Do you think the Steam Machine can compete with the Playstation 4?

[DrRipley]

I think it can take a slice of the market share, but as of now I think the three famous brands are just too mainstream to defeat. Additionally, the market for Steam boxes seems to be a little blurry as of now, at least to me, seeing as PC people will have to be convinced to buy one for their living room when they can just use an HDMI wire to plug their CPU into their TVs while the console fans already are attached to their corresponding brands of choice. I think it would take a serious screw up by any of these major companies for console fans to want to jump ship but it is good that an alternative is being worked on at least.

 

[swagger]

Not at all. PC/Xbone are much closer to competing with the PS4 then the Steam Machine is.

 

[dean290000]

Not at all. PC/Xbone are much closer to competing with the PS4 then the Steam Machine is.

Which Steam Machine are you referring to? There are ones that will blow the PS4/Xbone out of the water when it comes to graphics and CPU. But so does I high end PC.

I wonder if this will cannibalize the PC Systems as opposed to taking share of the console market.

Regardless, I gave up on PC gaming 10 + years ago and I am going to purchase one of these as a second system at some point,

Dean

 

[daimashin]

There are versions that are way more powerful than the consoles but they are also very expensive for the specs they offer so these aren't exactly aimed at the same market as the consoles. When it comes to comparing we should compare the Steam Machines that are at the same price range of the consoles and right now, very little of them can compete with consoles specs wise. Long time PC gamers will not get it since they already have a rig that does everything and more than Steam Machines. For now, it seems that the market for Steam Machines is rather small.

 

[The Unlosing Ranger]

There are versions that are way more powerful than the consoles but they are also very expensive for the specs they offer so these aren't exactly aimed at the same market as the consoles. When it comes to comparing we should compare the Steam Machines that are at the same price range of the consoles and right now, very little of them can compete with consoles specs wise. Long time PC gamers will not get it since they already have a rig that does everything and more than Steam Machines. For now, it seems that the market for Steam Machines is rather small.

This is why I think the Dteam boxes will fail; they're not great for PC gamers and not worthwhile to console gamers. Not to mention that it will require a separate Windows setup since Linux plays few games in comparison.

 

[dean290000]

You cant compare by price. If you did then no one should have bought a PS3 last generation as they were expensive.

We need to wait and see what the compatibility is like and what games they have. I bet they have a long term plan. Steam has done quite well on their own. I think that we have room for the steam console but they need to get it right and it will take time just like the original Xbox took time to get market penetration,

 

[azer1990]

I think it will be successful in some respects where alot of people enjoy steam but will it dislodge sony and microsft i dont think so, in terms of sales the ps4 is hammering it, the x1 is just about keeping up, still a long way to go and maybe the steam machine will change the way we game.

 

[dean290000]

I doubt it will replace Sony or Microsoft but it might carve out a niche. I wonder how long Steam is planning on fighting a uphill battle as it will be tough for them at first. The key is they need to be thinking long term. They need to be looking to take xx percent of the market in place in 5+years and the Steam Boxes are going to look better at the end of generations when the consoles specs are 6+ years old.

I think they will carve out a niche, I will put down $500 bucks for a high end one if it has good games at a decent price. Maybe they are just trying to move PC gaming into the living room.

Dean

 

[NeoTokyo]

If Valve can get a company to bring out a steam machine that is more powerful at a competitive price point, then I guess they could give Sony a good run for their money especially with the cheaper priced steam games.

 

[novasparker]

Ok, so I guess I'm behind the 8 ball on this one, but what is a Steam Machine? Is it a console or a PC gaming system? I know that there are lot olf folks that are brand loyal, which makes me believe that it would take some time before Steam Machine could truly smash a giant like PS...but anything is possible. Just wondering what the rest of the gaming community thinks. I liked the Gamespot article that was posted. It helps me visualize this thing a little.

 

[The Unlosing Ranger]

Ok, so I guess I'm behind the 8 ball on this one, but what is a Steam Machine? Is it a console or a PC gaming system? I know that there are lot olf folks that are brand loyal, which makes me believe that it would take some time before Steam Machine could truly smash a giant like PS...but anything is possible. Just wondering what the rest of the gaming community thinks. I liked the Gamespot article that was posted. It helps me visualize this thing a little.

They're pre-built computers, basically. The idea seems to be bringing PC gaming to the living room, so to speak, by making it easy to setup among other things.

 

[dean290000]

It is nothing more than the steam service being streamlined into small Entertainment center boxes about the size of a game console. Steam is noted for having great sales of PC games.

I do not know if they believe that the PC market is dying due to tablets and smartphones or they just want to compete against the consoles. I have yet to rid a business plan on this yet.

Feel free to ring in if anyone has found what Steam's goal is outside of making money.

 

[DPatel304]

I'm hoping Steam will do well, as it is a solid service, and they have a huge library available for good pricing. I just think, at this point, it'll be really hard for a newcomer to come in and compete against Sony (or MS for that matter). Both companies have too large of a following and have the big name exclusives that push their consoles. Steam has a large and varied library and also a huge following, but I'm not sure they will be converting many PS4 or X1 gamers anytime soon.

 

[KN1GHTMARE]

I honestly just feel that Steam is competing for a different audience. They will still attract current PC gamers primarily and will have to truly offer a unique experience to capture hardcore console gamers. Then again if Steam want's to through a test unit my way I will happily research the subject thoroughly, lol

 

[dean290000]

I had to get a a new computer and went ahead and got a better computer by a few hundred bucks with 6 core 4.5GHz CPU (AMD FX) and two ATI HD 9000x in crossfire configuration. I have the system hooked up to my HDTV and have the Steam Home Theater TV interface running on it where I can control it with my Logitech Harmony or the Xbox 360 controller I bought.

I now have a steam machine which is also doubling as a media server and doing some other server tasks in the background. The interface is fantastic and easier to use than the PS4 interface. I picked up Alan Wake/Alan Wake 2/Bioshock 1&2 all for $30 bucks on sale on stream.

The steam interface is great and I am enjoying Alan Wake a lot which is a great game. I have to say that steam has a lot of potential and the fact that you have what seems like a unlimited selection of games for much less. I will probably buy Watchdogs for the PS4 and will of course buy the Naughty Dog games but Steam has a lot of great games for sale and it has to be considered a serious contender against the PS4/Xbone.

All the new big games like Watchdogs that are multiplatform are going to be $60 bucks on all platforms but the pure amount of choice and the fact that any game I have bought or demo works with the 360 controller perfectly.

It is much better than I expected.

 

[FosterTXT]

I don't think the steam machine will when over the hearts over console gamer just yet. I do definitely see it as a more inviting alternative to a custom gaming computer. Little setup and friendly interface, two of the main reasons why people like consoles.

 

[Ridge]

They made it too complicated with too many skus. The average Joe will get confused and buy a traditional console.

 

[dean290000]

You can look at my earlier posts and see that I was against PC Gaming even though it was something I use to do because everyone has a different setup and some guys would only work on Radeon GPU while others only worked on a NVidia GPU.

However, the big difference now is that you can pick up s 2GB high quality graphics car for $150 or less. The specs will be way over the top as it will allow you t play most any game in 1900x1080 on Max Settings.

The fact that you can download the stream large TV interface for free and run it on any steam box or any PC id huge IMO.

There may be a a lot of different SKU's but I think almost every make/model will run games better than the PS4/Xbone with more game selection for less money.

At the very least, the Steam Machine is a great alternative to allow PSX fans to play a lot of games that were 360/Xbone/PC exclusives on their HDTVs.

Exclusives are what sell consoles and the PS4 has the best exclusives for me. However, having the custom bu8ild PC I put together acting as a steam machine plus several other functions is the best of bother worlds. I can now play most Xbone exclusives as they are usually written for the PC Also that I can play. I would much rather than a PS4 and a Steam Machine than a PS4 and Xbone just because of large library of PC Games. Keep in mind that PC games not sold through steam will show up in the stream portal so it essentially is the front end for everything
I am going to continue to buy the PS4 exclusives but I am really going to have to consider buying multiplayer games for the PC. The fact that Alan Wake in 1920x1080 running on maximum details which never skips a frame rate and looks better than any PS4 games as of date. Infamous: SS had horrible frame rate issues when running the Angels/Demons mission and when their were a lot of things going on at once.

I know Alan Wake is several years old but it looks so much better on the PC in maximum detail and is truly next generation in graphics/performance.

I would highly encourage anyone that has an I5 Quad Core or better to put in a $120 + GPU and try the steam large screen TV to your TV. It is a great second system and might even become your primary system while the PS4 may become your secondary system.

I spent $60 on The Show 2014, NBA2jJ14m Infamous: SS, Knack, NFS Rivals, and one or two more I am forgetting about. which is $300 - $400 worth of decent software. For $400 on steam, you could buy a lot of games in steam with a lot more choices.

I am not only going to buy the exclusive games for the PS4 and there are some great ones coming out but Steam is the ideal second system and gives you a ton for your money!

Dean

 

[RobertoUK73]

I've got a ps4 and I did plan on getting the xb1 also. However I'm thinking of getting a tower pc and linking it to my living room tv with ps4 in bedroom. The pc can also act as media outlet and to view back up pictures etc. I'd look at buying controllers to use for gaming on pc.

 

[dean290000]

I've got a ps4 and I did plan on getting the xb1 also. However I'm thinking of getting a tower pc and linking it to my living room tv with ps4 in bedroom. The pc can also act as media outlet and to view back up pictures etc. I'd look at buying controllers to use for gaming on pc.

Get the 360 controller because it works perfectly with any games that Steam/Valve sells. It is too much of a pain in butt to get a PS3/PS4 controller to work with most of the games. You can either buy the version of the 360 controller that comes with the drivers for windows or buy the 360 version and download the drivers yourself.

I highly recommend using Plex as a media server. It will read all computers, run as a background, has a full screen TV interface, and works with Media Center remote/Logitech Harmony remotes.

The nice thing is that you can use your computer to run the Media server service fro Plex as a background task and run Plex (for free) to watch your movie through Roku/Amazon streaming boxes or Samsung Smart TVs or just run the big screen front end on your computer hooked up to your TV.

You can buy a Media Center remote with the USB IR receiver for under 10 bucks on Amazon and other online places.

Keep in mind that your remotes will be wired but the Windows version of the 360 remote comes with a 8 foot cable and you never have to worry about it being charged.

I think you will be pleased by the quality games you can buy for next to nothing and full level demos you can download for free.

Send me a private PM f you have any questions.

Dean