What category should Steam Machine be classed under?

Which category?

  • PC

    Votes: 149 66.5%

  • Console

    Votes: 32 14.3%

  • Hybrid

    Votes: 43 19.2%
  • Total voters
    224
Zathalus said:
It's not plug and play gaming though. You still need to configure settings in your games. You're installing PC games. And switching to desktop mode is as simple as clicking a menu option.

You're failing to explain why this would be a console and any other PCs installed with a similar/same OS are not.
Click to expand...
Ok, you won in your universe and suffered a crushing defeat in mine!

You Lose Game Over GIF by Universal Music Africa
 
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Zacfoldor said:
It's funny, because I know this is a thing but it's always been very silly to me. You call things console and PCs.

They are both computers.

Console vs PC is a social construct.

All video games are computer games.
Click to expand...

Consoles are defined not only as being locked down, but also offering a "fenced in" streamlined experience that you can't mess up to easily start the game, which differentiated them from PCs.

This is a PC that goes out of its way to streamline it like a console -the notion that the default config is to sign in and launch games from a store of ready titles. While still being open like a PC to change the OS, install any app or use different input devices. A lot of the convenience of a console without losing the pros of a PC. Basically Steam Deck but not giving up as much power for the convenience of "it just works".

This comes at a time consoles get more PC like, and less reliable. Just said this in another thread about an update killing third party switch 2 docks. Your 90's third party console accessories still work, because "console" used to mean a set of basic rules and standards that were not as malleable as PC. So yeah, they're supposed to mean different things, but they're slowly coalescing together.
 
It's a PC, even Valve calls it that.

It is a fixed form PC though, and essentially that's what a console is anyway: a PC with fixed hardware and software.

BUT, the Steam Machine is not fixed software, we'll be able to twink and futz with it and install new OS's and such.

So, its a fixed hardware PC that aims to streamline the PC experience into something like a console experience.

It's a PC hybrid of sorts.

It's a cuboid, magical, sleek looking delightful little mid level PC. 😎
 
Parazels said:
Console form factor, console-level performance, console gamepad, console interface - what kind of thing are we talking about?
Click to expand...
Lol, troll. Every console has different form factor, several PCs have console-level performances, gamepads were never console exclusives, PC can have whatever interface you want since before consoles had a interface...
 
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rodrigolfp said:
Lol, troll. Every console has different form factor, several PCs have console-level performances, gamepads were never console exclusives, PC can have whatever interface you want since before consoles had a interface...
Click to expand...
Show me a pc with the PS5 interface!

Come Let Me Love You GIF
 
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GHG said:
Watch DF's video on this announcement if you haven't yet.

Alex, who was a member of that infamous discord server, said he can't wait to get away from windows and will swap out his Series X for this device in his setup.

Scorned wife's revenge.
Click to expand...
Omg they lost Alex? Fucking lmao.

This has been a wonderous day!
 
Parazels said:
Valve transformed a pc into a console by cutting out useless parts and keeping useful ones.
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It will have the near exactly same funcionally as the Steam Deck and other PCs with the OS running in Steam Big Picture mode. It's PC running PC builds of games and emulating consoles games the same way as every other PC. 🤦‍♂️
 
I find it amusing that we use the term "PC" to designate that a computing platform is open. The original PC (Personal Computer) by IBM was designed to be a closed system through the use of a proprietary BIOS. After the BIOS was reverse engineered (or ripped off in some cases) they lost control. The market was flooded with "PC clones".

So IBM thought they were clever and released the PC 2 with a proprietary bus that required "clone PC" and expansion card manufacturers to license the technology to be compatible. Thing was, the licensing cost was so outrageous that they knew no one would take the deal. They really thought they would have the PC market all to themselves. We all know how this ended, and it was the start of the unthinkable downfall of IBM.

Of course none of this is relevant to the conversation, just find it interesting how the term PC has morphed over the years.
 
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Denton said:
Steam big picture is not default mode of Steam or any PC after boot. Most PCs are also not sold with controllers included.
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So if some shop sells a pre build PC with Windows/Linux and Steam booting directly in Big Picture mode, with a controller, it will magically be a hybrid???

RoadHazard said:
It's a console-shaped PC.
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Consoles invented "cubes" shapes??
 
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