Steam Machine (hardware platform)

This article is about the video game console. For the video game store software, see Steam (software).
Steam Machine
Developer Valve Corporation
Manufacturer Various
Type
Release date November 10, 2015 (2015-11-10)
Introductory price

US$400–6000

(Steam Controller $49.99; Steam Link $49.99)
Operating system SteamOS
Controller input
  • Steam Controller
  • Any controller supported
Online services Steam
Website Steam Machines

The Steam Machine, also known as the Steam Box during development, is a pre-built gaming computer designed to operate Valve Corporation's SteamOS through the Steam client. Several computer vendors have engaged with Valve to develop their own versions of Steam Machines for retail, offering additional options atop Valve's requirements such as dual-booting options with Microsoft Windows, and the ability to upgrade the computer in the future.

To support the Steam Machine and SteamOS, Valve developed and released its Steam Controller; a highly customizable game controller with touchpad-based haptic feedback that is compatible with Steam and SteamOS, can be used for the OS and most games, including those that normally require keyboard-and-mouse controls, and Steam Link; a device that allows consumers with existing Steam software on their computer to stream content directly from the computer to a monitor and play directly there.

Steam Machines and the related hardware were released for consumers on November 10, 2015, following a two-year testing period. A portable version is to be released in late 2016.

History

Steam, a large digital store-front supporting many third-party developers and publishers, was developed by Valve Corporation primarily for Microsoft Windows and accounts for an estimated 75% of digitally purchased games on that platform.[1] Valve has indicated displeasure with the approaches that both Microsoft and Apple are taking with their respective operating systems, limiting what applications could be run, and upon the release of Windows 8 in 2012, Valve's CEO Gabe Newell called it "a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space", and discussed the possibility of promoting the open-source operating system Linux that would maintain "the openness of the platform".[2] Newell recognized that games would need to be a significant part of the push for Linux.[2] An official Linux client for Steam was released in July 2012, along with developer tools to help port games to the platform.[3][4] Valve has since worked to assure that users' game libraries would be portable, including offering Steam Play whereby purchase of a title for one platform automatically allows that user to play the title on other supported platforms, and cross-platform multiplayer features.

Prior to Valve's official announcement of Steam Machines, rumors of Valve's plan to get into the hardware market had developed in the industry throughout 2012, based on aspects such as the emphasis on the Linux operating system and the introduction of features like the 10-foot user interface "Big Picture Mode" for Steam which would be a necessary feature for video game console.[5] Valve formally announced that it was considering developing a video game console near the end of 2012. Industry journalists tentatively called the hardware a "Steam Box". It would function as a dedicated unit running Steam to allow players to launch games, media, and other functions that the client already provides. The unit's hardware was expected to be tightly controlled in a similar manner to other video game consoles.[6] The software side was expected to remain open; for example, the unit is expected to ship with a Linux operating system, but the user will be able to install Microsoft Windows if they want to.[7]

An Xi3 modular computer "Piston" prototype demoed at the 2011 CES that demonstrates many of the features planned to be added to the final Steam Machine hardware; Xi3 Corporation ceased collaboration with Valve since then since the unit still shipped with Windows by default, and had mouse and keyboard inputs[8]

Gabe Newell explained that Valve's strategy is to develop a single hardware unit themselves as the default model, internally named "Bigfoot", and work with other computer manufacturers who want to offer the same user experience but with different hardware configurations not offered by Valve's model; for example, Valve does not expect to include an optical drive due to size and cost, but this can be a feature offered by a manufacturing partner.[7] He also envisions the software to enable screencast capabilities, allowing the single box to work with any monitor or television within the home.[7] Newell stated that they would also likely develop controllers for the unit that integrate biometrics data from the player and options for gaze tracking, citing that the involuntary responses from the player are more useful than other forms of player input such as motion control.[7] Newell also explained that Valve is also considering the mobile device market in addition to the home console market, specifically considering laptops and tablets with their own hardware nicknamed "Littlefoot".[7] During the Steam Dev Days in January 2014, Valve further explained that the initial target market for Steam Machines is the living room and build a demand for support for Linux versions of games such that they can continue to work away from Windows and OS X operating systems for the future.[9]

At the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show, modular computer hardware company Xi3 Corporation introduced a prototype modular PC codenamed "Piston". This unit is one of several possible designs that Valve is looking as the default hardware model for the Steam Box, and is specifically designed to run Steam on Linux and support Big Picture mode.[10] The unit is based on Xi3's "performance level" X7A model and is slightly larger than a human hand, containing various I/O ports to connect to power, video, and data signals.[11] Xi3 began taking pre-orders for the Piston Console at the 2013 South by Southwest Festival in March 2013, anticipating high levels of interest in the hardware with plans to release the unit for general purchase by the end of 2013.[12][13] Valve has clarified that although they conducted some initial exploratory work with Xi3, they have had no direct involvement with the Piston's specifications, and it is not necessarily representative of the final design for the Steam Box.[14][15]

Valve officially revealed Steam Machines including the related SteamOS and Steam Controller during the last week of September 2013, with a tentative release date in mid-2014.[16] On December 13, 2013, three hundred beta units of the Steam Machine were shipped to selected beta testers for initial testing. An additional 2000 units were provided to developers attending the Steam Dev Days event in January 2014.[17] Valve also released an early restricted download link for their SteamOS for "Linux hackers" to try out.[18] Based on feedback from these testers, Valve announced in May 2014 that they have pushed back the anticipated release until November 2015.[19][20] The first set of Steam Machines, Steam Controllers, and Steam Links were available for consumer purchase and delivery starting on November 10, 2015.[21][22]

Hardware

Hardware units

Unlike other gaming consoles, the Steam Machine does not have a specific configuration of hardware, but a minimum specification of computer hardware components that would be needed to support the SteamOS operating system and games developed for it. Valve plans to have several different retail versions of the Steam Machine through various hardware manufacturers, but will also allow users to create their own units from components and or modify retail products with off-the-shelf parts as desired. The units are expected to arrive in 2014, with Valve expecting to announce its partners for this first line at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in early January.[23]

Valve began running a beta-testing program in late 2013, selecting 300 Steam users to test their optimized prototype hardware units and initial versions of the Steam Controllers.[24] The initial prototypes to be sent to testers will have various configurations, and may not be representative of the final Steam Machine specifications. The configurations include:[25]

A core part of the machine configurations was the method of providing ventilation and cooling of the CPU, GPU, and power supply; Valve engineered custom compartments within these beta units so that each of these three units has separate circulation and ventilation routes.[26]

Valve is also working with AMD to develop and certify hardware for future Steam Machines.[27]

Portables

A handheld game console version of the Steam Machine is in development as the "SMACH Z", previously dubbed "Smach Zero" or "Steamboy" by analogy to Nintendo's Game Boy. The SMACH Z is to be released in November 2016 and is to combine a x86 Steam OS architecture based on an AMD G-Series chip with a portable form factor and input elements similar to those of a Steam controller.[28] A Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign was launched in December 2015,[29] and canceled a few days later with a promise of a restart.[30]

Steam Controller

"Steam Controller" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Steam engine.
Steam Controller

Along with the hardware specifications for the Steam Machine, Valve has developed a new game controller named the Steam Controller. The controller is designed not only for games developed for controller users, but also for games traditionally played with keyboard and mouse controls so that they can be played through the controller. It features two high-resolution clickable trackpads (replacing the typical thumbsticks on modern console controllers), and sixteen buttons, including face, shoulder, and undergrip buttons. The trackpads include haptic feedback, which can send tactile feedback to the player in reaction to events within the game; Chris Kohler of Wired described using the controller while playing Civilization V at a press event at Valve, and noted that as he used the trackpad to move the mouse cursor, electromagnets within the controller created audio and tactile feedback as if he were using a trackball.[31] Although the controller is designed for the Steam Machine platform, it can also be used with Steam on existing PCs.[32] The controller also included gyroscopic sensors to detect the relative orientation of the controller.

The controller is presently designed to be used within Steam's Big Picture mode; this enables the player to access detailed options for setting up the various features of the controller on a per-game basis including button/trackpad mapping and sensitivity, as well as accessing other users' shared controller configuration to use themselves. The Steamworks API provides means for developers to provide more detailed settings for the Steam Controller when in Big Picture mode. Outside of Big Picture mode, the controller otherwise behaves as a standard two-stick controller, though Valve does plan on updating Steam to allow retaining the previously set Big Picture mode per-game settings.[33] Valve has added improvements to the controller's capabilities based on public feedback, which include movement and aiming controls schemes using its internal gyroscope, the ability to trigger actions that enable cursor movement limited to certain regions on a UI (such as to manipulate a game's mini-map), a quick-access popup for 16 commands that can act similar to hotkeys for keyboard-and-mouse games, cloud-based controller configuration saving, and support for non-Steam games that otherwise can be played through the Steam Overlay.[34][35]

The original design of the controller was to include a touchscreen in the center of the unit. The touchscreen would have acted like a mousepad and allow players to perform actions that typically aren't capable on controllers, operating directly with Steam or SteamOS and overlays touchscreen display onto the players' screens to allow manipulation of the game without diverting attention from the screen. However, at the January 2014 Steam Dev Days event, Valve revealed they have since dropped the touchscreen concept from the controller, rearranged existing face buttons to be more compatible with existing games.[36]

Valve went through several iterations for a controller that would be able to mimic keyboard and mouse controls, using prototypes made with 3D printing to test ergonomics. Early versions of the controller design included a trackball embedded in the controller to simulate mouse functionality, but opted eventually for trackpads to give more customization functionality to developers, such as the ability to simulate the motion of trackball by tracking a finger's motion on the trackpad. The trackpads and controller design were made to minimize the amount of contact that a player's thumbs would have on the trackpad when holding the unit.[37] Unlike their current plans to have third-party hardware vendors manufacture Steam Machines, Valve plans to remain the sole manufacturer of the Steam Controller. Valve's Greg Coomer stated that this decision was based on achieving the best implementation of the Controller and Valve's vision for the device, noting that "we didn’t think that it was really going to be possible to outsource the design for manufacturing and the finishing of the controller in a way that would allow third parties to take from us an idea or a reference design and bring it to market soon enough".[38] Valve did clarify that they will open up specifications for third-party controllers to be developed.[39] As of December 2015, Valve is working with Flextronics robotic assembly line in Buffalo Grove, Illinois to assemble the machines; jokingly, the machines have been given Aperture Science branding, the fictional company from Valve's Portal series.[40][41]

The Steam Controller was publicly released in November 2015, alongside the release of Steam Machines.[42]

On March 23, 2016, Valve announced it would be publicly releasing computer aided design geometry for the Steam controller. The CAD geometry will be released under a Creative Commons license.[43]

Steam Link

Steam Link is a standalone device to enable streaming of Steam content from a personal computer or a Steam Machine wirelessly to a television, including integration of Steam Controller functionality. The device was released along with the debut of Steam Machines in November 2015.[44]

Steam Link is listed as having the following technical specifications:[45]

Vendor support

Selected manufacturers showcased prototype units prior to the 2014 CES show. iBuyPower has announced a prototype model which is powered by an AMD CPU with a discrete R9-270 GPU and a 500GB hard drive with a price of $499.[46] Digital Storm has also revealed its higher-end unit utilizing liquid-cooled parts, expected to retail from about $1,500.[47] Other vendors with Steam Machine prototypes include Alienware, Falcon Northwest, CyberPowerPC, Origin PC, Gigabyte, Materiel.net, Webhallen, Alternate, Next, Zotac, Scan Computers, and Maingear, all of whom, except Maingear, showcased their prototypes at the 2014 CES show.[48] The price range of these first machines ranged from $499 to $6,000 based on vendor and specifications.[49]

Alienware announced that they plan to start selling consumer Steam Machines in September 2014.[50] The company currently plans to offer only fixed hardware units that cannot be modified by the user, but plan on offering new configurations on an annual basis.[51] The initial units, called Alpha, will not initially ship with SteamOS, as the operating system will not be ready in time, but will come with Windows 8.1, Steam, and additional features developed in cooperation between Alienware and Valve to allow Steam features like Big Picture Mode to interface with Alienware's hardware. Owners will be able to upgrade their units to SteamOS once it is officially released.[52]

On the official release of Steam Machines in November 2015, both Falcon Northwest and Origin PC opted to not ship a SteamOS-enabled machine in 2015 due to limitations of SteamOS over Windows; Falcon Northwest have said they will still consider shipping machines with SteamOS in the future if performance improves.[53][54]

Valve has negotiated deals with retail stores GameStop, EB Games and Game to create Steam Sections within the stores where various Steam Machines, the Steam Controller and Link, and pre-paid Steam cards will be sold.[55]

Software

SteamOS

Main article: SteamOS

Steam Machines, at minimum, run SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system derived from Debian that expands the current Steam client to add additional functionality such as media sharing, media services, Steam In-Home Streaming, family sharing, and parental controls. The operating system is freely available for any user to install on their own hardware, assuming it meets the system requirements.[56]

Games and applications

Games will be developed to run natively on Linux and SteamOS. Linux compatibility is already a feature offered through the Steamworks application programming interface (API), and according to Paradox Interactive, all of their recent games that have been designed to work with Steam under Linux will also run under SteamOS without additional modifications.[57] Valve will not make games that are exclusive to SteamOS or Steam Machines, and has cautioned third-party developers against making games exclusive to the platform.[58] However, Valve will not stop developers from making SteamOS-exclusive games, particularly those that are best suited for playing from the living room.[39] Players will also be able to stream games from regular PCs running Steam to Steam Machines, allowing access to games that are only available for Windows or OS X.[59] Through SteamPlay, users can play games available on SteamOS that they already own on Windows or OS X and will not need to repurchase the title.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Edwards, Cliff (November 4, 2013). "Valve Lines Up Console Partners in Challenge to Microsoft, Sony". Bloomberg. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  2. 1 2 Jackson, Mike (July 25, 2012). "Newell: 'Windows 8 is a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space'". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Steam'd Penguins". Valve Corporation. July 16, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
  4. ↑ Lein, Tracey (July 16, 2012). "'Left 4 Dead 2' to be first Valve game on Linux". The Verve. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  5. ↑ Schreier, Jason (September 10, 2012). "Valve Is Bringing Steam To Your TV Today. Watch Out, Consoles.". Kotaku. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  6. ↑ Scheirer, Jason (December 8, 2012). "Gabe Newell: Living Room PCs Will Compete With Next-Gen Consoles". Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Sottak, T.C. (January 8, 2013). "Exclusive interview: Valve's Gabe Newell on Steam Box, biometrics, and the future of gaming". The Verge. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  8. ↑ Xi3 Piston having mouse and keyboard inputs
  9. ↑ Kuchera, Ben (January 15, 2014). "Steam Dev Days show plan for Valve-owned future, and Microsoft should be terrified". Polygon. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Valve-backed living room PC system debuts at CES 2013". VG247. January 9, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  11. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (January 7, 2013). "Valve and Xi3's 'Steam Box' codenamed Piston, early specs detailed at CES". Polygon. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  12. ↑ Farokhmanesh, Megan (March 9, 2013). "Piston available for pre-order at SXSW, discounted $100". Polygon. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  13. ↑ Schirier, Jason (March 9, 2013). "The First ‘Steam Box’ Will Launch This Holiday Season Starting At $1,000". Kotaku. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  14. ↑ Gilbert, Ben (January 8, 2013). "Valve engineer explains Steambox comments: 'No current plans to announce anything in 2013'". Engadget. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  15. ↑ Pitcher, Jenna (March 12, 2013). "Valve 'currently has no involvement' with the Piston Xi3". Polygon. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
  16. ↑ Schreier, Jason (September 23, 2013). "Valve Announces Steam OS". Kotaku. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  17. ↑ Wawro, Alex (January 15, 2014). "Steam now has over 75 million active accounts". Gamasutra. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  18. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (December 11, 2013). "Steam Machine prototypes shipping this week for 300 lucky beta testers". GameSpot. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  19. ↑ Hillard, Kyle (May 27, 2014). "Steam Machines And Controller Move To 2015". Game Informer. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  20. ↑ Hillier, Brenna (March 3, 2015). "Steam Machines, Controller, streaming box to launch in November". VG247. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  21. ↑ Crossley, Rob (November 11, 2015). "First Three Steam Machines Released, Prices and Specs Detailed". GameSpot. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  22. ↑ Crecente, Brian (June 4, 2015). "The first official Steam Machines hit Oct. 16, on store shelves Nov. 10". Polygon. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  23. ↑ Goldfarb, Andrew (November 4, 2013). "Valve Will Announce Steam Machine Partners at CES 2014". IGN. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  24. ↑ Goldfarb, Andrew (September 25, 2013). "Valve Confirms Hardware Prototype, Announces Beta". IGN. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
  25. ↑ Ng, Alan (October 5, 2013). "Steam Machine specs may have KO’ed Xbox One, PS4". product-reviews.net. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  26. ↑ Hollister, Sean (November 4, 2013). "We play with the Steam Machine, Valve's game console of the future". The Verge. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  27. ↑ Evangenlo, Jason (October 9, 2013). "Valve Confirms Official AMD-Powered Steam Machines For 2014". Forbes. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  28. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (August 10, 2015). "The portable Steam Machine will cost $299, gets late 2016 release date". Polygon. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  29. ↑ SMACH Team. "SMACH Z - The first handheld Steam Machine". Kickstarter.
  30. ↑ "Smach Z, the portable Steam Machine, drops off of Kickstarter following lackluster support". Digital Trends. December 21, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  31. ↑ Kohler, Chris (November 4, 2013). "Full Steam Ahead: Inside Valve’s Grand Plan to Replace Game Consoles With PCs". Wired. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  32. ↑ Webster, Andrew (September 27, 2013). "Valve unveils the Steam Controller". The Verge. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  33. ↑ Felnon, Wes (November 10, 2015). "Steam Controller review in progress". PC Gamer. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  34. ↑ Prescott, Shaun (December 11, 2015). "Valve outlines forthcoming Steam Controller improvements". PC Gamer. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  35. ↑ Hillier, Brenna (December 11, 2015). "Watch robots build the Steam Controller". VG247. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  36. ↑ Sheridan, Connor (January 15, 2014). "Steam Controller loses touchpad plans, gets classic face buttons". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  37. ↑ Kohler, Chris (November 4, 2013). "Steam Controllers Will Only Be Made By ValveSee the Dramatic Evolution of Valve’s Steam Controller". Wired. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  38. ↑ Goldfarb, Andrew (November 4, 2013). "Steam Controllers Will Only Be Made By Valve". IGN. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  39. 1 2 Grubb, Jeffrey (January 15, 2014). "Steam Dev Days: Greenlight gets death sentence, third-party Steam controllers, and 75 million users". Venture Beat. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  40. ↑ "Building the Steam Controller". Valve Corporation. December 10, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  41. ↑ Kamen, Matt (December 11, 2015). "Watch robots build Valve's Steam Controller". Wired UK. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  42. ↑ Robinson, Martin (March 3, 2015). "Valve announces the Source 2 engine, which will be free to developers". Eurogamer. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  43. ↑ Porter, Matt (March 23, 2016). "Valve releases Steam Controller CAD geometry so you can mod it". PCGamer. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  44. ↑ Lawler, Richard (March 3, 2015). "$50 Steam Link streams PC games anywhere within your house". Engadget. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  45. ↑ "Steam Link". Valve Corporation.
  46. ↑ "iBuyPower's Steam Machine offers PC specs for the price of a new Xbox". November 25, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  47. ↑ Karmali, Luke (December 12, 2013). "Liquid-Cooled Steam Machine Unveiled by Digital Storm". IGN. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  48. ↑ Gilbert, Ben (January 5, 2014). "Here are Valve's 12 Steam Machines partners (so far)". Engadget. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  49. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (January 6, 2014). "Valve releases first hardware specs, prices for third-party Steam Machines". Polygon. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  50. ↑ Dingman, Hayden (January 15, 2014). "Alienware's Steam Machine gets a launch date, 'specs'". PC World. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  51. ↑ Jackson, Mike (January 21, 2014). "New Alienware Steam Machine will be released annually". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  52. ↑ Carcose, Brad (June 10, 2014). "Meet Alienware's Alpha console, a Steam Machine without SteamOS (for now)". PC World. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  53. ↑ Takahashi, Dean (November 13, 2015). "Why one PC maker decided not to ship a Steam Machine this year". Venture Beat. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  54. ↑ Futter, Mike (November 11, 2015). "Origin PC Decides Against Steam OS For Its Steam Machines". Game Informer. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  55. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (October 5, 2015). "Steam coming to retail stores with dedicated space at GameStop, EB Games and Game UK". Polygon. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  56. ↑ Cook, Dave (September 23, 2013). "Valve announces SteamOS". VG247. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  57. ↑ Hafer, T.J. (September 26, 2013). "Paradox: "SteamOS is a great thing for PC gaming," confirms CK2 and EU4 will run natively". PC Gamer. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  58. ↑ Goldfarb, Andrew (November 4, 2013). "Valve Will Not Make Exclusive Games for SteamOS". IGN. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  59. ↑ Wilde, Tyler (September 24, 2013). "The pros and cons of SteamOS". PC Gamer. Retrieved September 27, 2013.

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