Valve first announced its assault on the living room more years ago, with its Steam Machine console concept, and now the first wave of devices have finally become available for purchase.
Valve, which is a video game developer that makes SteamOS (a Linux-based operating system for Steam Machine game consoles), has launched a dedicated hub for selling the first Steam Machine from third-party manufacturers. Steam Machines are made and distributed by a number of manufacturers, but they all meet design specifications outlined by Valve.
They also all come with the Steam client (a digital distrubution platform with more than 6,400 games) or SteamOS installed. For at least two years, Valve has been getting the world ready for the launch of Steam Machines. Pre-orders only opened over the summer, but now, as of 10 November, Valve has announced the first offerings of Steam Machines can be purchased online.
Through its dedicated hub, Valve is advertising three Steam Machines from Alienware, Zotac, and Cyberpower, with prices ranging from $499 to $1,499. We recently reviewed the Alienware box, which is capable of playing titles in 1080p up to 60 frames per second with mid-to-high graphics levels, and determined it is an interesting way to get PC gaming into the main living area.
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We also concluded Steam Machines have the potential to change gaming habits for good. Apart from those first three Steam Machines, Valve is also selling a Steam Controller and Steam Link home streaming box through its dedicated hub. They cost $49 each.