Note: It's likely I will keep adding to this article.
A few big sites are now pushing out their articles on the new hardware from Valve, so I decided to point them out for you and take a look.
The most in-depth ones I have found yet is engadget and ars technica who deserve some applause here, as they went into quite a bit of detail, and more so than any other website.
They seem reasonably positive about the whole thing. They do note the interface does still have its issues, like accidentally introducing a bug that shows Windows games which will get ironed out properly (one would hope anyway!).
Ars does note this, which will annoy the heck out of people:
Having to get up and down to tinker things with a mouse at times, will be annoying. I am hopeful some developers will go back to update their games, but that depends on the success of it all.
Engadget did notice certain performance issues we all know about ourselves though:
We've seen a fair few people underwhelmed by the performance of SoM, it's not terrible, but it's not exactly the best port we have right now. This is something I am hoping Feral will address in a future patch.
And then this:
All of which use Unreal Engine, and need to be tinkered to actually work properly without stutters, this is due to the amount of VRAM is selected to be used in the config files. By default for us it's rather low.
I think this is my favourite bit from that review:
I certainly hope more developers jump on board, we know market-share is what drives developers for their sales, and the currently announced ports simply won’t be enough to satisfy the majority. We have a few ports coming from Feral that they have confirmed and none have a current release date, Aspyr haven't announced any more recently either, so I hope a lot of ports are being done in-house in secret, otherwise we're not going to see the launch I was personally hoping for.
Another choice quote from engadget:
Having fun is the single most important thing here, and if he is having fun, so will lots of others without caring about everything being at a life-like setting.
From reading various others like PC Gamer and tomshardware it seems there are more concerns about the performance. I will go ahead and quote the linked PC Gamer article:
This was one of my major concerns, especially with the recent heavier ports we have been getting. Seeing this from another major site doesn’t fill me with hope, but if you’re going to buy a Steam Machine are you expecting to run everything on maximum setting? I don’t personally think so, but you never know what technical level people will be on buying one. It is going to become a big issue, and more so over time. There’s also the issue of people comparing it to the Xbox and Playstation, where you can pick up any game and expect it to look pretty great, but a comparable priced system for SteamOS just won’t run games as well, and it’s something these websites are already doing and people who buy them will pick up on.
It’s going to be a very interesting time next month, but it’s still anyone’s guess which way this will go for us Linux gamers. I wonder if there will be new graphics drivers pushed quickly around the release to help with some of these performance issues? We know the GPU guys do this for Windows, so maybe they will start to do it for us too.
There’s a lot more to see on it all, so I suggest you check out engadget at the very least as they are very detailed. I just didn’t want to fill a dozen pages with quotes based on someone else’s thoughts. I haven't even touched on what they say about the Controller either, so go check them out.
I will have my Controller hopefully on November 10th, so keep an eye out for my own thoughts on it.
How are you feeling about it all? I’m more than a little concerned, but hopeful. My main concern right now is if my tiny hands will reach across to the X button, damn hands, why did they make the sides of the controller so damn fat? Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
A few big sites are now pushing out their articles on the new hardware from Valve, so I decided to point them out for you and take a look.
The most in-depth ones I have found yet is engadget and ars technica who deserve some applause here, as they went into quite a bit of detail, and more so than any other website.
They seem reasonably positive about the whole thing. They do note the interface does still have its issues, like accidentally introducing a bug that shows Windows games which will get ironed out properly (one would hope anyway!).
Ars does note this, which will annoy the heck out of people:
arsWe also found a few SteamOS games that still include an intermediate "launcher" screen that asks players to confirm resolution and other settings. That's only an annoyance because these screens can't be navigated with the Steam Controller; you need to plug in a mouse and keyboard to get through to the actual game in these cases. While the SteamOS interface includes large warnings that these games require extra hardware, and Valve isn't directly responsible for third-party developers' unfriendly decisions, it still seems like an oversight to have such games be unplayable out of the box.
Having to get up and down to tinker things with a mouse at times, will be annoying. I am hopeful some developers will go back to update their games, but that depends on the success of it all.
Engadget did notice certain performance issues we all know about ourselves though:
EngadgetThe games that ran poorly surprised me: Shadow of Mordor struggled to hit playable frame rates at my television's native 1080p resolution until I dialed back its graphics options to their lowest settings. I don't know if the game is simply more resource-intensive than I realized, if it's poorly optimized for PCs or if it's just a bad Linux port.
We've seen a fair few people underwhelmed by the performance of SoM, it's not terrible, but it's not exactly the best port we have right now. This is something I am hoping Feral will address in a future patch.
And then this:
EngadgetA few games also suffered from weird stuttering despite running well at high specifications:BioShock Infinite, Spec Ops: The Line and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel would all occasionally drop a few frames, causing the game to look like it was "hanging" for a quarter of a second every few minutes. Weird.
All of which use Unreal Engine, and need to be tinkered to actually work properly without stutters, this is due to the amount of VRAM is selected to be used in the config files. By default for us it's rather low.
I think this is my favourite bit from that review:
EngadgetOn the plus side, Valve carries a lot of weight in the gaming industry, and it has a vested interest in convincing developers to port big-name games to Linux. It's extremely probable that we'll see an explosion in Linux-compatible releases over the next several years. In the meantime, SteamOS' Linux library offers one extra advantage: It's unique. There are literally hundreds of distinct, fun, independent and lesser-known titles lurking in the Steam marketplace that simply aren't available on Xbox One or PlayStation 4.
I certainly hope more developers jump on board, we know market-share is what drives developers for their sales, and the currently announced ports simply won’t be enough to satisfy the majority. We have a few ports coming from Feral that they have confirmed and none have a current release date, Aspyr haven't announced any more recently either, so I hope a lot of ports are being done in-house in secret, otherwise we're not going to see the launch I was personally hoping for.
Another choice quote from engadget:
EngadgetThe Alienware Steam Machine has some growing pains, but it's fun. Lots of fun.
Having fun is the single most important thing here, and if he is having fun, so will lots of others without caring about everything being at a life-like setting.
From reading various others like PC Gamer and tomshardware it seems there are more concerns about the performance. I will go ahead and quote the linked PC Gamer article:
PC GamerLast year I bought an Xbox One. I expect to use it for the next seven years, and I will be able to play every single game released for it during that time. The Alienware Steam Machine? It’s already limited to playing modern games at 1920x1080 on Medium settings—I played BioShock Infinite, Metro 2033 Redux, and Spec Ops: The Line with those presets, and still saw the occasional frame rate dip. And none of those games are cutting-edge releases; they were simply the shiniest Linux-compatible games I owned.
In two or three years? Expect the Alienware Steam Machine to be limited to low settings on big-budget games.
This was one of my major concerns, especially with the recent heavier ports we have been getting. Seeing this from another major site doesn’t fill me with hope, but if you’re going to buy a Steam Machine are you expecting to run everything on maximum setting? I don’t personally think so, but you never know what technical level people will be on buying one. It is going to become a big issue, and more so over time. There’s also the issue of people comparing it to the Xbox and Playstation, where you can pick up any game and expect it to look pretty great, but a comparable priced system for SteamOS just won’t run games as well, and it’s something these websites are already doing and people who buy them will pick up on.
It’s going to be a very interesting time next month, but it’s still anyone’s guess which way this will go for us Linux gamers. I wonder if there will be new graphics drivers pushed quickly around the release to help with some of these performance issues? We know the GPU guys do this for Windows, so maybe they will start to do it for us too.
There’s a lot more to see on it all, so I suggest you check out engadget at the very least as they are very detailed. I just didn’t want to fill a dozen pages with quotes based on someone else’s thoughts. I haven't even touched on what they say about the Controller either, so go check them out.
I will have my Controller hopefully on November 10th, so keep an eye out for my own thoughts on it.
How are you feeling about it all? I’m more than a little concerned, but hopeful. My main concern right now is if my tiny hands will reach across to the X button, damn hands, why did they make the sides of the controller so damn fat? Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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They should put some marks on Steam Machines, like low power, medium (all games, but average details) and high for enthusiasts to resemble their actual performance.
Even better have it Level 1, level 2, level 3 at the moment, so you can add next year's high end as level 4 and so on. An ever growing level system, so verybdoy knows which game should work and which not. The ease of consoles and the extendability of PCs combined...!
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That would be relatively pointless. As the machines get older, new generations will have to show up with new markings and suddenly all we get is variations of super duper ultra high. The advantage of steam machines and steam OS is that you can build your own if you feel you need to. Then you can get your valued performance and quality out of the game. If you want compactness and ease of use, then you can get a steam machine or a compact desktop PC ( http://www.asus.com/us/site/game-on-incredible/desktops/ ) and install Steam OS on it.
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That would be relatively pointless. As the machines get older, new generations will have to show up with new markings and suddenly all we get is variations of super duper ultra high.
That's why levels make more sense. Level 3 is super-duper today, medium in two years and low-end in say five years, when level 5 is the new super-duper.
Last edited by Eike on 16 Oct 2015 at 9:49 am UTC
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From engadget, totally needs to be cited:
I used to laugh when I saw Linux users scramble to build compatibility layers to play "real" PC games. I chuckled when Valve CEO Gabe Newell lambasted Windows 8 as a "catastrophe for everyone," proffering Linux and SteamOS as a viable alternative. It seemed so far-fetched, so silly. Truth be told, I'm still laughing -- but now it's because I'm enjoying myself.
Last edited by Eike on 16 Oct 2015 at 10:39 am UTC
I used to laugh when I saw Linux users scramble to build compatibility layers to play "real" PC games. I chuckled when Valve CEO Gabe Newell lambasted Windows 8 as a "catastrophe for everyone," proffering Linux and SteamOS as a viable alternative. It seemed so far-fetched, so silly. Truth be told, I'm still laughing -- but now it's because I'm enjoying myself.
Last edited by Eike on 16 Oct 2015 at 10:39 am UTC
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That's why levels make more sense. Level 3 is super-duper today, medium in two years and low-end in say five years, when level 5 is the new super-duper.How would you decide what sort of hardware corresponds to a level? With a benchmark? Should there be a validation process where Valve tests and grades each and every Steam Machine on the market?
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How would you decide what sort of hardware corresponds to a level? With a benchmark? Should there be a validation process where Valve tests and grades each and every Steam Machine on the market?
I know that hardware doesn't fit into levels perfectly. But yes, obviously this should be benchmarked. Maybe a set of benchmarks with different games using different engines. If I were Valve (which I'm unfortunately not), I'd probably leave this to the box creators. Word would spread if they choose an unrealistic level.
But imagine the advantages: You know what you can play with your machine. That's what console customers want. Buy a level 2 console, be able to play all level 1 and 2 games. Put a level 3 console on your christmas wish list, parents know what to buy, and you know what you can do with it in holidays. Now it's more like "Buy a cheap Steam Machine and find out what you can play and what you can't later on."
Last edited by Eike on 16 Oct 2015 at 10:48 am UTC
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That's why levels make more sense. Level 3 is super-duper today, medium in two years and low-end in say five years, when level 5 is the new super-duper.How would you decide what sort of hardware corresponds to a level? With a benchmark? Should there be a validation process where Valve tests and grades each and every Steam Machine on the market?
Perhaps something like Windows does? But more advanced?
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Perhaps something like Windows does? But more advanced?
Whatever you're doing - always do it more advanced than Windows.
;)
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ZekThePenguin 16 Oct 2015
There still seems to be a disconnect in peoples' minds about what the Steam machines are for. Nobody worries about the Xbox or PS4 being unable to play the biggest games in 3 years because they have a standard that developers make games for. PC games have no such standard right now, as hardware is always growing and changing. Steam machines are hoping to reconcile the different paradigms of console and PC, and that is a tall order.
Either Steam machines provide a standard that developers will aim for just like the other consoles or they will need to be upgraded/updated to keep up with PC games. Reviewers seem disappointed that they're playing a console that won't play top notch games at the highest settings a few years from now, but consoles aren't really meant for that.
Personally, I would like to have it both ways, and that can be accomplished as follows: Create a standard spec for Steam games that ALL machines can deal with and have developers make sure their games' low settings are compatible. The other settings can scale up into higher realms of eye-candy. At the same time, make sure that Steam machines are upgradeable and easy to work on so people can tinker to get the performance they want out of their machine. Even console gamers are familiar with memory cards, usb sticks, and expansion packs, so designing the machines to make gpu and ram switching as plug-and-play as possible would not be over their heads.
Steam machines are meant to bring PC games to the living room. In order to provide the comfort and convenience of playing on the couch, the polish and power of PC titles, the consistency of console titles, and the versatility of PC hardware, Valve should take care to preserve and/or establish the key factors of each of those facets. If they do, Steam machines will succeed.
Last edited by ZekThePenguin on 16 Oct 2015 at 2:25 pm UTC
Either Steam machines provide a standard that developers will aim for just like the other consoles or they will need to be upgraded/updated to keep up with PC games. Reviewers seem disappointed that they're playing a console that won't play top notch games at the highest settings a few years from now, but consoles aren't really meant for that.
Personally, I would like to have it both ways, and that can be accomplished as follows: Create a standard spec for Steam games that ALL machines can deal with and have developers make sure their games' low settings are compatible. The other settings can scale up into higher realms of eye-candy. At the same time, make sure that Steam machines are upgradeable and easy to work on so people can tinker to get the performance they want out of their machine. Even console gamers are familiar with memory cards, usb sticks, and expansion packs, so designing the machines to make gpu and ram switching as plug-and-play as possible would not be over their heads.
Steam machines are meant to bring PC games to the living room. In order to provide the comfort and convenience of playing on the couch, the polish and power of PC titles, the consistency of console titles, and the versatility of PC hardware, Valve should take care to preserve and/or establish the key factors of each of those facets. If they do, Steam machines will succeed.
Last edited by ZekThePenguin on 16 Oct 2015 at 2:25 pm UTC
1 Likes, Who?
The Alienware Alpha is the worst of the Steam Machines. It is ridiculous how much better Steam Machine you can make yourself and still keep things relatively small. All the Alpha has going for itself is slick design and very small factor. Even for a pre-made Steam Machine is is terrible bang for the buck.
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redacted
Last edited by Styromaniac on 17 Oct 2015 at 7:17 pm UTC
Last edited by Styromaniac on 17 Oct 2015 at 7:17 pm UTC
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... but all of this Nvidia worship I've heard and practically repeated ...It can hardly be called worship if someone says: "I bought/use an Nvidia card because it's the most practical choice for Linux Gaming right now." And that's pretty much exactly what you keep hearing here on GOL.
(I'm not trying to "defend" Nvidia, just not a fan of hyperbole.)
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If we are on Alienware Steam machine - did anyone see benchmark of Shadow of Mordor or Company of Heroes on cheapest / most expensive version? I wonder what fps results do we talk about on Steam machines with this titles.
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I'm looking at Syber brand of Steam boxes instead
http://www.sybergaming.com/products/steam-machine.aspx
My reason is that upgradability is one of their big features -- you can upgrade the video card and/or RAM later, if needed for newer games that you really want to play on it!
http://www.sybergaming.com/products/steam-machine.aspx
My reason is that upgradability is one of their big features -- you can upgrade the video card and/or RAM later, if needed for newer games that you really want to play on it!
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Mblackwell 17 Oct 2015
Keep in mind that the low end Syber box is actually the same or slightly worse (1GB VRAM vs 2GB, about the same GPU/CPU perf) than the Alienware SM. The main advantage is that you can upgrade the GPU, which you could do before purchase to a 750Ti to match the Alienware*.
Granted at that point you've paid about $60 more but it depends on what you want to get out of the thing, right?
*Yes I know that the Alienware Steam Machine is using a modified 860M but the adjustments to clock speed and VRAM get it at about the same performance as a 750Ti, or at least that was the goal.
Last edited by Mblackwell on 17 Oct 2015 at 11:16 pm UTC
Granted at that point you've paid about $60 more but it depends on what you want to get out of the thing, right?
*Yes I know that the Alienware Steam Machine is using a modified 860M but the adjustments to clock speed and VRAM get it at about the same performance as a 750Ti, or at least that was the goal.
Last edited by Mblackwell on 17 Oct 2015 at 11:16 pm UTC
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Out of interest... anyone know how the steam controllerr works for the left-handed?
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The problem I have with syber steam machines is that... They are ugly :( Alienware steam machine is nice, similar to my ps4. Hope it is silent, because that's the main ps4 problem - it is super loud. Does anyone know how does it look like in alienware and syber steam machines? How loud are them in comparison to ps4 while playing resource demanding games?
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I would like to see at least one of steam machines having similar hardware architecture as PS 4 or Xbox One. I do not mean by offering similar hardware specs but rather having united GPU and CPU and access the same memory for GPGPU stuff. I would like to fiddle with that. Also it would be cheaper and more powerful, but less customizable. And I don't care about that, there will be others.
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