Better than Xbox or PS4 said Gabe Newell:

http://phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Steam-Machine-Launch-Sale

I have very little interest in playing a limited library on an expensive console.

On the other, I just bought a Steam Link, can't wait to try that out!

Better than Xbox or PS4

You'd assume that a $1500 gaming PC would be better Both consoles have <2GHz CPUs (where the PC equivalent is clocked at 4GHz), both have mid-range AMD GPU's, and the XBone uses DDR3 as graphics memory. Yuck.

Similarly priced steam machines easily outperform the other consoles.

I know it defeats the point a bit but can't these also run Windows? So you do have the option for a much larger game library. As someone with a decent gaming PC I don't see the purpose of also spending money on what is effectively a limited PC unless I had plenty of money to splash out. I feel that currently the lack of AAA on there (there are some though) makes it less of an appealing alternative to a console but it is a chicken and egg problem, who would port without reason? At least Valve have now given that reason. I do hope it is successful but it doesn't really fit into my life but neither do consoles.

The Steam link on the other hand.. Now that I DO think is an excellent idea. You are effectively limited to one machine then instead of two but for the price it is brilliant.

I really like the concept behind some of the small form factor steam machines.

Especially the Zotac NEN... almost as small as the Alienware Alpha/Steam Machine, but with some serious PC Grade Power. Quad core skylake with reasonable clocks, a GTX970M, and up to 16G RAM, space for a HD AND an M2 SSD.

That is the kind of power the current console generation should have! Should be enough to play almost all titles at max settings and 1080p/60Hz.... which is not what the weedy AMD APU in both the XBONE and the PS4 can support.

All the while being smaller than both consoles and pretty silent it seems...

On the other hand, 1100$... seriously? I could build my own Steam machine for 700$ here in Switzerland to match these stats. It will be 10 times the size (which is why the Zotac Steam Machine is still great), and use much more power to achieve that, but 1100$... ouch.

And the other point is, as much as I am interested in small powerful machines with serious 3D Capabilities, I am not so much interested in Steam OS.

IF there is a steam Machine that gives me lots of power on a small footprint with an attractive price, I would buy it and Install Windows on it... costs me 100 bucks, but makes the machine so much more useful, be it as a small portable workstation, or just for getting access to the full list of steam games.

Steam Machines are great, as soon as the prices of pre-built machines in general start to come down, Steam OS, not so sure yet.

Also not sold on the Steam Controller yet... time will tell if it really can replace Microsofts controllers as the PC goto Gamepad.

Size IS a spec.

I have very little interest in playing a limited library on an expensive console.

On the other, I just bought a Steam Link, can't wait to try that out!

My Link came in yesterday. Some initial random thoughts:

• I've a sneaking suspicion it is just a RaspPi. Sitting next to my home-made RaspPi EmulationStation box, it looks almost identical. Still, it's cheaper than my RaspPi, and I didn't have to put it together, load the OS, or really do anything.
• I need to figure out how to get my cheapo wireless game controller to work with it, or wait for the Steam controller I also ordered to come in.
• I noticed it had some issues with streaming audio from other applications that were running on my desktop - I'd left my Pandora app running, and that started coming out my TV speakers when the Link booted up.
• It works much better than trying to use the in-home streaming option from my laptop to play a game I have installed on my desktop. The in-home streaming option tends to stream all four of my monitors, not just the one the game is running on.

I'm looking forward to some lazy days I can crack Skyrim back open and play on my big screen tv from the couch.