Non-Expert Human Owns Alienware Steam Machine i7 - My Review

[Ennui007]

To start, I want to be clear: I am not an expert, I don't build PCs, and I am not a heavy gamer. I am, however, a human adult female, the forgotten about demographic in gaming - I found out about Steam a few years ago and have really enjoyed it, albeit casually.

I sit at a desk for a lot of my day, and I didn't want to continue sitting at a desk to play games - So I was really excited to hear about the consoles a couple years ago. I hooked my laptop up to my TV before and did that whole thing, and found it awkward and a real pain. I wanted something simple and easy to set-up and put away. Consoles seemed like the answer, and I've been waiting impatiently to buy one.

When I asked heavier gamers which one they would recommend, I got the same answer I've seen here in the forums: Buy a PC. - This is not a helpful answer. I am not going to build a PC for gaming because I'm just not that person. And, it turns out, there are a lot of people like me out there, we just don't usually participate in forums, so I am trying to put my experience out here for reference.

With that said:

1. I bought the fancy Alienware Steam Machine, i7, because f-ck it, I work hard. Everything was packaged very nicely and hooking it up was a breeze. After some general set-up processes and updates, I installed some of the games in my library (continued in #3)

2. The controller is really peculiar and has interesting touch pads, but I'm not used to it yet, so I can't tell you whether or not it's something I enjoy. It has normal batteries, two AA, that you can elect to replace with rechargeable versions or not. Frankly, after a million ps3 controllers dying on me, I am happy to have access to the power source.

3. I apparently bought something called Trine 2 and have never played it. I have no idea what it is, but I'm sure some friend told me to go for it, so it was in my Library. I installed the game and opened it to start playing, but the menu was illegible. Like, everything was off-center and covered in cubes and you couldn't select anything. I managed to back out of the game and get back to the main menu, tried again, and had the same result. Oh well.

4. I opened and ran Don't Starve next. I was able to access the Mod Menu within the game, but I couldn't make any changes. I could highlight what I wanted, and the buttons gave their familiar *click* like something had changed, but nothing was happening. I couldn't add or remove, I couldn't access the community mod lists. After a while I gave up and just opened a new game to see what it was like. In gameplay, everything I went near automatically displayed a little menu that popped up. Pick (right 0) Examine (whatever button) etc. I couldn't make the options list go away. I tried, like, everything, and maybe I'm missing something, but so far everything I look at in Don't Starve has a weird string of commands next to it that I can't avoid, and it makes playing impossible. You can't see anything and it's really distracting. I stopped after five minutes because I wanted to scream-cry. (This is killing me, I love Don't Starve.)

5. I opened Portal 2 and that went really well, except I can't find any option to invert the camera angle, which is a thing I prefer. Gameplay was great and went very smoothly, nothing weird.

My understanding is that this is the sort of product that is going to have bug fixes released every ten seconds, so feedback obviously helps, and starting discussions can't hurt. I certainly don't regret my purchase, and I think it's supporting something really worthwhile, but it's definitely going to need the edges smoothed out a little.

I look forward to more exploration, and as I install/open other games, I will diligently report what my experience is. In the interim, if it seems clear to you that something I am experiencing is user error, let me know!


***Update 12/13/15 :
Very, very unfortunately: The packaging didn't come with any troubleshooting guides (at least in mine) and today, for no particular reason, on startup, the console started flashing yellow lights in intervals of five blinks at a time. I've done some poking around, and this is what I've found: http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/t/19664109

Since this is a new console, there aren't very many threads where people have worked on a solution to this. I rebooted it, no luck. Unplugged everything, no luck. The best I've found is "send it back" but this all seems very strange because I've played this thing maybe 10 times max.

I will continue to post when and if something happens.

***Update 2/1/16 :
Received the replacement console (there are no returns, only replacements - and you have to write "Replacement" on a slip of paper in the return box or they will just repair your old one I guess?) I went through Gamestop which was a real sh*tshow as far as customer service.

So far, it's a pretty smooth experience. Obviously, not all games are designed for use with a controller, but there are some templates you can use if you don't wan to assign buttons yourself.

True, you cannot play all the games on the console, because not everything is made for it. That's a downer, but if I'm really itching, I still own a computer, so okay. (You can find helpful threads here on how to install Windows, but instructions or not, that's a little out of my wheelhouse.)

So far on the replacement console I've run: Ittle Dew, Portal 2, Octodad, Tiny & Big, and Slime Rancher. (Everything has been pretty good except for Slime Rancher, which you can't configure the controller well for, but it's a brand new game so I'm sure they haven't worked out all the kinks yet.)

The "For You" section, where they give you all the recommendations for games you might like to play, crashes a lot. I don't think I've ever gotten through the whole list. This is actually a feature that is very useful to me, so it's a bummer that it doesn't work well.

In my experience, every console comes with some drawbacks, and this is no different - but compared to my PS systems, and to hooking my computer up to my entertainment system, the Alienware Steam Machine is much better. It's simpler, a breeze to hook-up, and for my purposes, worth the investment (as long as the new one doesn't break, ahem.)

[Black Mambo № 5]

SteamOS in it's current state is pretty unreliable, largely due to the lack of enough developer support. Which I hope changes because a gaming OS free from the proprietary BS of Microsoft is where it's at.

But if you wish to, and if it doesn't void the warranty of your Steam Machine, I'd suggest that, for now, you should just load up Windows on it and download the Steam Client and boot it up in Big Picture mode which is essentially the same as SteamOS minus the Linux based kernel.

Hardly any difference and most games, if not all, work without any issue on Windows.
Unless of course the updates for SteamOS are frequent.

BTW, you can dual boot SteamOS and Windows as well if there are way to many issues with games on SteamOS.

[daniel.mantione]

Good feedback, I'm sure people from Alienware and Valve will read it.

For (2), know that you don't have to use the Steam Controller. Its purpose is that it allows you to play games that have been designed for keyboard/mouse on the TV. However, if a game does support gamepads, the Steam Controller has little added value over other gamepads. Because the Steam Machine is an open platform, it supports just about any gaming device. Try to connect the one of your million ps3 controllers that still works, and it should work on your Steam Machine right away.

For (3) and (4) I think the best thing to do is to report your findings also in the forums of those particular games. The Steam Machine is new, not just for you, but also for the developers of these games. I'm sure a lot of developers are interrested to hear your feedback about how well their games work on Steam Machines.

[Ennui007]

Originally posted by Black Mambo № 5:

SteamOS in it's current state is pretty unreliable, largely due to the lack of enough developer support. Which I hope changes because a gaming OS free from the proprietary BS of Microsoft is where it's at.

But if you wish to, and if it doesn't void the warranty of your Steam Machine, I'd suggest that, for now, you should just load up Windows on it and download the Steam Client and boot it up in Big Picture mode which is essentially the same as SteamOS minus the Linux based kernel.

Hardly any difference and most games, if not all, work without any issue on Windows.
Unless of course the updates for SteamOS are frequent.

BTW, you can dual boot SteamOS and Windows as well if there are way to many issues with games on SteamOS.

I will look into it. I'm not totally sure what all the configuration options are, mostly because no one had any practical advice for me, so I just figured buying the theoretically best thing was also theoretically the best option.

[Ennui007]

Originally posted by daniel.mantione:

Good feedback, I'm sure people from Alienware and Valve will read it.

For (2), know that you don't have to use the Steam Controller. Its purpose is that it allows you to play games that have been designed for keyboard/mouse on the TV. However, if a game does support gamepads, the Steam Controller has little added value over other gamepads. Because the Steam Machine is an open platform, it supports just about any gaming device. Try to connect the one of your million ps3 controllers that still works, and it should work on your Steam Machine right away.

For (3) and (4) I think the best thing to do is to report your findings also in the forums of those particular games. The Steam Machine is new, not just for you, but also for the developers of these games. I'm sure a lot of developers are interrested to hear your feedback about how well their games work on Steam Machines.

I don't have a problem with the controller exactly, there's just a learning curve, and like setting up my xbox controller to my laptop, you have to kind of mess around with how to assign buttons and so forth. This isn't the end of the world, but you know, it's sort of a pain.

I will go to the game forums presently! Good advice. I definitely want to contribute and help out. I am fully aware that this console is an expensive gamble that not everyone will want to take, so building some resources for public information is important.

[SHREDDER]

Welcome to pc gaming Ennul. If you havent install windows then do it now. It is the only way to play all the games.

[XÆЯO_Vince]

Ennui007, sorry to see you're having troubles with your gaming experience.

I went ahead and took a look at Trine 2 Demo on SteamOS. I don't own the game so the Linux demo of the game is all I have access to. The game starts up with a launcher that lets you adjust your graphics settings and resolution.

Did you change the resolution to something like 1280x720 or 1920x1080? That would be the proper resolutions for a Steam Machine connected to a HDTV. I chose one of these resolutions and the game game launches and runs fine from within SteamOS session, even in a VMware virtual machine.

Maybe you didn't choose a proper resolution from the menu and therefore getting a strange off-center menu? This is what I choose from the startup launcher menu:

Language: English, Resolution: 1280x720 (16:9), Automatic, Anti-aliasing: Off, Vertical sync: off, Graphics detail level: Very High.

Try that or with 1920x1080 and see how that works.

As for Don't Starve, I don't have that game to try it. Have you tried hooking up a keyboard and mouse to see if it works better with that by chance? Maybe try to see if there are community controller profiles. Not sure why certain menus aren't responsive but I would report these issues to the game's Steam community group and see if other people have suggesstions.

[retro_Ed]

" 3. I apparently bought something called Trine 2 and have never played it. I have no idea what it is, but I'm sure some friend told me to go for it, so it was in my Library. I installed the game and opened it to start playing, but the menu was illegible. Like, everything was off-center and covered in cubes and you couldn't select anything. I managed to back out of the game and get back to the main menu, tried again, and had the same result. Oh well. "
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I reported this issue back in march 2014 ( I had SteamOS beta then ) straight to the Frozenbyte and nothing seems to changed / fixed.
I dont know if this launcher mess is a SteamOS related or game related or both but it is similar in Trine 1 & 2.

I suggest, Ennui007, that write to Trine2 forums about this launcher problem. Frozenbyte people are quite active in forums. Hopefully this will be fixed.

[Ennui007]

Originally posted by XÆЯO:

Ennui007, sorry to see you're having troubles with your gaming experience.

I went ahead and took a look at Trine 2 Demo on SteamOS. I don't own the game so the Linux demo of the game is all I have access to. The game starts up with a launcher that lets you adjust your graphics settings and resolution.

Did you change the resolution to something like 1280x720 or 1920x1080? That would be the proper resolutions for a Steam Machine connected to a HDTV. I chose one of these resolutions and the game game launches and runs fine from within SteamOS session, even in a VMware virtual machine.

Maybe you didn't choose a proper resolution from the menu and therefore getting a strange off-center menu? This is what I choose from the startup launcher menu:

Language: English, Resolution: 1280x720 (16:9), Automatic, Anti-aliasing: Off, Vertical sync: off, Graphics detail level: Very High.

Try that or with 1920x1080 and see how that works.

As for Don't Starve, I don't have that game to try it. Have you tried hooking up a keyboard and mouse to see if it works better with that by chance? Maybe try to see if there are community controller profiles. Not sure why certain menus aren't responsive but I would report these issues to the game's Steam community group and see if other people have suggesstions.

Resolution was fine. It's not just off-center, it's like, white strips and mismatched text and just generally super buggy looking. I took photos but I'm not sure how to share them in the forums.

I posted in the Don't Starve forum and we will see if anyone has helpful pointers!

[Ennui007]

Originally posted by retro_Ed:

" 3. I apparently bought something called Trine 2 and have never played it. I have no idea what it is, but I'm sure some friend told me to go for it, so it was in my Library. I installed the game and opened it to start playing, but the menu was illegible. Like, everything was off-center and covered in cubes and you couldn't select anything. I managed to back out of the game and get back to the main menu, tried again, and had the same result. Oh well. "
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I reported this issue back in march 2014 ( I had SteamOS beta then ) straight to the Frozenbyte and nothing seems to changed / fixed.
I dont know if this launcher mess is a SteamOS related or game related or both but it is similar in Trine 1 & 2.

Noted!

[Ennui007]

Originally posted by SHREDDER:

Welcome to pc gaming Ennul. If you havent install windows then do it now. It is the only way to play all the games.

I understand, but am saddened by this, because obviously my naive hope was that this console would just, you know, work out of the box. I'm not sure how to go about it, because I don't have any machines that run Windows, but I will endeavor to piece together how a mac owner (don't judge, this wasn't my choice) can install windows on a steam machine.

[XÆЯO_Vince]

Windows is not a silver bullet, either. Just go to any game discussion forum and you'll find people with problems running any number of games on Windows with their hardware too. Furthermore, Windows isn't free and you'll be looking to spend another $100 for a copy of Windows 10 Home after already spending $750 on your i7 Steam Machine. The only thing that can be argued is that occurance of problems may be slightly less on Windows than on SteamOS due to SteamOS being a new platform and not all game developers are accustomed to it.

The problem is PCs have endless variables of hardware configurations and some just don't play nice with certain games OOTB. I tried Trine 2 Demo on my system and it works fine in both SteamOS in a VM and Archlinux with AMD Radeon proprietary drivers, so unless its a bug introduced in a later Trine 2 game patch not included with the demo, it's likely an issue with the specific hardware and driver configuration or mode of operation.

Sadly, Steam Machines don't solve the "PC Problem" because they also have numerous different hardware configurations that can lead to problems, whereas the PS4 and Xbox One have single hardware & software configurations that developers can target, test on and optimize for, which makes for a better OOTB experience. However, with traditional consoles you sacrifice things like free online-multiplayer, advanced game modding, potentially better game graphics, a much larger selection of back-catalog games from 2015 to the 1980's, and the whole other utility of PCs--doing more than just gaming.

One solution that might work and has for some games is to turn SteamOS into a regular Linux distribution and have it boot into GNOME rather than Big Picture Mode. SteamOS session has problems with a small number of games but end up working when changed. Doing this will also let you test and see if Trine 2 runs ok in windowed mode or full-screen via GNOME. It also gives you better access to the full Linux desktop with better access to other services like GOG, Desura, game console emulators, desktop applications like Skype and GIMP, etc. The Steam Controller can also be configured to work with the desktop but you'll also want to connect a mouse and keyboard initially.

[Ennui007]

Originally posted by XÆЯO:

Windows is not a silver bullet, either. Just go to any game discussion forum and you'll find people with problems running any number of games on Windows with their hardware too. Furthermore, Windows isn't free and you'll be looking to spend another $100 for a copy of Windows 10 Home after already spending $750 on your i7 Steam Machine. The only thing that can be argued is that occurance of problems may be slightly less on Windows than on SteamOS due to SteamOS being a new platform and not all game developers are accustomed to it.

The problem is PCs have endless variables of hardware configurations and some just don't play nice with certain games OOTB. I tried Trine 2 Demo on my system and it works fine in both SteamOS in a VM and Archlinux with AMD Radeon proprietary drivers, so unless its a bug introduced in a later Trine 2 game patch not included with the demo, it's likely an issue with the specific hardware and driver configuration or mode of operation.

Sadly, Steam Machines don't solve the "PC Problem" because they also have numerous different hardware configurations that can lead to problems, whereas the PS4 and Xbox One have single hardware & software configurations that developers can target, test on and optimize for, which makes for a better OOTB experience. However, with traditional consoles you sacrifice things like free online-multiplayer, advanced game modding, potentially better game graphics, a much larger selection of back-catalog games from 2015 to the 1980's, and the whole other utility of PCs--doing more than just gaming.

One solution that might work and has for some games is to turn SteamOS into a regular Linux distribution and have it boot into GNOME rather than Big Picture Mode. SteamOS session has problems with a small number of games but end up working when changed. Doing this will also let you test and see if Trine 2 runs ok in windowed mode or full-screen via GNOME. It also gives you better access to the full Linux desktop with better access to other services like GOG, Desura, game console emulators, desktop applications like Skype and GIMP, etc. The Steam Controller can also be configured to work with the desktop but you'll also want to connect a mouse and keyboard initially.

Very helpful!

One person commented above that the Trine thing is actually an ongoing issue that's been reported, so I will let that one rest and not worry about it.

I don't have an xbox or ps4, but I do have a ps3, and I think I'm just having to learn that enjoying games means dealing with imperfection and lots of gadgets. I'm a person who has a massive, ridiculous, complicated audio system, so it seems viable to me that the same sort of collection can apply to this as well, if what you truly want are all the options.

Unrelated, but while we are here: Can you tell me where a good place to get game recommendations might be? I know what mechanics I enjoy, but I don't know how to filter through everything and end up with games I like. I've unfortunately purchased a few things I hated just because I wasn't sure how to shop expertly.

[retro_Ed]

Steam has refund policy so you can get your money back. If i remember correct, limits are that game is played under 2 hours and request is done within two weeks from purchasing.

[daniel.mantione]

Unrelated, but while we are here: Can you tell me where a good place to get game recommendations might be?

http://www.gamingonlinux.com is a website that daily reports about interresting new games that are available. For existing games, this would be a nice list to start with:

https://www.gamingonlinux.com/crowdfunding/index.php/Games_worth_your_bucks

If I read the above and try to make me an impression what kind of gamer you are, you might like The Talos Principle, Cities Skylines (big games), or Toki Tori, Journey of a Roach (smaller games).

[Flyhigh]

I have all Versions of Trine (1,2 and 3) and played through without any problems on Linux connected on a TV and using the Gamepad Logitech F710. I installed openSUSE 13.1 and SteamOS (Brewmaster) on my gaming machine (no alienware yet).

I can't remember on which OS I played Trine 2. But it seems Trine 2 is not officially supported on SteamOS. Its only official released for Ubuntu (I don't know why). Maybe SteamOS was too far away as Trine 2 released.

Once i have time, i will test it.

PS: Trine 3 is officially supported on SteamOS.