![]() ![]() The Alienware Steam Machine earns its name by the simple virtue of having all of this in one package. Put simply, a Steam Machine is made up of three main components: a gaming PC, Valve's Linux-based SteamOS and the paradigm-defying Steam Controller. A Steam Machine isn't just a simple piece of hardware designed to play games on a TV it's an ecosystem of disparate parts that come together to create a versatile platform you can use to play games on your TV. ![]() Too often, we describe it as a "game console" for PC gaming, but it's more complicated than that. In general, Steam Machines are a difficult thing to define. The console ships with the Steam Controller's dongle pre-installed in the secret compartment (sit tight, we'll be talking about that very soon). Don't get too excited: That extra USB slot is already spoken for. Just like with the Alpha, there are two other connectors here, as well: an HDMI input for piping a cable box through the Steam Machine interface (no, it won't capture video or stream your other consoles to Twitch) and a fifth USB port hidden under a panel on the rig's undercarriage. ![]() The Steam Machine has two USB ports on the front, two more in the rear, HDMI output, optical audio out and an Ethernet port. ![]() A Steam logo glows out from this triangle-shaped cut, marking the only design tweak that separates the Alienware Alpha from the Valve-sanctioned Steam Machine. Visually speaking, the Alienware Steam Machine is a simple thing: a glossy black square with a matte black top and a few simple LEDs - one behind the power button and another highlighting a triangle-shaped bisection of the chassis corner. Today we're looking at the latter, Valve-sanctioned Steam Machine, but both rigs have a great chassis: It's compact, subtle and fits right in with everything else in your entertainment center. Dell classifies these PCs as different products, but they're mostly separated by their operating systems: Windows 10, for the Alpha and SteamOS for the Alienware Steam Machine. If the Alienware Steam Machine looks familiar, it's probably because it has the exact same chassis as another PC built for the living room: the Alienware Alpha - the unofficial Steam Machine Dell launched without Valve's support late last year. ![]()
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January 2023
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