Talk of the Steam Machines change to Gaming has not exactly been low on the agenda over the last year or so.
If you’re a keen gamer it’s been hot on the agenda for some time now. Most of the talk has been about where it will fit into the market. And how much it will cost. That’s not to mention when it will come out.
However, thanks to Valve, the manufacturers of the machines, we finally have some answers. The brand have detailed the releases of the 15 (yes, FIFTEEN!) boxes to be released late in 2015 as they make their way into the home console market.
Ranging from around $500 to a whopping $5,000 the machines have plenty of offerings for all budgets, but with the Xbox One and PS4 priced at $400, can they actually compete?
The main problem lies around who it’s for. Hardcore PC gamers who spend hours on the likes of bet365 roulette or Starcraft have a penchant for mouse and keyboard.
They want to sit close to their monitors when waiting for their number to come up or for a ball to land in black. Are they going to change that, move away from their PC or laptop which they already have in the perfect set up?
Perhaps not. Likewise, are console gamers going to move away from their machines when they can get exclusive titles and not have to fork out $500? That’s arguable too.
So who is it for?
There’s no doubt that they’re going to be an impressive piece of kit. After all, we all know Steam and its capabilities, and taking that away from being sat at a PC adds an extra quality.
It’s for those who aren’t committed to one platform, players who have dabbled in both.
And they’ll get their chance to play when the machines land in November. The price range seems to imply that they are trying to cater to both PC and console gamers with the lower end $500 trying to challenge Microsoft and Sony, whilst the thousand dollar devices could have big PC brands specialising in gaming looking over their shoulder.
They’ll certainly be an interesting alternative for consumers. With them only suitable for gaming, it’s unlikely it’ll dazzle any PC heavies, with desktops essentially being multi-purpose, not only suitable for bashing zombies but also doing documents and work essentials, but whether it will certainly be causing a stir in the gaming industry come Christmas time.
