The hybrid cometh

[B1nary]

If consoles are becoming more like pc's and pc's are entering into console territory with the like of steam os, what do you guys think is going to be the outcome eventually.

If you can essentially put together your own console using steam os then I don't see a point in having a console since pc games are cheaper, tweak-able and mod-able.

The target market for consoles in that case are going to be for people that don't know anything about pc's and just want a quick way to get into gaming.Then again with manufactures are creating ready to use steam box's so that kind of breaks that whole concept.

Just some random thoughts rolling around in my head movies.

[Crableg]

Well we should be seeing what these Steam box's can do throughout this yeary, looks pretty cool, but the good rigs are really expensive.

Also, Steam OS is gonna need a decent library of games to take off, hopefully they can just get all normal steam games.

[brendanvb]

The target market for consoles in that case are going to be for people that don't know anything about pc's and just want a quick way to get into gaming.

Don't agree with this. I know a lot about PC's but prefer consoles because after spending R7000 on the console I know it will last at least 7-8 years and that every single game that releases for the platform will play perfectly on it. Unless Steam can offer the same for the same price, I don't see it taking off.

[Glordit]

Don't agree with this. I know a lot about PC's but prefer consoles because after spending R7000 on the console I know it will last at least 7-8 years and that every single game that releases for the platform will play perfectly on it. Unless Steam can offer the same for the same price, I don't see it taking off.

Have to agree with your point of view. A PC will not perform the same it did the day you bought it, 4 years from now unless you lower the graphical settings and/or play older games.

[Lycanthrope]

Have to agree with your point of view. A PC will not perform the same it did the day you bought it, 4 years from now unless you lower the graphical settings and/or play older games.

Disagree.

I had a GTX260 (2008/9) and a Q9550. I only recently bothered to upgrade (read: in the last year). And even then it was because I emigrated more so than because I felt it was absolutely necessary.

The demand to upgrade a PC every year or two hasn't been true since the mid-noughties.

Even now, the number of games that support post-DirectX 9 are a maybe in the tens and the number of games that need post-DirectX 9 are a handful.

Most games, especially the multi-platform ones are heavily optimised to where "older" technology can still run them very well. It's one of the glorious benefits of the console era and the "hybridisation" effect. And then still manage to look better

[FiveStar ZA]

Disagree.

I had a GTX260 (2008/9) and a Q9550. I only recently bothered to upgrade (read: in the last year). And even then it was because I emigrated more so than because I felt it was absolutely necessary.

The demand to upgrade a PC every year or two hasn't been true since the mid-noughties.

Even now, the number of games that support post-DirectX 9 are a maybe in the tens and the number of games that need post-DirectX 9 are a handful.

Most games, especially the multi-platform ones are heavily optimised to where "older" technology can still run them very well. It's one of the glorious benefits of the console era and the "hybridisation" effect. And then still manage to look better

You're missing the key point in favour of console: convenience. No need to adjust settings depending on hardware, it's all plug and play. Stick in a disc and off you go. That's the pull for a lot of people. Some people simply don't like the admin of PC gaming. I don't think that's going to change any time soon.

Steam boxes cater for PC gamers wanting a more console experience, and I think that's a more realistic market than aiming to get console gamers to move to more 'PC-like' platform IMO.

[The Joker]

You're missing the key point in favour of console: convenience. No need to adjust settings depending on hardware, it's all plug and play. Stick in a disc and off you go. That's the pull for a lot of people. Some people simply don't like the admin of PC gaming. I don't think that's going to change any time soon.

Steam boxes cater for PC gamers wanting a more console experience, and I think that's a more realistic market than aiming to get console gamers to move to more 'PC-like' platform IMO.

This is changing quickly, both Nvidia and AMD now have software that automatically selects the best settings for you based on your hardware. Also new consoles aren't so easy, there will be game installs just like on pc, only on console it'll be slower to install.

Steam box is nothing more than a pc with steam os, there is nothing special about them apart from maybe a good looking case.
I can take my current pc, slap in another SSD and install the steam os and bang there I have a steam box that'll wipe the floor with any and all consoles.

In all honesty if I really tried I could put together a pc that'll wipe the floor with a PS4 or Xbox one for the exact same price, while offering you more gaming options and it can be used for everything.

[Lycanthrope]

You're missing the key point in favour of console: convenience. No need to adjust settings depending on hardware, it's all plug and play. Stick in a disc and off you go. That's the pull for a lot of people. Some people simply don't like the admin of PC gaming. I don't think that's going to change any time soon.

Steam boxes cater for PC gamers wanting a more console experience, and I think that's a more realistic market than aiming to get console gamers to move to more 'PC-like' platform IMO.

Disc? What disc? I don't even have an optical drive (I needed to use it in another PC and I just never returned it)

I don't think I'm missing any point. Except possibly for the "admin of PC gaming." I want to play a game, I find it in my Steam list and I click "Play." The end.

My opinion of consoles is pretty much that they're a layman's PC. They simplify everything but they also take away a lot of freedom.

If you want to use your console as a DLNA device, beware the inevitable DRM.

If a game has framerate spikes, a capped resolution, game-breaking bugs, etc., you're stuck with it.

You trade freedom for what you perceive as "convenience."

I do agree though that the hybrid cometh. But I think Valve is spot on with what they're trying to achieve--the "comforts" of console gaming (read: a couch and a TV) with the performance, freedom and open nature of a PC.

Their streaming service that they've been betaing works pretty well too: I can sit on my couch and stream almost any game on my PC on a basic media PC.

Consoles? Meh

[brendanvb]

As stated above, for me it's not so much about wiping the floors with anything. I just want to be able to buy a game with the confidence that it will DEFINITELY work for me. On PC's, even if your PC SHOULD be able to run a game, it sometimes doesn't for whatever reason. Example: A while back ALL games stopped working for me on my PC (I'd just get a black screen with audio). After months of frustratingly struggling to find out what the problem was, and numerous reformats later (because games would work directly following a reformat), I noticed that it was due to a USB driver that was installed in order to use my pen tablet. Why that affected my games I will never understand but have not had the black screen issue since skipping the installation of that driver following a reformat. You never get that on consoles.

[The Joker]

As stated above, for me it's not so much about wiping the floors with anything. I just want to be able to buy a game with the confidence that it will DEFINITELY work for me. On PC's, even if your PC SHOULD be able to run a game, it sometimes doesn't for whatever reason. Example: A while back ALL games stopped working for me on my PC (I'd just get a black screen with audio). After months of frustratingly struggling to find out what the problem was, and numerous reformats later (because games would work directly following a reformat), I noticed that it was due to a USB driver that was installed in order to use my pen tablet. Why that affected my games I will never understand but have not had the black screen issue since skipping the installation of that driver following a reformat. You never get that on consoles.

This is where windows 8.1 comes in, even though a lot of people hate it, its actually quite brilliant in it'll automatically pick up errors and tell you what is causing them. Doesn't always work but it works most of the time.