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Valve reveals Steam Machines release dates, opens pre-orders
The road to Valve Corp’s console/PC hybrid Steam Machines has been a long one, full of rumors and speculation, but now the systems will finally be hitting store shelves later this year.
Some customers who pre-order the consoles will receive them as early as October 16 this year, and they will be available in stores on November 10. Valve’s unique haptic feedback-based Steam Controller will also be available for purchase on November 10, as will its Steam Link streaming device, which allows users with powerful systems to stream games from their PC or Steam Machine.
Rather than releasing one definitive system, Steam Machines will be manufactured in several formats by multiple different companies, starting first with Alienware and CyberPower.
“We have collaborated for years with Valve and GameStop to develop a platform with the best content, the best performance, and the best value compared to anything else on the market,” Frank Azor, general manager of Alienware, told Polygon. “Finally, with this preorder, we have a chance to address the building anticipation for the latest and greatest gaming system.”
The systems will be available at multiple different price points with varying specifications, ranging from lower-end $449 consoles to high-end $749 consoles.
Will SteamOS have enough games?
With prices exceeding those of modern consoles, it is a little difficult to tell who exactly the target audience is for Steam Machines, especially with the systems’ somewhat limited game library. The primary feature shared by all Steam Machines is their operating system, SteamOS, a Linux-based system designed to take full advantage of the Steam Client’s features while also being easy to navigate using a game controller.
Unfortunately, because SteamOS is a Linux operating system, it is not compatible with all PC games. Some studios, especially indie developers, do release Linux versions of their games, but many titles are still available for Windows only.
Then again, if Steam Machines somehow take off, they could provide a better incentive for studios to release their games for Linux.
You can pre-order a Steam Machine, Steam Controller, or Steam Link at store.steampowered.com/hardware.
Image credit: Valve Corp
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