Low End Steam Machine Beats The PS4 And Xbox In Specs, Features, Performance And Price

The CyperpowerPC Steam Machine beats the PS4 and Xbox One in specs and price, especially comparing what you're getting in the package for the same price as Microsoft's offering and for $100 more than Sony's offerings.

[98xpresent]

Consoles will always win in the exclusive category.

[darx]

Depends

[nX]

PS1, PS2 and PS3 all had many great exclusives that I would consider "must have". From Spyro & Crash to God Of War & Shadow of the Colossus to Uncharted, Demon's Souls and Journey these consoles were packed with countless high quality games. Steam is great but I wouldn't want to miss Sony's first party releases.

[UltimateMaster]

PlayStation has always had a great amount of bad ass exclusives that never ceased to disappoint me in any given generation.

Performance-wise, it is the most powerful of all consoles.
Granted, when you spend 2000$~4000$ on a device, you'd expect to have more power than a 400$ one.

[SilentNegotiator]

"$500 PC beats Ps4/Xbone in hardware in some categories, features (once you buy yourself a copy of Windows), and loses to both consoles in price"

Fixed. BS article title.

[Mr Pumblechook]

Article update says "Please keep in mind games on consoles has nothing to do with this article."

However with a headline like "Low End Steam Machine Beats The PS4 And Xbox In Specs, Features, Performance And Price" it has obviously been written to invite 'lively debate' about PC vs consoles, cheeky!

[rocketpanda]

@SilentNegotiator,

Steam machines run on SteamOS, which is free. So in terms of price it is still a cheap option. Although I want to see like for like comparisons in performance with multi platform games. Quoting specs always looks good on paper.

[SilentNegotiator]

You'll be missing out on 99% of PC games without Windows, though.

[XBLSkull]

PC will always have the power advantage, but the best game franchises are on consoles. That isn't to say PC doesn't have some great games you can't get anywhere else. I own all 3 myself PS4/X1/PC so I can play everything I want to. Anyone who limits themselves to one platform is doing it wrong, especially if that one is a PC - you simply don't have the option of playing the best franchises.

[darx]

@XBLskull

Boy are you wrong!

[MrSwankSinatra]

Actually no they don't because it's subjective topic. Each person has their own preference.

[mixolydian_id]

Exactly,
Looking at the games people started highlighting above.
People speak of Ps1 like is was the holy grail of games... IMO, it wasn't.

I always found Nintendo were the best back then.

Street fighter was amazing back in the day. Tekken was a total dive for years. Smash bros in a totally different way, still kicks it's arse. Thats just one genre.

Only games I ever looked towards the PS1 for were Final Fantasy and Metal gear solid, endorsed exclusives to be fair.

Its definitely down to preference, many will disagree with mine ^^^

With regards to the steam machine. Although these units are great and are working towards truly allowing developers space to create their games (Everyone else has to conform to limited specs etc).
They aren't going to offer the same services. For playing games im sure they're great, but they won't do much far from it for a while... how will they deal with cloud compute?

Nothing is replaceable so in a few years time... like a P_C... you'll find yourself looking for a new one.

As for services, you won't get famed, EA access or PSnow, 3D blu-ray, external support, skype, DLNA support, xbox controller, PSMove, Occulus, Morpheus, Marketplace, Trophys and achievements, gamertags... the list is ENDLESS.

Might as well just invest in a PC... if you have one already, get an upgrade (graphics card, ssd, Motherboard/CPU)

As you can tell, Im very much two-track minded on the steam box idea.

[marloc_x]

What on earth could make a console experience unique again?

[clmstr]

Being a PC-only gamer at the moment (getting a PS4 soon), I agree. Right now, consoles have a wider variety/choice of different games of different genres. That's why I'm getting a PS4, it has all the games I want to play that come out in the near future.

[Eiffel]

What are you talking about? Consoles are still missing entire genres compared to PC.

[Stapleface]

I have a ps4, and when I look at the Library available of ps4, versus what's on pc, I'm actually looking at it right now. Your absolutely wrong. That's not even an opinion. It has far less variety/choice of different games. The ps4 library will never touch the size and amount of game types that Steam has. It just won't be around long enough. I can't argue the last part of your statement as it's your opinion. But to say there is a wider variety to choose from on ps4 is delusional. Ps4 hasn't broke 1,000 games(not even close). Steam has over 3,000. AAA, indie, some games I don't know where they sit, in any genre you can think of,a genre or two that you will barely find on console..

[clmstr]

Where did I say PS4/Xbone have more games of different genres than PC? I clearly said "consoles". That means I include both PS3 and X360 in this list. Of course current gen consoles are not able to compete with PC in terms of games genres right now.

[starchild]

That doesn't make any sense. Do I have to buy all the consoles to compete with the PC? If so, I guarantee you are going to spend a lot more buying all the consoles than any decent PC.

You only talked about getting a PS4 anyway. Now you're trying to act like all the consoles beat the PC together. That's not what you said originally.

IF you are getting PS4 to enjoy some of the exclusives I think that is a good idea. That's what I did. But it's for the exclusives, since 90% of the games coming out on PS4 are games that are also on PC.

[mixolydian_id]

Sounds like you made your mind up ages ago...

[joab777]

It depends on what u want. With access to steam and mods for your favorite games.

Let's say u have a PS4 and now u can buy and cheap Steamboat to get access to PC gaming. Thats perfect scenario to me.

I could never understand how they were going to compete with and much less powerful machine for more $. Ppl who want to spend $800-$1000 will buy a PC.

[fredrikpedersen]

I'm sorry... but "Steamboat"?

[TheDevKit]

Which console?

[breakpad]

now with their steam let them go play Bloodborne

[kingduqc]

There is over 22 000 games on pc. The biggest console library by far is the ps2 with shy of 3000 games. Ps4 and xbone don't even have in total 300 games each as of right now and most of them are on pc.

So yeah. "meh"

[shysun]

22000 games on pc since last year?!? o_O

[DualWielding]

But the steam machine only plays natively games made for Linux which are mostly indies

[mixolydian_id]

They're clearly having more trouble pushing the consoles this time around.

Games are late and sparse in number.

Hence why there's so much deliberation.

The reason the last generation dragged on was because the consoles were actually totally sufficient just power deficient. The corporate business's ran out of new ideas ages ago... they're all looking to "new media" to push their devices. Ask yourself what features from this gen couldn't be implemented last gen?

Just how can you please an 80 million strong user base with some new that's sure to catch on?

What really annoys me is that they're all taking such a gamble on things like.

Dualshock touchpad (fecking wank)
Kinect 2.0 (Had to be released after to redeem the first)
Wii U touch screen (no more nunchuk wankery, just the pleasure of beating your friends who're completely distracted by the screen)
Project Morpheus/Occulus (VR is another gimmick smh)
Illumiroom (Won't work because of differentiating colour palettes within your own room)

Sigh.. it's not getting any better, Im becoming more and more disappointed with this generation of consoles.

[UnwanteDreams]

All those 22000 games and less than 300 worth downloading. I bought into the PC bs last year and I'm still wondering what I was missing. Dont take me wrong PC has some cant miss games but nothing that worth spending more than the price of a PS4 to play. Just my opinion.

[Chrischi1988]

Lol no, this is purely based on opinion. I for one know many, who wouldnt game if it wasnt for the RTS genre or most MMOs. To call a Starcraft, Warcraft, Dota, League of Legends, Command and Conquer, Diablo2 (D3 first, too), Counter Strike, Quake, Sim City, Age of Empires, World of Warcraft and Anno or all kinds of strategic games any less important for gaming is a pure joke. PC gaming defined the so called online gaming. It was there a decade before consoles. Not trying to bash consoles, I love them, but if I read such nonsense, I cannot hold back. Some of the greatest games are only on PC. This is purely subjective of course, but then also say so.

[BG11579]

People are seeing this the wrong way and aren't asking the right question.
If PC is so doing so well, why is Valve creating systems that follow many of the consoles directives?
Anybody dares to answer this question.

[UnwanteDreams]

If console gaming went away PC elitists would be screwed. You think PC gamers could support the gaming industry enough that it wouldnt crash? I dont.

[Corpser]

Consoles? All of them combined together? It's not like one console can play the exclusives on other consoles

[Big_Game_Hunters]

Maybe all consoles combined

[spoonard]

Not to mention every PS4 title that is released works on EVERY PS4. Will EVERY PC title released work on that Steam box for the next 7 years?

Another thing about the PS/Console comparison is the amount of power needed on a PC to achieve the same results on a console. The ratio is not even close to being even.

[Seafort]

Does every PS1, PS2 and PS3 game work on the PS4? And will all PS5 games work on all the other Playstations? :)

All PC games work on the PC platform. The consoles can't even compare to the amount of games on PC as they don't have any backwards compatibility.

This is why you are getting milked with these remastered versions of 2+ year old games on new consoles.

[tee_bag242]

You all some games running at 30fps with dips working?

[UnwanteDreams]

Meanwhile they are still charging money for games like System Shock on steam. How old is that one?

[DoctorJones]

@UnwanteDreams

And Sony are selling ps1 games on their store, how old are they?.

What's your point?

Oh yeah I forgot, you don't have one.

[geddesmond]

Yeah true some of my favorite series are only found on consoles. I never really gamed on PCs for the fact that a high end PC takes up too much space, i suck at playing Keyboard and mouse and they can be real expensive and really easy to mess up if you have no knowledge about PCs like I do but if the steambox does what it promises they I might buy one for multiplat games.

[frostypants]

Stop trying to make the Steam Machine happen. It's dead, people. No one is going to buy this. We all know it. Seriously...who here will buy this? Don't lie, now. Yeah, that's what I thought...consolers will buy a console and PC gamers will buy a real PC. Nobody asked for this. Nobody wants it. It solves no problem and has no market.

[jholden3249]

I'm not arguing that I would buy it, but can we please stop using the 'nobody asked for it' excuse? Almost all my favorite games are games that I never asked for. Almost all my favorite consoles are consoles that I never asked for. It's not their job to wait tables and take orders of what we want. It's their job to create something new and enticing that they anticipate we will want. And maybe we will, maybe we won't. But if platform manufactures only made what people ask for can you imagine what kind of gaming environment we'd be in right now?

People only ever ask for the same old thing over and over again. Thank goodness they know better than to just make what people ask for.

[frostypants]

@jholden3249, fair enough. But that doesn't change my point that it solves no problem and has no market. Sometimes a product no one asked for succeeds because people didn't KNOW they wanted it. This is not such a product. The fact that I got 8 disagrees but no cogent counter-argument other than yours (which was good) kind of proves my theory that the only people hyping this are PC gamers who think it will bring a new audience to the PC gaming community, which clearly won't happen. Otherwise, I'd have expected some PC fanboys to jump in and insist that they'd buy one...but they know they won't. People WISH the Steam Machine would succeed...but they can't give a good argument for why it won't fail miserably.

1 year from now no one will be talking about the Steam Machine. Hell, hardly anyone's been talking about them for 6 months now.

[Vladplaya]

Exclusives, the "go to" console fan argument. Sad thing is, PC beats consoles even there heh

[ShaunCameron]

Too bad the PC doesn't have exclusives of importance, though.

[Dr Face Doctor]

Well they certainly aren't winning that category in terms of quantity.

[Theo1130]

Can you plug in a M/KB to this thing? I just want to play dota on it.

[xtremexx]

into the steam machine? i would think so since its technically a PC.

[masterfox]

awesome!!!, I'm ready to play Uncharted 4, Driveclub, The order 1886, Bloodborn, GT7, Ryme, LBP 3, soon the announce God War on the STEAM MACHINE!!! ......
what??

wait a minute I can't play those in that thing ?? aww well is ok I will be able to play Witcher 3 on max settings right?? what not even that ? da hell >:(
OK.. ok..

I will be able to play Star Citizen on max settings!!!

what ? NOT EVEN THAT ???

Why the funk I would want a damn steam machine then ???

waste of money :/

[Torque_CS_Lewith]

http://n4g.com/news/1569856...
Less than 2 days ago this one was talking about hardware inferiorities. Now that PS4 hardware is being reported to be inferior to this Steam box, this one has now flipped the script and is talking about game preferences.

[Doge]

Don't bother with him. His message was loud and clear.

[Volkama]

I want to bubble you up for well said AND for funny. Because that comment is both.

[RoninRaven]

This is the second post of yours that I read today and I must say dear Sir that you restored some of my faith in the N4g community. Well done and have a bubble vote.

[Torque_CS_Lewith]

Thank you Volkama and RoninRaven for the props

[GamingTruth]

ps4 is inferior to steam box and pc, but the graphics of pc and steam box arent showing the superiority vs ps4 exclusives

[MadLad]

All right, kids. Let's play the "tout console exclusives as we conveniently forget PC gets a laundry list of exclusive content every year" game.

@Torque

Thanks for pointing out that other bit of fanboy hypocrisy on masterfox's part.

[aquamala]

Of course, we're in an PC article, specs and performance don't matter here, it's all about the games!

and PC can't play PS4 exclusives? you don't say. can PS4 play PC,Xbox,WiiU,3DS exclusives? it can't even play PS3 exclusives

[GamingTruth]

you also cant show me a pc equivalent of many ps3 exclusive games in graphics let alone ps4

[MadLad]

@GamingTruth

That's a bit of gaming lies coming from you.

[Rivitur]

Do you know what an emulator is? Or how about PC exclusives do you know what that is? Your vision is very narrow young one.

[nycgamer4ever]

In his defense buyingva low spec steam machine Is a complete waste of money. It's pretty much a crapnpc which Will be obsolete in a couple of years.

[AndrewLB]

Then buy a higher up model! PS4 costs $399 up front, but after paying for online gaming for the next 6 years, the price suddenly skyrockets to $699!! I bet you'll be able to buy a much more powerful steam machine for that kind of coin.

[tee_bag242]

Nice list of games but none of them are even out.
Not exactly a good attempt if you're trying to upsell.
Seems like you're grasping at straws.

[user5669510]

you do know that ps4 doesnt play any multiplat maxxed out right? and the exclusive ill admit looks good but are overhyped because of the simple fact that theyre ps exclusives. sony could put a ps flag on a turd and you would love it

ps fanboys. where do they come up with this bs seriously.

[Rob_Ko]

who cares, with no exclusive games no conole owner will switch to it anyway.