In preparation for the first batch of Steam Machines that are going to be released in November, hardware manufacturers that are making these computers have posted the prices and updated hardware specifications for the computers on the Steam store.
There are 15 computer manufacturers that will be making Steam Machines, with their respective products now posted on the Steam store with complete details for browsing.
The manufacturers include Alienware, Alternate, Asus, Digital Storm, Falcon Northwest, Gigabyte, iBuyPower, Maingear, Materiel.net, NextBox, Origin PC, Scan Computers, Syber, Webahllen and Zotac. Prices range from hundreds of dollars to a few thousand dollars, which means that gamers with varying budgets will definitely have a choice among the upcoming Steam Machines.
The cheapest of the first batch of Steam Machines is the SBX by iBuyPower, which will come with a tag price of only $459.99. By comparison, most of the other Steam Machines begin with prices that are double this figure.
The most expensive ones, however, are the Steam Machines manufactured by Falcon Northwest and Origin PC, with both reaching prices of up to $5,000.
According to its Steam Machine page, the Falcon Northwest Tiki has been described as "the perfect PC" by Forbes, featuring the fastest graphics cards in the world and quad-core CPUs within its compact, tall frame. The major draw of the Tiki, which will come in November with a Steam Machine configuration is that it packs an upgradeable and constantly evolving platform that allows gamers to configure the computer depending on their needs and budget.
The Omega Steam Machine by Origin PC also tags itself as a customizable machine, supporting up to 3-way SLI and professional overclocking. The computer also has dual operating system booting capabilities and features full upgradability, with a free lifetime 24/7 customer support service.
The concept behind Steam Machines is to allow games made for the PC to be played on the TV seamlessly, with the Steam Controller that allows for an intuitive gaming experience similar to a traditional PC system.
The Steam Controller features a unique interface with two track pads in addition to a joystick and buttons, which Steam says will allow gamers to play even with PC games that were not developed to be played with a controller.
Steam Machines also present a way for Valve to break free from being chained to the Windows operating system of Microsoft, as Steam Machines will be running on Linux.
On the Steam store, Valve has also uploaded the pages for the Steam Controller and the Steam Link, which will both also be released in November.
