see their library growing, but initially library size is a valid counterargument.

Also, console games go on sale. The discounts aren't as deep, that's true. But if you're waiting for sales, you get sales on both. Consoles have the benefit of not locking a purchase to your account, so for the people that trade-in games, their equivalent price is the same or even better at times than Steam sales. Tons of console gamers buy at launch, play it hard for a couple weeks, and recoup 80% of their cost. This doesn't exist on Steam.

And there's the cost of the machines. At best, you have the $50 Steam Link. I actually like the idea of that device. But what about Steam machines that are intended to play the games locally? The machines that cost the same as consoles will play at an equivalent or worse quality than consoles. So now if you want to see what PC gaming is all about, you're paying at least a hundred more, but likely at a minimum $200 more for 1080p30.

And then, the issue behind the streaming devices. You're now occupying two devices in the house. For those in a family environment, that just won't fly a lot of the time. It will still have its times where it works, but one family member hogging two devices at once is selfish.

Steam machines are a good idea. I like the idea of packing all the power into a smaller form factor, and making it a no-compromise television solution.

But consoles won't go anywhere, and console-primary gamers won't flock to Steam machines.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

well, 1 side can definitely claim exclusive content dominance...and it ain't consoles. there are 1000's of titles that will never appear on any stayplaytion, xbone or nofriendo.

it really boils down to 1 thing:
softcore = consoles. they're less expensive up front, reliable, and accessible.
hardcore = pc. more effort yields a more rewarding experience

edit:
oh yeah, steam boxes. they're just pc's, at pc prices, including the home brewed boxes. the only difference is steam os, and the advantage absolutely must be better than a gimmicky controller and saving $99 off the price of windows.

 

[Chiefcrowe]

This should be an interesting development which I will be following.

I was wondering though, and I briefly looked it up but still wasn't sure -

Will the Steam controller work only with SteamOS or is it also compatible with regular Windows PCs?

 

[EDUSAN]

as far as i read somewhere the controller is the same as a k/m, other devices think its a k/m without needing any kind of driver

 

[Chiefcrowe]

Thanks. Sounds like it will work with most machines then, cool.

 

[Genx87]

Hmm ... good question. I was under the assumption that you would need to buy a couple of the Steam controllers to work with the device, but the pictures I saw make it look like there are a couple of USB ports on it, so maybe a mouse+kb will work as well.

If I am forced to use a controller. Then my interest would drop to zero. Some of these games I play on steam simply wouldnt be enjoyable with a controller.

 

[smackababy]

You are thinking short term.

The steam page says something like 4,500 games on the steam os.

The steam console will be the nail in the coffin for consoles. Why should anyone buy a console and pay full price for games when they can get the steam console and get access to 90% discounts.

You really think playstation and xbox are going to match the steam deep discounted sale price of games?

Xbox and PS won't have to. What is the last AAA title available on Linux (SteamOS)? Oh... None? Yeah.

 

[sweenish]

well, 1 side can definitely claim exclusive content dominance...and it ain't consoles. there are 1000's of titles that will never appear on any stayplaytion, xbone or nofriendo.

it really boils down to 1 thing:
softcore = consoles. they're less expensive up front, reliable, and accessible.
hardcore = pc. more effort yields a more rewarding experience

edit:
oh yeah, steam boxes. they're just pc's, at pc prices, including the home brewed boxes. the only difference is steam os, and the advantage absolutely must be better than a gimmicky controller and saving $99 off the price of windows.

So, Ocarina of Time is on PC legitimately? Uncharted 4? Exclusivity is exclusivity. Volume is nothing. If a platform has exclusivity on the games you want, that's your platform.

Being an elitist snob doesn't make that fact any less true.

 

[Aikouka]

Xbox and PS won't have to. What is the last AAA title available on Linux (SteamOS)? Oh... None? Yeah.

http://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamos_sale

The whole point of Steam's latest sale is to show games that are either on SteamOS or coming to SteamOS, and that does include AAA games. Arkham Knight is already listed as SteamOS-compatible.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Why should anyone buy a console and pay full price for games when they can get the steam console and get access to 90% discounts.

That is the realization I had this year. I went through my list of games I want to play or am playing on the 360 and ALL of them were on Steam. Most of there were discounted from what I could buy them for on my 360, often by a lot if I bought keys that came in previous bundles off ebay. I replaced the last four games I intended to play on my 360 for the price of a single new 360 game so now the old snowblower can rest in piece.

For next gen gaming you see a weird this happening where the PC might be the best platform for exclusives because it doesn't suffer from MS's and Sony's efforts to prevent ports. For example you can get last year's most talked about One game - Titanfall- on the PC. Then you look at say Street Fighter 5 and it is coming out only on the PS4 and the PC. Sure there is some stuff that is only coming out on consoles, like say Uncharted and whatever, but you might end up playing more console exclusives on a PC than you would with either console because you get to dip both directions.

Of course this is mostly referring to the Windows x86 platform. I love Linux and I love Value for pushing for Linux games but the lack of ports of many major games made me switch my gaming HTPC back to Windows recently. I hope Steam OS does well so that more progress is made on this, but honestly when you make it start in Big Picture mode even on Windows Steam is ready for the living room.

If Steamboxes aren't successful I imagine it will be because of the part of gaming I don't care about as much recently- online play. Getting exclusives are great, and getting cheap Steam games rock, but if you want to play with your friends and they are on a console then even at a cheap price the games lack value. I was kinda hoping the One and the PS4 would split the middle on success so that NEITHER would be a go to platform for playing with your friends. I know for a few friends who might PC game with me if the alternative was having to buy two consoles to game with everyone else. But if the PS4 runs away this gen so does any reason for most people to own a Steambox.

 

[DeadFred]

If I am forced to use a controller. Then my interest would drop to zero.

Just saw the Steam link and got excited, but if I cant use a kb+m then it would be completely useless to me.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

So, Ocarina of Time is on PC legitimately? Uncharted 4? Exclusivity is exclusivity.

is kerbal space program on consoles? WoW? Eve? oregon trail?

Volume is nothing.

volume is something when console players think it's on their side. it's the go-to virtue to exclaim.

If a platform has exclusivity on the games you want, that's your platform.

i agree 100%

Being an elitist snob doesn't make that fact any less true.

i couldn't possibly be an elitist snob if so many other people weren't so completely wrong

 

[BoberFett]

is kerbal space program on consoles? WoW? Eve? oregon trail?

WoW is on SteamOS?

Try to stay on topic.

 

[frozentundra123456]

well, 1 side can definitely claim exclusive content dominance...and it ain't consoles. there are 1000's of titles that will never appear on any stayplaytion, xbone or nofriendo.

it really boils down to 1 thing:
softcore = consoles. they're less expensive up front, reliable, and accessible.
hardcore = pc. more effort yields a more rewarding experience

edit:
oh yeah, steam boxes. they're just pc's, at pc prices, including the home brewed boxes. the only difference is steam os, and the advantage absolutely must be better than a gimmicky controller and saving $99 off the price of windows.

For AAA games, I disagree that there are more exclusives for "PC" than consoles. In fact there are basically *no* AAA exclusives for PC anymore.

If you count older games, and all the indie and casual games that are PC only then it may be true. But the point is, you dont need a Steam Box to play those games. All you need is a PC, and with windows you get a lot of added functionality that Steam OS does not provide.

Edit: I would pretty much agree with the later portion of you post though. The real competition for Steam Boxes isnt really consoles, but other PCs. I agree there must be a clear advantage to Steam Boxes, and TBH, I just dont see it.

 

[Lonyo]

You have to consider that while you might save a small amount not getting a Windows license, if the controller is required your cost will increase because you need to pay for the controller.
Plus you don't have a Windows license so if you ever decide to dual boot, you can't, so your game catalogue is restricted to what's available. A better option would be to get a Windows PC then dual boot with a self-installed copy of SteamOS. Especially since the controller would almost certainly be available separately.


Alienware
The Alienware systems on Steam are $480. The same machine on the Alienware website with Windows 8.1 (Win10 free upgrade) is $500. You save $20 and you get a Steam controller, but you lose Windows.
http://www.dell.com/us/p/alienware-alpha/pd?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&fl=p&~ck=mn
http://store.steampowered.com/app/353390/

Apparently the SteamOS version comes with games, which presumably would be Valve's games, but on the higher end Alienware Windows machines, you get $100 of free games as well. And you can buy it now.

iBuyPower
The lowest iBuyPower PC is $399 with no OS or controller on the website, or $459 with a controller (both with no OS). The SteamOS version is $459 with controller.
They then charge $90 for Windows, which is absurd because you can get it for that price yourself (OEM).

With the SteamOS versions you seem to be forced to pay for the controller you may or may not want, and you can't buy them until November.
With Windows (and non-Windows versions) you can buy them now, and you aren't forced to get a controller, but you miss out on whatever free games they decide to provide.
However, if you build your own PC, you get free games anyway typically with your GPU (if you don't go super low-end), and if one argument for Steam vs consoles is that you can get games with massive discounts, do you need a handful of free games when you buy the machine in the first place? With a limited game selection because you can only use Linux supporting games.

 

[cmdrdredd]

When steam boxes cost as much as a console (more - aren't some 5-600 USD?), what's the point? MS & Sony could easily compete by refreshing hardware every 3-4 years and be...well, basically equal to a steam box.

Add in the Intel Compute Stick and WHY would you buy the steam remote thing?

Plus the fact that most of the games that can look better on PC won't look better on these steam consoles because the affordable options (in console price range) have GPUs that are IMO junk. That is unless you want to run below 30fps. Even with Vulkan or whatever other low level API they may use it's nowhere near the same level of optimization a console gets because a console is a closed platform and you are coding for one baseline.

So, Ocarina of Time is on PC legitimately? Uncharted 4? Exclusivity is exclusivity. Volume is nothing. If a platform has exclusivity on the games you want, that's your platform.

Being an elitist snob doesn't make that fact any less true.

Exactly and I'd bet that most of the exclusives he was alluding to would be games most people haven't heard of or in a niche genre that doesn't get much attention anyway. Either that or old games that nobody really cares about any longer in the real world. Oh you got neverwinter nights how many years ago? Yeah I don't care anymore. All the big games that anyone is following are coming to both these days, heck even Metal Gear Solid is going to be on PC but that doesn't mean everyone will be buying a PC for it.

i see this working the same way for consoles.
Games will increasingly require better hardware, but they will be tested in the low-end steamboxes. If they run well in there, graphics will only get better the better steambox you have.
If a game can run in xboxone/ps4, it should run the same in steambox (and look better if your steambox can handle it)

No, try again. How many times have you heard "consoles are holding back the graphics in our PC games!" The new argument is going to be "steam boxes are holding back the graphics!"

Windows has DirectX 12, other OSes have Vulkan.

Take a guess at which one will get the most support. My money is on DX12. You get Windows 10 for free in the first year(and lets face it, more people will be using windows than steamos), there are engines already developed with DX12 in usage, it will be compatible with the Xbox platform making it easy for developers to move between PC and console for their engine and games. Vulkan doesn't have that advantage.

You are thinking short term.

The steam page says something like 4,500 games on the steam os.

The steam console will be the nail in the coffin for consoles. Why should anyone buy a console and pay full price for games when they can get the steam console and get access to 90% discounts.

You really think playstation and xbox are going to match the steam deep discounted sale price of games?

No it won't, SteamOS has no exclusives and will never get them because people still use Windows and DX12 doesn't run on Linux. People buy consoles because they have games that you can't play anywhere else. Halo, Uncharted, Mario etc. The only way steamos gets exclusives is if valve does it themselves or buys one. Here's the problem, if they do it themselves they limit their sales to only steamOS and no windows. You think they want to risk losing that many sales? I don't. There's something you should know...most gamers aren't as cheap as you steam lovers. They gladly pay $60 for a game on day one because they support the developer or want the newest game and want to play with their friends right away. They don't sit on their hands for 6 months waiting for a big sale to get an old game with a dwindling online community just to say "I got it for $10." Paying $60 for a game that gives me upwards of 15hours and in some cases hundreds of hours of entertainment is super value. I see no need to wait until it's on sale at all. I don't get that type of value for the money out of any other hobby.

This whole thing is just to satisfy Gabe Newell's phobia of Microsoft.

 

[Anomaly1964]

Can you use a mouse and keyboard with it? If not, it's just a powerful console...

NO THANKS..

 

[cmdrdredd]

Can you use a mouse and keyboard with it? If not, it's just a powerful console...

NO THANKS..

Look at the system in your sig and tell me that you would even consider a machine multiple times less powerful. The ones with decent hardware are overpriced IMO.

 

[Eric1987]

Xbox and PS won't have to. What is the last AAA title available on Linux (SteamOS)? Oh... None? Yeah.

You really think that? You're behind on times. Linux is getting a lot more AAA titles these days.

 

[Kalmah]

This is nice and all, but I have a windows pc sitting under my livingroom tv with wireless mouse and keyboard, xbox controllers, a NAS configured for data sharing throughout the house, Netflix, web browsing, youtube, kids do homework on this thing, etc... The Steambox wont compete with all that. Well, neither will the PS4 or Xbox.

 

[tential]

When Steam first came out people thought that would be a failure too (granted it actually did suck balls like no other). Steam debuted as the largest failure I've ever seen gaming wise yet look where it's at today. People are truly shortsighted if they don't see where Steam OS will take us in 4-8 years.

 

[Kalmah]

When Steam first came out people thought that would be a failure too (granted it actually did suck balls like no other). Steam debuted as the largest failure I've ever seen gaming wise yet look where it's at today. People are truly shortsighted if they don't see where Steam OS will take us in 4-8 years.

I hope that it doesn't fail. I welcome a new avenue for pc games. Maybe it will keep microsoft in check from doing something that could potentially screw us over, I don't know.

But then their is Direct X.. Is Vulcan just a new Open-GL or is it like an emulator that allows dx to run in linux?

 

[cmdrdredd]

You really think that? You're behind on times. Linux is getting a lot more AAA titles these days.

Which is available on every other platform first. There's no benefit to Linux at all.

 

[cmdrdredd]

When Steam first came out people thought that would be a failure too (granted it actually did suck balls like no other). Steam debuted as the largest failure I've ever seen gaming wise yet look where it's at today. People are truly shortsighted if they don't see where Steam OS will take us in 4-8 years.

Steam OS is not a distribution method. It's a way for valve to try locking in users and it's not going to be able to compete with windows and DX. There are thousands of games that will not run on SteamOS and never will. They will run on Windows. Sorry, but Windows will not be abandoned like you may want. DirectX is going to get more support. Especially when you can make your game universal and it runs on Windows and Xbox.