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SteamMachines

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231–240 of 291 posts

Re: SteamMachines

#231
post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Buying a good controller for a PC is not hard Is this actually true? I've been looking for a decent PC gamepad for a long time. The default recommendation seems to be the Xbox 360 controller, but with the caveat that the d-pad sucks. I play a lot of games that use the d-pad. What's a good PC gamepad with a good d-pad?

The PS3 controller.

[deleted]

Re: SteamMachines

#232

I'm excited about where Valve is going with this, of course, but to be honest I'm concerned about controllers the most. Buying a good controller for a PC is not hard, but it's not simple either. Picture yourself as a "living room console guy" getting into PC gaming. You'd like to use a controller for a certain game. Consider: - You can use your XBox360, PS3 controller, or WiiMote, but that's not obvious. You'll need…

> Buying a good controller for a PC is not hard Is this actually true? I've been looking for a decent PC gamepad for a long time. The default recommendation seems to be the Xbox 360 controller, but with the caveat that the d-pad sucks. I play a lot of games that use the d-pad. What's a good PC gamepad with a good d-pad?

I use a PS3 controller with my PC, using the Motioninjoy drivers. Better than having to buy an wireless receiver for my wireless XBox 360. The PS3 wireless controller actually sends control commands over the USB port if it's connected, whereas the wireless XBox 360 controller does not.

Re: SteamMachines

#233

I'm a tiny bit concerned. Can I download the OS to try it out? You will be able to download it (including the source code, if you're into that) but not yet. Open source os. Hardware partners for devices. Sound familiar? >_> android. So, when I buy a samsung steambox it's going to come with its own BallsWiz UI customization as they try to differentiate isnt it?

Similarly it means that a group of consumers could work together and create a great build to use (eg Cyanogen Mod).

As long as we can install our own OS it'll be fine.

Re: SteamMachines

#234
post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think it'll ever become mandatory, but don't you think that VR and deeper immersion is eventually where gaming is going to go? The technology still needs a lot of time to improve, but if the kinks can get worked out and if they're less likely to make people dizzy/nauseated, I imagine VR headsets will dominate the market in the next few decades.

Frankly, no, I don't. The immersion is more than canceled out by the additional hassle, not to mention that many people (including myself) that this sort of 3D either doesn't work for or causes intense motion sickness.

Well, I simply disagree. Once the technology improves, I really think it's going to become the first ever instance of true virtual reality. I think once they do a very seamless overlay that encompasses your entire vision, motion sickness may not be a problem anymore for most people.

Re: SteamMachines

#235

I'm excited about where Valve is going with this, of course, but to be honest I'm concerned about controllers the most. Buying a good controller for a PC is not hard, but it's not simple either. Picture yourself as a "living room console guy" getting into PC gaming. You'd like to use a controller for a certain game. Consider: - You can use your XBox360, PS3 controller, or WiiMote, but that's not obvious. You'll need…

> Buying a good controller for a PC is not hard Is this actually true? I've been looking for a decent PC gamepad for a long time. The default recommendation seems to be the Xbox 360 controller, but with the caveat that the d-pad sucks. I play a lot of games that use the d-pad. What's a good PC gamepad with a good d-pad?

The street fighter xbox 360 controller. It has a different d-pad.

Re: SteamMachines

#236
post #215
post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Ouya GPU pushes 12 GFLOPs (gamecube, original xbox quality). The GPUs in the 5S give 76 GFLOPs and are underclocked at 300 Mhz for battery reasons. A hypothetical A7X which, following the A6X, has twice as many GPUs as the A7, would put us at 150 GFLOPs. Keep in mind the A6X is still on a mobile device. Up the clock speed to 500 Mhz and we've arrived at 250 GFLOPs. This is comparable to the PS3 (230) and 360 (260…

If we're going to talk about GPUs , my ancient Radeon 5770 does 520 GFLOPS all by its lonesome. The PS3 does ~400GFLOPS; the XBox 360 somewhere around 300. Getting all the way up to 250 puts you at somewhere between the Wii and the XBox 360, right when the XBox One and PS4 are due to start shipping. Modern discrete gaming GPUs do 2-3 TFLOPS. ARM is notable for its power usage, not its performance profile, and in wall…

" The PS3 does ~400GFLOPS; the XBox 360 somewhere around 300."

I'm showing the PS3 at 230 (various Google) and the X360 at 240 (wikipedia Xenos). Regardless the Ouya at 12 is not in the same ballpark. To say the hypothetical Apple system is Ouya quality and not PS3/360 console quality is simply wrong.

"console killer" is going to have to compete with...well, current consoles (and now, Steamboxen) ... actually going head-to-head with the console market just isn't going to happen without putting some more raw power"

It doesn't have to compete directly though, it just has to be good enough at gaming at the price it's selling for in addition to whatever else they're selling to undermine the console business model. Mobiles won the point and shoot and handheld gaming markets without competing directly on specs in those markets.

Re: SteamMachines

#237
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That might have been true in the past (I remember having some trouble with a SideWinder controller on a dedicated control port in the 90's) but these days the 360 wired USB controllers are as plug'n'play as it gets (on windows at least). It Just Works. PS3 controllers are a pity though, you need those shady ad-ridden closed source third party drivers.

Very true, but remember that the issue I'm addressing is more about branding and marketing than about the tech. For example: "Wait, you mean I have to buy an XBox 360 controller to use my Steam Machine?" Well, no, but it's better that way. "What do you mean, isn't there a Steam Controller." Not exactly, you see any Steam Machine is compatible with any number of controllers. "So why can't I buy this other controller I…

Well that is the sort of FUD that Microsoft is counting on. That people recommend XBox 360 or XBox One controllers for their competitor's products. The average user isn't very tech savvy and then will fear that the XBox controlled might not work with their SteamMachine system or that it will be difficult to set up, and that the Steamtroller isn't as good as the XBox controller, so they will have to avoid all that fear and uncertanty and just buy a Microsoft XBox 360/One at Best Buy next to the XBox controllers and ignore the whole SteamMachine because of it.

The same thing happens when you recommend Linux to the average user, get a Microsoft Keyboard and Mouse to use with Linux. Well why aren't there Linux mice and keyboards? Can't I run Windows apps on Linux? No, well sort of, you have to install WINE and then if it is on the compatibility list, er ah look Linux has their own apps most are free and do the same thing as Windows apps but have a different user interface. Steam works on Linux, but only has 100+ Linux games, but if you run the Steam Windows Client under WINE some of not most of the games might work if you add in some exceptions to the built in libraries, etc. Then they just buy a Windows 8.1 PC instead of installing Linux over their old one that runs XP.

I really hope that SteamOS and SteamMachines catch on and port most of the Steam games to Linux, so I don't have to deal with this nonsense to my non-technical friends and family members. I hope the Steamtroller or whatever is as good as if not better than the XBox one.

Oh yeah I had friends and family members who bought a Macbook, and then ask me how to install Windows apps on it. Run Bootcamp, repartition the hard drive, reboot, stick in your Windows CD/DVD or USB stick and install, you now can dual boot Mac OSX and Windows. Then they don't know how to select it and forget what key to hold down, sell it and buy a Windows 8.1 tablet instead.

Basically if you are expecting an XBox, buy an XBox, if you want a Windows PC/Tablet buy a Windows PC/Tablet. If you want something else that is different and new, and might have a lower footprint OS that runs your games faster, and you don't care that it isn't an XBox or Windows PC/Tablet then try the SteamMachine and SteamOS. But please don't try putting XBox and Windows game disks into the SteamMachine!

Remember the average person that goes to Best Buy is a 'sheeple' controlled by FUD by the news media and other megacorproations to just part with their money on whatever new geegaw gadget they come up with as long as it is a 'trusted brand name' they are familiar with. They go to Best Buy because they hold their hand and tell them what they need to buy. If Valve was smart, they'd make a deal with Geeksquad to partition part of their area into a Steam Store that they can assist people with SteamMachine issues.

Re: SteamMachines

#238
post #32

I'm excited about where Valve is going with this, of course, but to be honest I'm concerned about controllers the most. Buying a good controller for a PC is not hard, but it's not simple either. Picture yourself as a "living room console guy" getting into PC gaming. You'd like to use a controller for a certain game. Consider: - You can use your XBox360, PS3 controller, or WiiMote, but that's not obvious. You'll need…

I use my Xbox 360 controllers with a no-name wireless receiver. It took some work to get the drivers working properly, but it's fantastic now. If Valve can provide a similar experience, except all plug-and-play, that'll be killer. I totally agree that it's non-obvious to most of the gaming market, though.

Can you share where you got your no-name wireless receiver?

Re: SteamMachines

#239

I'm excited about where Valve is going with this, of course, but to be honest I'm concerned about controllers the most. Buying a good controller for a PC is not hard, but it's not simple either. Picture yourself as a "living room console guy" getting into PC gaming. You'd like to use a controller for a certain game. Consider: - You can use your XBox360, PS3 controller, or WiiMote, but that's not obvious. You'll need…

Why would you use a controller? Wireless keyboard and mouse is the way to go. Especially if you're going to play an FPS. You'll be slaughtered if you use awkward analog sticks instead of a mouse...

Because some games are better with a controller than a keyboard and mouse.

Driving games, platformers, RPGs, and more.

Re: SteamMachines

#240

That doesn't seem like a large enough beta and it really only targets PC gamers. I would think that they would want to be trying to capture console gamer share rather than existing PC gamers.

It makes a lot more sense if you consider it less of a testing-to-make-sure-stuff-works beta and more of a let's-generate-publicity beta
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