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History of video games/Platforms/Steam Machines

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  • A Steam Machine made by Zotac.
    A Steam Machine made by Zotac.

History

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Development

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By early 2012 substantiated rumors of Steam Machines were being published on major gaming websites.[1]

In 2013 Valve was publicly working with Xi3 to create a small computer called Piston.[2] Also in 2013 was the announcement of SteamOS.[3] In December of 2013 300 beta units were sent to testers.[4][5]

Launch

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The lobby of Valve Corporation's former headquarters in Bellevue, Washington in 2016.

Steam Machines were delivered to those who had preordered them on October 16th, 2015.[6] General retail availability followed on November 10th, 2015.[6][7]

By June 2016, less than 500,000 steam machines had sold.[8]

Legacy

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In 2018 Valve deemphasized steam machines on it's store, though they could still be purchased at that time.[9][10]

Following silence on Steam Machines, Valve continued development of SteamOS till at least 2019.[11][12]

The Steam Controller would result in a court case which started lasted from 2015 to 2021 and ultimately cost Valve a $4 million dollar fine for patent Infringement.[13][14]

The Steam Machines were followed by the Steam Deck portable console, which also ran on Steam OS.

Technology

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Steam machines came in a number of different hardware configurations by multiple manufacturers, and ran the Linux based SteamOS.[15][10]

At launch depending on the model, systems could use an AMD or Intel CPU paired with either an AMD or NVIDIA dedicated GPU or an Intel integrated GPU.[16]

At launch, systems from manufacturers could have from as little as four gigabytes of RAM to as much as 32 gigabytes of RAM.[16]

Storage at launch was either based on using only hard drives, a small SSD used with a larger hard drive, or an SSD only.[16]

Games

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Steam Machines could directly run games on Steam that supported Linux.[17]

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Prototypes

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    Xi3 Modular Computer at CES 2011.
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    Steam controllers at the Valve Office.
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    Gigabyte Steam Machine and prototype controller in 2014.

CyberPower Syber Steam Machine I

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Zotac NEN SN970

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  •  
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    The IO on this steam machine is closer to a typical console of the generation.
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    The machine with cover removed. Hard Drive and RAM are placed in accessible locations.
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    Motherboard and heatsinks.
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    The Zotac NEN SN970 sports a 64 gigabyte m.2 boot SSD.[16]
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    Eight gigabytes of DDR3 RAM is installed, with an extra slot for future upgrades.
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    The Intel Wireless module.
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    The dual 2.4 and 5 gigahertz antenna.

Accessories

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    Steam Controller
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    Steam Link

References

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Wikipedia has related information at Steam Machine (hardware platform)

  1. ↑ Topolsky, Joshua (2 March 2012). "Exclusive: Valve said to be working on 'Steam Box' gaming console with partners, could announce at GDC". The Verge. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  2. ↑ "Hands-on with Xi3's 'Piston' modular PC at CES, a kind of 'Steambox'". Engadget. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  3. ↑ "Valve Announces Steam OS". Kotaku. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  4. ↑ Peckham, Matt (11 December 2013). "Hey 300 Steam Machine Beta Winners, Valve's Shipping Your Systems on Friday". Time. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  5. ↑ "Steam Machine Beta Units Shipping in December - IGN". Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  6. ↑ a b Crecente, Brian (4 June 2015). "The first official Steam Machines hit Oct. 16, on store shelves Nov. 10". Polygon. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  7. ↑ "First Three Steam Machines Released, Prices and Specs Detailed". GameSpot. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  8. ↑ Orland, Kyle (2 June 2016). "Seven months later, Valve's Steam Machines look dead in the water". Ars Technica. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  9. ↑ Statt, Nick (2 April 2018). "Valve quietly hides Steam Machine section from its game store after years of neglect". The Verge. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  10. ↑ a b Brown, Fraser (2 April 2018). "Valve gets rid of the Steam Machine section". PC Gamer. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  11. ↑ Wilde, Tyler (2 April 2018). "What happened to Steam Machines?". PC Gamer. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  12. ↑ Miller, Chris (28 March 2020). "SteamOS Isn't Dead, Just Sidelined; Valve Has Plans To Go Back To Their Linux-Based OS | Happy Gamer". HappyGamer. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  13. ↑ Carpenter, Nicole (3 February 2021). "Valve fined $4M in Steam Controller patent infringement lawsuit" (in en). Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/2021/2/3/22264213/valve-steam-controller-lawsuit-scuf-4-million. 
  14. ↑ Walker, Alex. "Valve Fined $4 Million Over Steam Controller Patent Infringement" (in en-us). Kotaku. https://kotaku.com/valve-fined-4-million-over-steam-controller-patent-inf-1846185262. 
  15. ↑ Ackerman, Dan. "Steam Machines and SteamOS: Everything you need to know". CNET. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  16. ↑ a b c d "Steam Machines: First impressions, The Specs, Prices, and Release Dates". GameSpot. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  17. ↑ Buckley, Sean. "Alienware Steam Machine review: A gaming PC for your living room". Engadget. Retrieved 30 November 2020.


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