Valve's Steambox

[Rayne]

So the rumours are going round that Valve are looking to release 'Consolized' PC hardware to attract PC inept people like me!

Copied from IGN:

'The original report suggests that what Valve is currently developing is not a singular device, but rather the software and a set of minimum system specs for a new gaming PC category; console-sized PC hardware with enough power to play most current titles but not break the bank. Valve is allegedly working with hardware partners to produce Steam Box-capable devices and that originally, the Alienware X51 was intended to be counted among them.'

So...What do you guys think?

I've tried to dabble in PC gaming before but simply didn't have the money to invest in it (due to other commitments!. The idea of a quick and easy PC that'll hook up to my big TV and run everything currently out? Cheap(ish)? Sounds cracking

[speedlolita]

My i3-2100T can play any Valve title on high without fuss using integrated graphics.

This is how far technology has come. Can easily believe this.

[DPrinny]

Already can play most PC games on TV.

They are called "Consoles"

[Misery]

Already can play most PC games on TV.

They are called "Consoles"

....eh?

Those play barely any of what's on available on PC. Which includes what's on Steam. The vast majority of Steam's games are not available on consoles.

Keep in mind, Valve's own games make up only a very tiny fraction (and I do mean VERY tiny) of the overall list. This device is supposed to bring all Steam games to a "console" format, to undo the hassle of dealing with a PC. Not just Valve's titles.

Out of the 73 games I own on Steam, only 9 of them are available on consoles.

Which is a huuuuuge part of the reason why I'm primarily a PC gamer: the selection of games on a PC *vastly* outweighs the selection availalbe on any console.

[DPrinny]

It will probably cost a lot anyway, so just get a £500 PC and connect it up to any TV made in the past five years

[Rayne]

PC gaming is nutty complicated, all that bull censored about buying a new system and it working is just that - bull. I've had new laptops & towers that couldn't handle solitaire due to gfx cards and that shizz..

Dprinny is right about the consoles though - literally all AAA titles are now developed with consoles in mind with PC ports as an afterthought, sure the PC has loads of little indie titles but consoles are where the meat and potatoes are

[retrojc]

PC gaming is nutty complicated, all that bull censored about buying a new system and it working is just that - bull. I've had new laptops & towers that couldn't handle solitaire due to gfx cards and that shizz..

Dprinny is right about the consoles though - literally all AAA titles are now developed with consoles in mind with PC ports as an afterthought, sure the PC has loads of little indie titles but consoles are where the meat and potatoes are

Nahh, i'm a huge console gamer, but still there are pc titles I would love to be playing on my console at full spec. And I have a £2000 PC ahha

[James A]

Wouldn't the whole problem with a PC in a console box be that in a year or two's time its out of date so needs a new processor, graphics card etc etc,.

I would be interested as ive had complete nightmares trying to get PC games to work on both of the PCs that ive owned. Something out of a box that will go straight into my TV play the games and play all the different file type movies ive got on my portabel HD would be nice.

[speedlolita]

PC gaming is nutty complicated, all that bull censored about buying a new system and it working is just that - bull. I've had new laptops & towers that couldn't handle solitaire due to gfx cards and that shizz..

That's absolute rubbish. If you buy a laptop or a tower with a graphics card not suitable or even intended for gaming then of course the games won't play.

[retrojc]

PC gaming is nutty complicated, all that bull censored about buying a new system and it working is just that - bull. I've had new laptops & towers that couldn't handle solitaire due to gfx cards and that shizz..

That's absolute rubbish. If you buy a laptop or a tower with a graphics card not suitable or even intended for gaming then of course the games won't play.

You've both got points, Rayne is hardly speaking rubbish, maybe a little exaggerated. And it stems from this stupid, uninformed post:

It will probably cost a lot anyway, so just get a £500 PC and connect it up to any TV made in the past five years

Please, there is no such thing as a £500 computer that will be running top games at full spec etc. What would be the point of this console if it was over £220? would be a flop outright. Dprinny, your posts are a clear representation of your intelligence.

[speedlolita]

You've both got points, Rayne is hardly speaking rubbish, maybe a little exaggerated.

No. Expecting a NEW laptop to play games well because it is NEW is so wrong I don't know where to begin.

[retrojc]

You've both got points, Rayne is hardly speaking rubbish, maybe a little exaggerated.

No. Expecting a NEW laptop to play games well because it is NEW is so wrong I don't know where to begin.

No. Buying a new system and it not being able to play Solitaire is so wrong. When you buy a new PC, it doens't matter whom you are you will have an expectation, even if wrong. If you spend £500 on a PC you'd expect it to play this and that. If you speant £1000, you'd expect it to play most, if you spent £2000 you'd expect it to play everything etc.

I see your point, but you're wording it so wrong haha

[Rayne]

You've both got points, Rayne is hardly speaking rubbish, maybe a little exaggerated.

No. Expecting a NEW laptop to play games well because it is NEW is so wrong I don't know where to begin.

But people do, I certainly expected mine to be able to cope with some software, even if was last gen stuff.

The Steambox (if it exists) clearly isn't aimed at you it's aimed at those that wish to dabble in PC gaming but don't want to get into all the techy crap

[Havantgottaclue]

If you don't want to get involved in techy crap, then maybe you are better off staying with a console! You are always going to have settings to fiddle with, and not always just in the game itself. I've occasionally ploughed into .ini files, remember doing this in Alice: Madness Returns to get it to remove the 30 FPS limit and let me have 60 FPS. And this is really at the heart of the reason for bothering with PC gaming at all - if you have the time to invest, you can tinker with things to get better performance.

Also, if you buy a system and can't play solitaire on it, it has to be a faulty machine or faulty drivers, surely. If you're building a machine yourself I can understand this sort of thing happening, but if you buy a pre-built machine with Windows installed by the vendor, I can't imagine any reason why wouldn't send the machine back if you couldn't play Solitaire on it.

In terms of what you can get from your money: spend £500 wisely and it'll play whatever you want (albeit you'll have to tinker with the specs). I personally haven't spent £1000 on a PC for years, and my best PC runs The Witcher 2 fine. I got a barebones bundle mobo with dual core Intel G530 processor (2.4GHz) for £99 recently. I put an NVidia GT530 in it and it plays Borderlands and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. On low settings, for sure ... but the whole thing cost me less than £250. If you have £500 to play with you can put something pretty decent together.

[speedlolita]

No. Buying a new system and it not being able to play Solitaire is so wrong. When you buy a new PC, it doens't matter whom you are you will have an expectation, even if wrong. If you spend £500 on a PC you'd expect it to play this and that. If you speant £1000, you'd expect it to play most, if you spent £2000 you'd expect it to play everything etc.

I see your point, but you're wording it so wrong haha

As you're aware, there's more to a PC than a price. It's just a shame that places like PCWorld provide poorly specced prebuilts. Even their higher end gaming stuff rarely has anything above mid range graphics cards.