What is the point of Steam boxes?

[Nerdfighter]

CES 2014 has revealed a wide array of different specced Steam Boxes, ranging from $500 to $6000 dollars. But somehow, the more that's revealed, the less it makes sense for me.

To my understanding, SteamOS is based on Linux, and thus cannot run many if not any of the "triple-A" titles. This already makes pretty much all of the announced Steam Boxes irrelevant. Why buy a $500+ PC as a Steam Box to put next to your TV, when it can't run that many games?

The only way SteamOS makes sense, is for PC gamers who already have a gaming PC running Windows, but maybe want to play games on their TVs. That way you could build/buy a cheap media-PC/HTPC running SteamOS and stream stuff over to your TV. But then again, I have a feeling that doesn't cover a lot of PC gamers. Most of PC gamers prefer mouse + keyboard and sitting in front of a desk.

All in all, I feel like Valve is taking the wrong approach when it comes to their effort to conquer the living room. Trying to pull dedicated PC gamers over to living room gaming is not going to bring them much if any money, and unless console players are willing to plunge the money required for essentially two PCs to be able to run the full Steam game catalog, that seems very unlikely as well. So unless I've missed/misunderstood something major, or Valve manages to make SteamOS support DirectX games, I feel like Steam Box will end up being Shit Box.

 

[ShaunB-91]

CES 2014 has revealed a wide array of different specced Steam Boxes, ranging from $500 to $6000 dollars. But somehow, the more that's revealed, the less it makes sense for me.

To my understanding, SteamOS is based on Linux, and thus cannot run many if not any of the "triple-A" titles. This already makes pretty much all of the announced Steam Boxes irrelevant. Why buy a $500+ PC as a Steam Box to put next to your TV, when it can't run that many games?

The only way SteamOS makes sense, is for PC gamers who already have a gaming PC running Windows, but maybe want to play games on their TVs. That way you could build/buy a cheap media-PC/HTPC running SteamOS and stream stuff over to your TV. But then again, I have a feeling that doesn't cover a lot of PC gamers. Most of PC gamers prefer mouse + keyboard and sitting in front of a desk.

All in all, I feel like Valve is taking the wrong approach when it comes to their effort to conquer the living room. Trying to pull dedicated PC gamers over to living room gaming is not going to bring them much if any money, and unless console players are willing to plunge the money required for essentially two PCs to be able to run the full Steam game catalog, that seems very unlikely as well. So unless I've missed/misunderstood something major, or Valve manages to make SteamOS support DirectX games, I feel like Steam Box will end up being Shit Box.

I too think they are pointless, your going to spend a good £600 for mediocre hardware just for the privileged of it being pre-built, your not going to be able to run anything other than Steam games, so no Battlefield 4.

My brother in law sent me a message about one of them and I'm going to make sure he doesn't buy one now, he can build PC's and in fact used to have the top of the range years ago but other commitments, family come first before spending a fortune on a gaming rig so his next best bet is one of these or a console, I'd say definitely console! He's now looking at how much it would cost to build his own small form factor Mini-ITX build, he'd do better that way but I wouldn't put SteamOS on, Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 or get a console.

 

[AndyN]

I've also been a bit puzzled by the purpose of the Steam Box. I think the only use I can see for it is as a low power box to allow streaming to you TV if you have a few mates round and want to game but only have one PC, then you have some direct competition with consoles but you would need the games to do that, and I currently can't think of any PC games which allow multiple players on a single system (except Civ V if you hotseat it)

 

[Nerdfighter]

I've also been a bit puzzled by the purpose of the Steam Box. I think the only use I can see for it is as a low power box to allow streaming to you TV if you have a few mates round and want to game but only have on PC, then you have some direct competition with consoles but you would need the games to do that, and I currently can't think of any PC games which allow multiple players on a single system (excpet Civ V if you hotseat it)

A good point. I don't think any of the newer PC games have split screen or anything like that. When it comes to party games or having some friends over, consoles are definitely better than PC.

 

[barnsley]

Its basically for people making the jump from consoles to PC. Basically its Alienware, but valve. Also you got to remember that not everyone who plays pc games like building their own/knowing anything about PCs.

 

[Nerdfighter]

Its basically for people making the jump from consoles to PC. Basically its Alienware, but valve. Also you got to remember that not everyone who plays pc games like building their own/knowing anything about PCs.

True, but why not just buy a Windows PC then? They can buy a small form factor PC pre-built, and use a controller to play if they are so fond of "couch gaming". Even then I think most people making the jump from console to PC are doing it because they want something different from the consoles, instead of a in between thing that is neither or.

 

[barnsley]

True, but why not just buy a Windows PC then? They can buy a small form factor PC pre-built, and use a controller to play if they are so fond of "couch gaming". Even then I think most people making the jump from console to PC are doing it because they want something different from the consoles, instead of a in between thing that is neither or.

They want a console with PC power. A steambox is basically as close as it can be. They don't want windows because it has too much guff and they just want to plug it in and play. Steam is arguably the biggest name in PC gaming after all.

 

[SieB]

Thing with Steamboxes is you are limited to what games you can play, more so if you had a console or PC.
You can only play games that are OpenGL, DirectX games wont run on Steamboxes and the only way you can play them on one is by streaming it from your PC. But if you already have a PC why would you buy a Steambox when you could just make a HTPC?

I like what the Steambox is doing by breaking the gap between the console and PC, but it's still better to build a m-ATX or m-ITX PC yourself, which is basically the same thing anyway and stick that in your living room instead. That way you aren't restricted on what games you can play, you could even dual boot Steam OS and Windows so you can have the best of both worlds.

In my opinion Steamboxes are good but they are to restrictive and you can do better yourself for the same amount of money.

 

[AndyN]

Thing with Steamboxes is you are limited to what games you can play, more so if you had a console or PC.
You can only play games that are OpenGL, DirectX games wont run on Steamboxes and the only way you can play them on one is by streaming it from your PC. But if you already have a PC why would you buy a Steambox when you could just make a HTPC?

I like what the Steambox is doing by breaking the gap between the console and PC, but it's still better to build a m-ATX or m-ITX PC yourself, which is basically the same thing anyway and stick that in your living room instead. That way you aren't restricted on what games you can play, you could even dual boot Steam OS and Windows so you can have the best of both worlds.

In my opinion Steamboxes are good but they are to restrictive and you can do better yourself for the same amount of money.

I think the Steam Boxes shown are more for people who PC game but don't know how to put one together. For people like us you're completely right about it being cheaper to build one yourself, and the companies are just showing what is possible.

 

[SuB]

You're missing the other 'selling point' of Steam Boxes..

They don't NEED to be powerful the whole point of lower spec machines is they just stream from your gaming machine (windows) to your TV via Wi-Fi

It's less about giving people gaming rigs (although some are obviously jumping on the bandwagon with their 6k machines (FFS!)) it's more about bringing PC gaming to the living room.

 

[SieB]

You're missing the other 'selling point' of Steam Boxes..

They don't NEED to be powerful the whole point of lower spec machines is they just stream from your gaming machine (windows) to your TV via Wi-Fi

It's less about giving people gaming rigs (although some are obviously jumping on the bandwagon with their 6k machines (FFS!)) it's more about bringing PC gaming to the living room.

You can already bring the PC into your living room though and you can already stream your PC to your TV over Wifi.

You can only play a select few games on the steambox itself because it only supports OpenGL. With streaming games there also comes lag, not bad for slow paced games like Assassins Creed or something like that but FPS games are going to be lag.

You are better off with a console if you are going to buy a low spec Steambox and you are better off with a HTPC if you are buying a highspec one.
Fair enough there are people that don't know how to build a PC but it doesn't change the fact that the Steambox itself is still inferior to having a console for a low spec one due to the restriction on games and graphics being the same for the same amount of money. Or a high spec Steambox being worse off than building a HTPC for the same reasons.

 

[Lazlo]

A steam Box is not necessarily limited to Steam OS and as far as I understand the Steam OS is not the major selling point of the steam box. You can always install windows!!! You`re not forbidden to do so. They explicitly said so in interviews that you're free to do it.
On the other hand you can always install Steam OS on a pc you build yourself. I think Steam OS' purpose is to have an alternative to windows in case m$ might make it worse in the future (windows 8 wtf?). And competition is always good.
As far as Steamboxes go I see it more as a category than anything else. Like Ultrabook or netbook. A steambox is a smallish pc that goes under your tv and one of it's main purposes is to play (steam)games. Be it on the machine or streaming.
The steamboxes are for people that want a small pc geared toward gaming, that don't want to or can not build their own. And as long as you don't pay extra, I mean more than on a regular prebuild system, just because it's labeled as a steambox, that's fair enough.

 

[ShaunB-91]

PC 99% of the time is mouse and keyboard, so I'm presuming all the games that are officially announced for SteamOS are tweaked to use the controller? I could be wrong there.

But using a mouse and keyboard in the living room...not really going to happen.

 

[QuietOne]

I personally prefer mouse and keyboard. FPS are best played with that combination.

 

[ShaunB-91]

I personally prefer mouse and keyboard. FPS are best played with that combination.

I'd say the same BUT I'm way too used to the CoD series using a controller now, I feel so much quicker and precise with that, if I used a mouse and keyboard I guarantee I'd come last. Often come within top 3 with a controller which is always nice.

 

[QuietOne]

I'd say the same BUT I'm way too used to the CoD series using a controller now, I feel so much quicker and precise with that, if I used a mouse and keyboard I guarantee I'd come last. Often come within top 3 with a controller which is always nice.

I guess I'm the same with some games, i.e Dead Space series. I prefer to play them on the PS3 with a controller than PC. I want to get a mechanical keyboard though and hear the satisfying clicks when moving around in FPS and such.

 

[SPS]

The thing is, a group of the gaming market wouldn't think twice of building a PC or even considering a gaming PC as an alternative to console gaming because of the history of having to tweak games to run effectively. A steam box is a product name to cover this up, it allows those types of people to relate to a single object that 'just works' (we'll see about that..). Steam boxes are designed around small form factor cases so that they can happily sit by the TV, there's no argument for a HTPC here because that same group of people are not interested in building computers.

Steam boxes are not aimed at us.

PC 99% of the time is mouse and keyboard, so I'm presuming all the games that are officially announced for SteamOS are tweaked to use the controller? I could be wrong there.

But using a mouse and keyboard in the living room...not really going to happen.

The controller can be used like a touchpad so there is a way of using mouse based games (Civ V).

 

[SeekaX]

I too think they are pointless, your going to spend a good £600 for mediocre hardware just for the privileged of it being pre-built, your not going to be able to run anything other than Steam games, so no Battlefield 4.

yea, only steam games, that will limit you quite badly considering the low amount of games on steam. it's just a PC, dual boot should be possible.
i won't get one anyways.

 

[TheOuterOne]

Well, you could also just install Windows 8 and steam, buy a Steambox controller and use steam in big picture mode.. Almost every game will work and you can just keep using the keyboard if you want

 

[SuB]

Well, you could also just install Windows 8 and steam, buy a Steambox controller and use steam in big picture mode.. Almost every game will work and you can just keep using the keyboard if you want

Windows 7*