Gabe Newell: Valve will release its own console-like PC

[pjbliverpool]

Yeah it's a lovely looking case and setup. However it's an ITX-case and there are no LGA2011 ITX-motherboards and the airflow design is most likely more suited to exhausting blower type fan

Damn you for ruining my dream! Yeah having read the tear down properly now I also see you can only use 2 sticks of RAM in here too so 16GB is the max in a dual channel configuration. I guess I'd have to swap out the 4960X for a 4770 resulting a slight bump in single and lightly threaded performance and a healthy bump in SIMD throughput but a significant drop in heavily threaded workloads.

I'd still like 290X in there with a custom cooler if possible but only if its a quiet that can sustain max boost at all times.

 

[pjbliverpool]

Not sure about it being more silent than a normal pc. That steambox uses stock parts, no custom cooling or anything so I don't see why it would be more silent compared to putting the same parts in a normal case. It'll probably be louder because in a normal case you can use much bigger heatsinks and fans.

I'd expect a normal PC to be quieter still using the right components but this system should be pretty close to silent anyway. The 290X DCUII in "quiet" mode is apparently near silent as is the CPU cooler they're using here along with the power supply. Plus a pure SDD for storage = no HDD noise either. I'd wager this could match the XB1 for acoustics while packing 3x the performance (yes at 4x the cost).

 

[Cjail]

Steam Machines specs and prices revealed.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Mostly overpriced by a lot (>$1000). Not really challenging consoles, and the future for the Steam Machine seems to me locked to PC for another generation.

 

[Deleted member 13524]

>$1000 builds with a GTX760 and a Core i5?
There's even one with just an Iris Pro GPU..

What's the point?

 

[Shortbread]

Mostly overpriced by a lot (>$1000). Not really challenging consoles, and the future for the Steam Machine seems to me locked to PC for another generation.

Agree.

I thought the whole point of Steam based boxes was to unify the Steam-PC experience into the home living room? It's seems to me, Valve ran out of clues when it came to the word "enclosed system environment", and went for the approach of a typical PC. How does this really differ from the common PC experience that I enjoy now? I have a EVGA SR-2 setup with all the bells and whistles costing a pretty penny... so why on Earth would I purchase a Steam Box? IMHO, there is no business model...

If they wanted to unify the Steam experience, especially for the living room, they should have limited the options (hardware wise) to a common spec...

 

[pjbliverpool]

The higher spec models are way overpriced but at the lowest end you can get an R9 270 + 3.9Ghz quad Richland + 8GB RAM + 500GB HDD for $499.

That's both performance and cost competitive with consoles. With a lightweight OS and Mantle it would likely be faster.

That said, consoles offer other advantages which the steam box would lack making it ultimately the less appealing option. The only real advantage the lowest end Steambox would have is back catalog, and given the Linux base, even that's not great.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

That said, consoles offer other advantages which the steam box would lack making it ultimately the less appealing option. The only real advantage the lowest end Steambox would have is back catalog, and given the Linux base, even that's not great.

I'm still wondering how they will drive support for developers to publish on SteamOS/Linux to make this thing work. I.e, will Bethesda publish Fallout 4 for it? I'm not feeling it frankly, which is a shame because it'd no doubt benefit Mac users like me, as well.

Steam launched on Mac in May 2010 (nearly four years ago) and still the Mac platform is reliant on porting houses like Aspyr to get mainstream titles out the same year (if we're lucky) as for Windows/consoles.

 

[Grall]

It's seems to me, Valve ran out of clues when it came to the word "enclosed system environment", and went for the approach of a typical PC.

When did they ever hint steambox would be anything but a (typical or not) PC?

How does this really differ from the common PC experience that I enjoy now?

It doesn't perhaps, but does it have to?

so why on Earth would I purchase a Steam Box? IMHO, there is no business model...

There's obviously a place in the market for ready-built PCs, but if you don't want one that's OK. Not everyone are willing or able to research and hunt for components, much less assembling them into a working system themselves.

If they wanted to unify the Steam experience, especially for the living room, they should have limited the options (hardware wise) to a common spec...

Why?

That wouldn't work with the game library they're offering on steam right now. It'd be one hell of a dud steambox.

The higher spec models are way overpriced but at the lowest end you can get an R9 270 + 3.9Ghz quad Richland + 8GB RAM + 500GB HDD for $499.

Is there any ready-built PCs with high-end components that offer great value for money? They're always expensive IME, I assume due to warranty/tech support overhead partly. There's also not a great deal of profit margin on discrete high-end PC components from what I understand. These companies have to survive somehow.

The only real advantage the lowest end Steambox would have is back catalog

...Which should not be misunderestimated.

Now, I don't know if steambox will be a hit or not, frankly I think this is a risky and possibly ill-advised venture, but *shrug*. Valve is full of smart people, if they're doing this it must be for a good reason I have to assume. If steambox bombs it'd be the first fail ever from valve.

 

[Rangers]

There's a lot of impressions of the Steam Controller coming out of CES and they seem mostly negative. An example

http://www.vg247.com/2014/01/07/first-impressions-the-steam-machine-and-its-confounding-controller/

Sadly, the Steam Controller doesn’t give a particularly good first impression of what Valve is trying to accomplish with living room PC gaming, though that gateway could get better or worse from here as hardware manufacturers build their own variations on the pad. But at this early stage a console-style PC for an entertainment center feels like a noble ideal that could be marred by the accessibility barrier of the Steam Controller. After finally putting that strange thing to use, it appears to me that Valve built it more to make waves than to improve the gaming experience.

Perhaps an indication Valve is out of it's element with it's foray into consoles.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

I really like the idea of the Steambox but the fact it's linux (and being a Mac owner, I know what a linux/unix OS-base means for gaming support), and the all-touch controller make this a tough sell.

What would have worked better for me would be have a DirectX base, a UI designed for consoles throughout - no Windows UI at all - and games sold ready to be used by an existing PS3/PS4/X360/XBO controller. But still there are so many details left that complicate things.

 

[joker454]

I'm hoping they can get some traction but man oh man do they have an uphill battle. Then again Valve does have the cash to ride this out over countless years.

 

[Gradthrawn]

I want a white box PC that will let me play the numerous games I currently can't on consoles, or the games I would prefer to play with a K/M. But I need it to just work. A game being buggy and having to download a patch for it is one thing, but I don't want to be bothered with much of any hardware/software troubleshooting when it comes to playing games. If a Steambox w/ SteamOS can offer me that I'm all in. Not sure that's what's being offered here, however.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

I wonder how heavily invested Valve are, or need to be themselves? They've done work on the controller, sure and the Big Picture mode was probably not a costly development. This Linux distribution itself? Could be but it's probably more similar than different than the base distribution they started with. I hi I most of the risk is with the hardware folks.

I'm just not optimistic. Like I said, in May it's been four years since Valve supported the Mac platform and while it's definitely improved things, it nowhere near PC or console gaming support. All it really means is that I don't have to switch to Windows for some games.

 

[joker454]

I wonder how heavily invested Valve are, or need to be themselves?

If it fails or flops them it reflects really badly on Valve, and would affect all their future products or ideas in terms of being able to secure partners or having positive user mindshare. I'd hope they are well invested in this because if they are just purely relying on partners to do it all then that doesn't bode well for them.

 

[Grall]

Valve is privately held corp, they don't have to give a shit about the fickleness of any day-trading stock owners, because there aren't any. Steambox totally crashing and burning won't change perception any for the majority of people - I wonder how many even know of the steambox project to begin with. And the steam platform would be continuing to run business as usual of course, as would the steady flow of hats out of TF2 - and now also DOTA etc.

 

[joker454]

Valve is privately held corp, they don't have to give a shit about the fickleness of any day-trading stock owners, because there aren't any. Steambox totally crashing and burning won't change perception any for the majority of people - I wonder how many even know of the steambox project to begin with. And the steam platform would be continuing to run business as usual of course, as would the steady flow of hats out of TF2 - and now also DOTA etc.

Not for stock holders, but if they have another idea in the future and try to approach partners about it, said partners can say well your last idea was a total flop why should we bother with you now? On the users end Valve doesn't want to get 32x'd, where users won't trust any of their future plans and ideas.

 

[dobwal]

If it fails or flops them it reflects really badly on Valve, and would affect all their future products or ideas in terms of being able to secure partners or having positive user mindshare. I'd hope they are well invested in this because if they are just purely relying on partners to do it all then that doesn't bode well for them.

In relation to future hardware endeavors, I would agree. In terms of software, I doubt it. The success of Steam in and of itself is likely to minimize whatever negativity Valve generates from a failure of SteamBox.

I have a feeling that the biggest success of Valve's attempt at a hybrid PC/console will be its controller.

 

[Grall]

Not for stock holders, but if they have another idea in the future and try to approach partners about it, said partners can say well your last idea was a total flop why should we bother with you now?

And to that, Valve replies, "we're valve!" Seriosuly, who in the tech business (who has stayed around for a while of course) has NEVER fucked up even once? OTHER than valve, that is, unless you count the data breach they had last year as a fuckup of this category (some would.) Most tech companies out there have multiple epically facepalm-worthy failures in their past, and people and other companies still do business with them every day.

On the users end Valve doesn't want to get 32x'd, where users won't trust any of their future plans and ideas.

Steambox fails and suddenly valve is 32x? Jesus, people sure are sensitive about perceptions these days!

 

[joker454]

Steambox fails and suddenly valve is 32x? Jesus, people sure are sensitive about perceptions these days!

I'm not suggesting Valve will tailspin to nothingness, be bankrupted overnight and Gabe will be seen on skid row drinking thrown out whisky while panhandling for cash, but you know perception does matter! I hope they succeed but it's looking like a tough sell right now especially at some of those crazy prices.