What is Steam machine? Is it worth it?

Steam Machine, also known as Steambox, is an attempt by Valve to move PC gaming.Steam Machine is expected to become a direct competitor to other game console devices such as Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Wii U.

Basically, these devices will be made up of components from a variety of different manufacturers, like normal gaming computers.In addition, you will also be able to build your own PC system and install Valve's SteamOS operating system on it.

A convenient PC gaming device

Valve's Steam is one of the leading game delivery services in the PC gaming world.Steam is a combination of stores selling games, social networks and comprehensive services that make buying, downloading, installing and updating PC games extremely simple.

Today, you can absolutely battle your PC games anywhere.For example, if you want to play the game in the living room, all you have to do is plug the gaming device into the TV via an HDMI port to turn the TV into a display screen.Also, you can easily connect one or more Xbox controllers to PC gaming.Steam provides the 'Big Picture' interface for use with controllers (controllers) on the TV, so you won't have to navigate the Windows screen to launch the game.

The purpose of Valve is to make gaming easier.Steam Machine will be tailored for such situations.You'll buy a Steam Machine, plug it into your TV with an HDMI cable, and use the controller to log in with your Steam account, then play games or use Steam's other services.Everything will only work on the TV screen, so there is no need for cumbersome Windows desktops, Windows updates or any other complication involved.To optimize the experience for users, Valve is also developing their own operating system, which is called SteamOS, providing maximum support for gaming.

SteamOS

It can be said that SteamOS is an important part of Valve's strategic vision.This is an operating system for gaming.In essence, SteamOS is actually a customized distribution of Linux built on the basis of Debian Linux, like ChromeOS, Android and many other operating systems that are widely used in the world today.

And of course any game currently running on Linux will be able to run on SteamOS.This means that Valve will have to convince developers to release their games for both Linux and not just Windows.If the games are released for both Linux, SteamOS will face a difficult road ahead.A great success will only be achieved when Linux will become a competitive PC gaming system that can compete with other competitors, in which the "most horny" is Windows.

At this point, the Steam store statistics show that only 758 games support Linux while 9397 games support Windows, a large number of games.While this is not an accurate estimate, both numbers will also include downloadable content packages (DLC) for games, but this gives us an overview of the prospects. of developing games that support Linux on Steam.

SteamOS also had a bit of a problem with Windows 8. Microsoft's controversial operating system introduced a completely new interface that only runs applications from Windows Store and Windows RT and cannot install any application. for any desktop.Valve cannot release Steam as a Windows 8 application because the application for Windows 8 is very limited and placed under Microsoft control.By building SteamOS and moving more games to Linux, the PC game industry will get a way out if Microsoft decides to remove the desktop from Windows or restrict it to support only programs from the Windows Store. .Valve can also customize the entire Steam Machine experience and release SteamOS for free without paying licensing fees for Microsoft.

While most Steam Machine devices will come with SteamOS, others can be installed with Windows.There is also nothing to prevent you from installing Windows on Steambox.But in this gamble, Valve is betting on winning doors as their own SteamOS operating system.

SteamOS can also be compatible with Windows games.Valve will allow you to run games on your Windows PCs in your home and transfer them to Steambox, allowing you to play Windows games on TV without having to install Windows on a Steam machine.Because Steam Machines is currently targeting PC gamers, Valve believes that the customers they target have owned a Windows gaming computer.

Steam game controller set (Steam controller)

Valve has also developed their own gaming console.Of course this controller is not required, you can still plug the Xbox controller into the Steam Machine or use the mouse and keyboard as you like.You can also connect the kit to play this Steam game with a regular Windows computer.

Instead of copying from other controllers available on the market, Valve has designed a complete controller of its own with two touchpads equipped with tactile feedback and a touch screen in the middle of the controller.The controller is specially designed for experiencing existing PC games on the TV screen.Theoretically, the touchpad will provide the mouse movement accuracy with the cursor's position corresponding to the screen.First-person shooter titles or games that require absolute accuracy in using the cursor are completely playable on TV with the help of Steam game players.Even if the game requires a mouse and won't work well with the Xbox controller, it will still be smooth with the Steam controller.

Valve will also provide 'profiles' showing diagrams of function keys on the controller, allowing Steam controllers to be used for games currently not designed to run with it.You will be able to create your own function keys and Steam will automatically download the most popular configuration for that game.Currently, if the game does not support your driver, you must manually configure the function keys diagram by programs such as Xpadder or JoyToKey, which are also relatively time consuming.

Are you a customer that SteamOS is aiming for?

If you don't feel you need to own a Steam Machine, you may not be the customer that Valve aims for.Valve is taking very careful steps, and they are not in a hurry to locate Steam Machines as a competitor with well-known names like the Xbox One or PlayStation 4. Currently, Valve says Steam. Machine is targeting people who are Steam users who want to play their PC games right in the living room with wide screen.Instead of having to build their own PC system, dealing with compatibility issues between Windows' desktop and TV and existing controllers are not even supported by many PC games, Valve. is creating a system of PCs, operating systems and their own controllers, helping users avoid all the above troubles.

Steam Machine is basically just a PC system, so it is not surprising that Valve launched a line of Steam Machines developed by PC game equipment manufacturers like iBuyPower, Falcon Northwest, Alienware and Gigabyte.This device looks more like PC than a game console and can customize various hardware parameters.There is no standard hardware configuration for Steam Machines like other game consoles.Instead, you will be able to customize the hardware as you would on a PC, so the price will depend on the hardware configuration.

Of course, you will also be able to create your own Steam Machine by building a PC and installing Valve's free SteamOS operating system on it.SteamOS is free for a reason, that is Valve earns money when you buy Steam games, they want SteamOS to reach more customers to sell more games, so they don't need to sell you a system. operating or even a piece of hardware for you to buy games.

If you are someone who is happy with your Xbox, PlayStation or Wii devices, or you have never used Steam and are not interested in playing PC games, you are not a customer that Valve targets. come.

On the other hand, if you are using Steam and you like to play PC games, Valve wants to sell you a Steam Machine so you can experience the big screen PC game in a more interesting way.You will be able to play the entire Steam game, or at least games that support Linux, with in-house streaming.Valve is trying to sell you a convenient, complete gaming service package that includes a specially designed operating system and controller.

A big problem Valve faces is that they are trying to sell a solution designed for the PC gaming community, which is famous for self-tinkering and building their own personal computers.Why should a PC gamer buy a pre-made Steam Machine instead of building a gaming PC system in their living room, and when they can even install SteamOS for free?Valve's most likely answer here is probably convenient and if Steam Machines are competitively priced when they are released, they may still be able to attract attraction to those fastidious gamers.

In short, should you own a Steam Machine?If you are someone who has never heard of Steam, you probably won't.If you're a Steam user, who wants a convenient way to put your Steam game library in the living room, the Steam Machine is really useful.

See more:

1. How to pin the Steam feature to play games on Windows 10?
2. How to display adult-only games on Steam
3. Instructions for removing malware from Steam
4. Fix error 'Steam is temporarily unavailable, please try later'