It’s been a long time coming, but the first Steam Machines are finally here: compact computers that give you the quality of PC gaming with the living room convenience of consoles. Too bad most of them cost an arm and a leg. Here’s how to build your own for less.
Valve fixed one of my big issues with Steam Machines... kinda. Games with their own launchers (e.g. Trine 3, Starbound, and Evoland) won’t, well, launch. Valve has removed the SteamOS-compatible tag from around 35 games. Some devs are working on new launchers. Fingers crossed that everything’s resolved by release day.
Rocket League is coming to SteamOS, and it’s free if you buy a Steam Machine, Steam Link, or Steam Controller. The car soccer sensation is great fun in split screen, so the pairing makes perfect sense. Also, it’s sold one million copies on Steam alone. I get the impression that maybe people like it a little.
Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo will do their damnest to sell you on PlayStation, Xbox, and Wii. But maybe, you’ll have already spent your money on an alternative game console: a Steam Machine. Today, you can pre-order the fabled Steam Controller, the Steam Link streamer, and one of two different Linux-based gaming PCs.
When I heard Valve wanted to take over the living room, I didn't believe it. When the rumors came true, I didn't think it could be done. When Valve failed to deliver Steam Machines last fall, I felt vindicated. Now, a year later, it's happening. I've tried them. I'm about to eat my words.
One year ago, at CES 2014, Valve introduced a new kind of gaming PC, a Linux game console with a gamepad designed to be good enough to replace a mouse and keyboard. 14 PC manufacturers were on board, each creating a Steam Machine in its own image. And then... crickets. What the heck happened?
The Alienware Alpha sounds awesome. It’s smaller and more powerful than the PS4 and Xbox One. It doubles as an actual Windows PC! But be warned: it’s not as easy to use as a game console, not as foolproof. It’s not nearly the slam dunk I was hoping it would be.
Hint: it's the one with the USB ports.
Now that Steam Machines have established all one needs to play computer games via Steam is a small box, a controller and a screen, the SteamBoy combines those three things into one portable gaming system.
It's been six months since bouncing baby PS4s and Xbox Ones started landing on doorsteps, and things are still... transition-y. Titanfall runs great on Xbox 360, Borderlands is staying last-gen, and PS4 is getting a Last of Us port. What do you think? Are you optimistic, or are you regretting your purchase?
Seems like Valve's Steam Controller has been evolving since the minute they first showed it to us. The latest version adds more conventional face buttons along with the big, already-iconic touchpads. It's being put through its paces at GDC this week. Let's see how this puppy performs, shall we?
Valve just sent us this image, a more clear depiction of the latest Steam Controller prototype that they detailed back in January.
The strange-looking Stream Controller Valve introduced to us in September was innovative, ambitious, and unworkable from a backwards compatibility standpoint. Today Valve announced the release version of the controller will drop the screen in favor of a d-pad and standard controller buttons.
Valve has been in the software business for a long time, and they've gotten pretty good at it. In 2014, the PC gaming giant will be launching their first official piece of hardware: The decidedly odd, innovative Steam Controller. What will happen when a company steeped in software releases their first piece of…
During Valve's CES 2014 event last night, the company released a brochure featuring images, prices, and specificiations for 13 third-party Steam Machines. Let's take a look-see!
Maingear's Steam Machine didn't make it into Valve's brochure. At 4.5 x 4.23 x 2.34 inches and weighing less than a pound, it's pretty easy to miss.
Valve's interesting, innovative new Steam Controller has caught a lot of eyes while simultaneously raising a lot of eyebrows. How exactly will this thing work? Will it really make traditionally mouse & keyboard PC games playable in your living room?
The first Steam Machines will ship on December 13, Valve said this afternoon. Three hundred beta testers will win their very own high-powered Steam Machines, complete with crazy trackpad controllers and free SteamOS games.
Valve is developing a new service that will allow you to stream games between two computers, and any Steam user can sign up to enter the beta right now.
On January 15 and 16, Valve is holding a special event. I'm not invited. You're probably not, either.
