Lost in space
💻 Oldtimer
You don't -need- to. SteamOS is gonna be free so you could just install it or dual boot it. Here's why you would want a steambox though. There are a few reasons consoles do better at playing a lot of video games than a PC does.
1. A consoles OS is designed to play video games and ONLY video games. Windows and Mac aren't so there's an immediate discrepancy in game performance. Linux is a free and open operating environment so Valve used it to create an OS focused solely on gaming.
2. Consolidation of parts. The steam machines will be running Steam games at 60fps 1080p. This is because the games can be reoptimized for the few different parts that all the Steam Machines will have. That's been a big problem with PC gaming for a while now. So many video cards and cpu's to account for.
3. Microsoft has long since stopped caring about gaming on their OS. They support it to a minor degree, to make money and to sell more windows copies but it's a non-issue to them whether or not the gaming developers have easy tools to work with or have to pay a fortune to build on the windows platform or use Direct X. Again, linux is a big problem solver there.
The reason you would want one if you don't already have a gaming pc is because the specs on the machines are equivalent to $700 - $1000 dollar computer for $500, give or take. And, unlike your ps4 or xbone, will be fully upgradeable still so you won't need to get a steam machine 2 in six years.
1. A consoles OS is designed to play video games and ONLY video games. Windows and Mac aren't so there's an immediate discrepancy in game performance. Linux is a free and open operating environment so Valve used it to create an OS focused solely on gaming.
2. Consolidation of parts. The steam machines will be running Steam games at 60fps 1080p. This is because the games can be reoptimized for the few different parts that all the Steam Machines will have. That's been a big problem with PC gaming for a while now. So many video cards and cpu's to account for.
3. Microsoft has long since stopped caring about gaming on their OS. They support it to a minor degree, to make money and to sell more windows copies but it's a non-issue to them whether or not the gaming developers have easy tools to work with or have to pay a fortune to build on the windows platform or use Direct X. Again, linux is a big problem solver there.
The reason you would want one if you don't already have a gaming pc is because the specs on the machines are equivalent to $700 - $1000 dollar computer for $500, give or take. And, unlike your ps4 or xbone, will be fully upgradeable still so you won't need to get a steam machine 2 in six years.
