is it ambitious? is that what you would call it
Our first look at the Steam Machine, Valve’s ambitious new game console
Submitted 1 day ago by who@feddit.org to games@lemmy.world
https://www.theverge.com/tech/818111/valve-steam-machine-hands-on-preview-specs-announcement
Comments
nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 hours ago
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 9 hours ago
I think so. It’s trying to compete with Microsoft and Sony consoles in much the same way that Steam Deck competed with the Switch. Taking on the largest segment of gaming outside mobile is pretty ambitious. It seems to be launching along with a new VR headset and a new controller, so they seem to be targeting high volume sales for the living room gaming market.
The hardware isn’t the ambitious part, the target market is.
Bamboodpanda@lemmy.world 8 hours ago
Absolutely! The opinions you see on platforms like Lemmy or Reddit don’t necessarily reflect the views of the actual target market. Many of those users are casual gamers. These are people who own a phone and an Xbox, and that’s the extent of their gaming experience.
That market is HUGE. Valve is offering accessibility, convenience, and comparable (to consoles) performance without the complexity of PC gaming. I think it’s a fantastic move, and I’m genuinely excited to see it succeed. I have long wanted to play with more of my work friends who fall into this category.
HeyJoe@lemmy.world 1 day ago
It looks cool, but to me, if it’s not being offered for around $500, then it’s just a pc replacement in my eyes. From the questions he asked, it definitely seems like it’s going to cost more than $800.
Good timing though, get your system out first before the next generation starts releasing at the end of next year or 2027. From what I have seen, the first to release generally does the best.
My problem seems to be how much it talks about the ps5. It’s been 5 years, so of course, better hardware can fit into smaller space. My problem with that is generally any hardware that compacts it this much will run into heating issues a few years into owning it so I would absolutely prefer the bigger ps5 anyday which has shown no issues so far. Also, they were comparing it to the ps5 alot which is a 5 year old system. I would hope it does significantly better!
I also would like to know more about the OS. Is it just the steam deck OS slapped on this, or is it customized more? I would want/hope they deliver the things that a console offers and more that make it more convenient than just a PC.
Overall, I am interested in this, but if it really does costs as much as I think it will, I am not sure who this will ultimately be marketed to, and I could be wrong, but I doubt it will sell enough for them to say it was a success lets make more. They do have the money to throw at it though, so I guess that was enough for them to take a stab at it after the success of the steam deck.
nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 hours ago
it’s not a console. it’s nothing like a console. it isn’t the same market. it’s not competing with them
Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 hours ago
It sort of is… I collect consoles, I have everything from the 2600 to PS3/Wii/360. I quit after that because the XBone and PS4 were just horrible shitty PCs that ran games like garbage and had insane load times. I like the newest XBox and PS5, but I’m done collecting consoles forever because they’re just locked down PCs now. The Steam Machine is a console for computer game players with MUCH LESS locked down OS than a PlayStation or XBox and I love that idea very much. I have four high-end computers for games at my house (maybe five, one is old but still works great with linux) and I would still consider a Steam Machine in my house as another first computer… but it does really taste like a console (in a good way)
jqubed@lemmy.world 1 day ago
As much work as the Verge article says they put into cooling, I’m not too worried about heat issues
halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 1 day ago
While the main cooling system is important, the thermal interface material they pick is also a big deal with systems intended to not be user serviced and with long lasting lifetimes like consoles… It honestly depends a lot on what TIM they decided to go with. Traditional thermal pastes are cheap but almost always dry out after just a few years causing much higher temps. Liquid metal is great, but more expensive and you must design it right, vertical orientation can cause leakage if not properly designed (some laptops end up having issues because of this). Phase change material is probably the optimal middle ground for ease of installation, and simplified design.
jordanlund@lemmy.world 1 day ago
The skin community is going to be all over the swappable panels like butter on hot corn.
Harkronis@kbin.melroy.org 9 hours ago
The specs do not impress me for a company that prides itself for being technologically creative. The Steam Deck was a massive success for what they were able to do with that. But this? This is like a glorified Raspberry Pi if it was done by Valve.
Even if you could expand the RAM and storage, everything else is just sitting there waiting to be obsolete in a couple years. I just don't get who they're trying to make this for. You can easily build a PC with a reasonable budget that could easily tackle things this cube probably couldn't.
Individuals who game, are more likely going to look at this wanting all of the latest AAA games to work and I don't see this cube doing the workload for long. And for the projected price point, it definitely won't be worth the price.
who@feddit.org 8 hours ago
Even if you could expand the RAM and storage,
You can.
everything else is just sitting there waiting to be obsolete in a couple years.
That’s what some people said about the Steam Deck. More than a couple of years later, it is still popular; clearly not obsolete.
I just don’t get who they’re trying to make this for. You can easily build a PC with a reasonable budget that could easily tackle things this cube probably couldn’t.
I think you’re overlooking the fact that most gamers have different skills and priorities than yours. Not everyone would find it easy to build a computer at all, let alone build a quiet and compact one with well-matched components, a tuned and convenient OS, and good support.
This device is probably not a good fit for you. It probably is a good fit for many people outside of gaming PC enthusiast circles. Especially now that Valve has established its hardware as a well-defined platform for game developers to support.
AppleTea@lemmy.zip 8 hours ago
everything else is just sitting there waiting to be obsolete in a couple years
a bit out from the cutting edge, sure, but obsolete? This aint the 90s or the Aughts any more.
A machine put together 10 years ago will still run most things fine. Not at the fanciest settings, but fine. This is essentially the same criticism PC gaming has been lobbing at consoles for years, and now we have essentially a PC masquerading it’s way into the console wing of the market – of course the same criticism still apply! It’s not incredibly beefy because it doesn’t need to be. Different audience, different requirements.
boonhet@sopuli.xyz 8 hours ago
It’s supposed to be a console. You connect it to your TV and it more or less just works. Like a PS5 or Series X, except it has more games. The entire thing consumes about half the power of just my low-end graphics card from a few years ago (3060 ti). These CPUs also aren’t available as socketed versions, nor would it be a good idea because then a user might use a chip that generates too much heat compared to the design here.
This ISN’T meant to compete with a PC. If you already have a gaming PC, you don’t want a Steam Machine. If you have a current gen console, you probably don’t want a Steam Machine.
There’s a lot of speculation as to the price. If any of the guesses from various outlets end up being true, it could be less than $500 and potentially less than $400, while there have been hints at the next generation of Xbox costing $1000. But this is all speculation.
Basically, it’s a way to get into gaming with a console-like experience, a low price, and the ability to keep your game library when you evolve into a “real” PC gamer. Honestly, if my kid was old enough to get into gaming, I’d consider one. Genius move from Valve targeting specifically a market previously untapped by them - not us folks who already buy our games on Steam.
pycorax@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
The controller would’ve been an instant buy for me if it had asymmetric sticks but I’ll wait for it to come out and give it a try before I make a decision.
tomkatt@lemmy.world 21 hours ago
I’m down to buy it. I have a Steam Deck and it’s very comfortable to hold, other than the weight. This thing is basically the Deck controls without the screen and a bunch of the weight.
Plus, I’ve personally found the gyro, trackpads, and back buttons to be extremely useful for games that don’t have controller support, or for simply easier use of existing buttons (like putting L3/R3 on back buttons). I’m really looking forward to this, looks way better than the 2015 Steam Controller.
Lastly, that charging connector / wireless adapter all-in-one combo is just nice.
My only concern would be haptics. This really needs to have good rumble motors, and not just trackpad haptics like the deck. The pad haptics are good for subtle effects, but near useless for conveying actual heavy vibration, explosions, stuff like that. Sounds like they accounted for this though:
High definition rumble
Steam Controller’s powerful motors are capable of handling complex waveforms for immersive, accurate haptics.
That sounds closer to something like the PS5 DualSense enhanced haptics, and if so, I’m here for it.
mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 hours ago
Yeah, Sony really nailed the haptics with the PS5 controller. The high-fidelity motors feel nice while still having punch, and the adaptable triggers give a nice satisfying squeeze when game programmers use it properly.
The newer God of War games had a few good examples, with the adaptable triggers getting harder on more “difficult” stuff. If Kratos was using a lot of strength for some quick time event, the triggers got harder to pull. It was a nice touch that helped add immersion and suspense to a game that was already very visceral. When Kratos cleaved into an enemy during a kill animation, feeling the trigger relax afterwards was a nice satisfying capstone to the “you just beat the crap out of this enemy” animation.
pycorax@sh.itjust.works 14 hours ago
My experience with the Steam Deck and the Index controllers are the only thing keeping me from writing it off my mind all together. I have faith in Valve’s team when it comes to ergonomics so I hope they surprise me.
That said, I hope they improved on the Steam Deck because the face buttons on the Deck are so close to the edge that it’s challenging to do quick presses for games like rhythm games.
SomethingBurger@jlai.lu 17 hours ago
It’s insane. Seemingly everyone but Sony figured out decades ago it’s a terrible idea, and Valve does it anyway.
At least it has concave sticks, which weren’t on PlayStation until 2013.
witness_me@lemmy.ml 14 hours ago
That’s your preference though. I prefer Sony’s symmetrical sticks. It’s ok to have your preference, no need to state that it’s the objectively better one.
mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 hours ago
I actually prefer Sony’s symmetrical design, but that’s probably because the PS1 was my first console. That’s the controller I grew up playing, so it’s the one I’m most familiar with using. The Xbox 360 generation definitely tends to prefer asymmetry though, which is really just a matter of preference.
dukemirage@lemmy.world 17 hours ago
But the DualShock doesn’t have asymmetric sticks?
Katana314@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
It’s possible placing the thumb sticks in some slightly different way helps to avoid patent issues.
Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 8 hours ago
I can’t stand asymmetric sticks. The 8bitdo pro2 is the best controller ive found right now, but this new steam controller looks awesome.
BigTrout75@lemmy.world 20 hours ago
I was hesitant about upgrading my ancient computer because I didn’t want to spend $1,200 - $2000 on a new setup. This looks like a great option.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 9 hours ago
This isn’t going to be a high end machine, it’s probably competitive with the PS5, more or less.
You didn’t mention what you have, but you could probably get a decent upgrade competitive with this for well under $1200. The GPU seems to be about an RX 7600 ($250-260), the CPU is about a 7600 ($190), motherboard is $170, and 16GB RAM is $120. So $700-800 mandatory, plus whatever you need to replace from your current rig, and the result should be a bit faster than the Steam Machine. That’s probably a bit more than the Steam Machine, but it’s upgradeable, whereas the Steam Machine won’t be.
BigTrout75@lemmy.world 8 hours ago
Lol, my dumb computer is running DDR3 / no TPM, it’s super old. I have been waiting for video cards to get better/cheaper. I’m totally down with not the fastest. If it plays 90% of my games, costs less than $600. I just read that it’s six times more powerful than the Steam Deck. The Steam Deck can run Cyberpunk 2077, so this will do just fine. Another thing that I really like is that Valve is verifying games for their hardware. The games it can’t run, I guess I won’t play. I’m sold!
ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world 17 hours ago
Is it a console? Isn’t it a tiny prebuilt?
mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 hours ago
I mean… What is a console, but a prebuilt running custom firmware and manufacturer’s OS? You can literally install Linux on a jailbroken PS5. Old consoles were obviously bespoke pieces of hardware that wouldn’t match any computer OS… But modern consoles are closer to prebuilt PCs than they are to old consoles.
Donkter@lemmy.world 16 hours ago
Aren’t all consoles?
vga@sopuli.xyz 16 hours ago
All is console, console is all.
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 9 hours ago
Yes, just like the Steam Deck, it’s a pre-built that functions like a console and can do other desktop stuff too.
who@feddit.org 11 hours ago
What’s the difference?
ekZepp@lemmy.world 10 hours ago
I didn’t even read all that. But I’ll trust your judgment. 👍
Postmortal_Pop@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I’m excited but i won’t accept it until I see the price. If it turns out good this would be a stark upgrade to my PC, but it has to be comparable in price.
rtxn@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Archived link: archive.ph/ydtw4
Bronzebeard@lemmy.zip 1 day ago
Every device they make is called a steam machine… And then gets cancelled. They’ve all blurred together at this point
Kolanaki@pawb.social 1 day ago
The only thing ever called a Steam Machine before was the PC architecture they tried to push over a decade ago that was more or less just cheaper PCs of various builds that all ran on the original SteamOS. None of them were made or sold by Valve itself.
The only other steam hardware that was cancelled was the Link; because you can do what it did through an app without the need for specialized hardware now.
fartsparkles@lemmy.world 1 day ago
And while the Link hardware was cancelled, they still put out updates for it. I think the last update was only a month or two ago.
Steam Controller 1 also got cancelled but they’re still shipping updates and showing that device too.
mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 hours ago
Yeah, I really wanted to like my Link, but it was plagued by random FPS lag spikes that made it unplayable. Sometimes a game running at a perfect 60FPS would just suddenly drop to like 2-3FPS for a minute or more. In my router and on my PC’s traffic data, I could see my PC was still sending the same amount of data to the Link. And on the Link, I could see it was receiving the data. So everything was sending and receiving just fine. But the FPS would just suddenly tank for no discernible reason. It made the Link unusable after a while. And the only real response I ever got from Steam about it was “have you tried updating the firmware on your Link?”
CobyCat@kbin.earth 1 day ago
I hope this succeeds, but personally I'd rather have a less powerful machine at a more affordable price point.
Empricorn@feddit.nl 1 day ago
Do… we know the price point yet?
CobyCat@kbin.earth 21 hours ago
The article says:
When I listen to my interview audio, I find an additional hint from Griffais: “We intend for it to be positioned closer to the entry level of the PC space, but to be very competitive with a PC you could build yourself from parts.”
Poking around the web, I find I could probably assemble a computer with this performance for $800, not including labor. But it could easily consume half the room under my TV. A compact system with a similar GPU can cost $1,000 without storage, memory, operating system, or a gamepad.
Which makes it reasonable to assume it's gonna be at least within that price range. And that is personally way too much for me.
Scotty_Trees@lemmy.world [bot] 9 hours ago
Lemmy sure is doing a lot of the marketing work for the Steam machines I see.