OT: Video Games/Computers/Gadgets/Gizmos

[MikeIsGood]

This is what I've been waiting for and signals my full move into the PC ecosystem (which I was already committed to - never play my PS5). The market wasn't there the first time they tried this a decade ago, but I think it sure is now.

I'm really excited for the next Xbox. I'm glad Valve is entering the competition and setting the bar.

Yeah, I know there's been some confusion and frustration over what the future of Xbox is (and isn't) - and I think a lot has been just because of how M$ has handled the conversation around it. Which is to say, poorly.

...but it also seems to me like, at the heart of it, they're legitimately thinking about the future of gaming. I don't want another console that's just a console. It just sits there, and it's so disconnected from the rest of my library. The Steam offering is what I've been waiting for, and as long as they don't totally flub it (which I can't imagine they do), I'll be a day one adopter. Will be interesting to see how Sony handles this with their next gen. Maybe, like Nintendo, they feel like they're so engrained with their exclusives that they can go at it another generation?

It's funny to think about 10 years ago when I was kinda anti-Steam because they were starting to monopolize the PC market space. But mother **** is it just so damn convenient and by far the best option out there. Agree with you though that it would be great if M$ could be a legit competitor in the space. Epic Games sure isn't.

[ReasonablySober]

This is what I've been waiting for and signals my full move into the PC ecosystem (which I was already committed to - never play my PS5). The market wasn't there the first time they tried this a decade ago, but I think it sure is now.

I'm really excited for the next Xbox. I'm glad Valve is entering the competition and setting the bar.

Yeah, I know there's been some confusion and frustration over what the future of Xbox is (and isn't) - and I think a lot has been just because of how M$ has handled the conversation around it. Which is to say, poorly.

...but it also seems to me like, at the heart of it, they're legitimately thinking about the future of gaming. I don't want another console that's just a console. It just sits there, and it's so disconnected from the rest of my library. The Steam offering is what I've been waiting for, and as long as they don't totally flub it (which I can't imagine they do), I'll be a day one adopter. Will be interesting to see how Sony handles this with their next gen. Maybe, like Nintendo, they feel like they're so engrained with their exclusives that they can go at it another generation?

It's funny to think about 10 years ago when I was kinda anti-Steam because they were starting to monopolize the PC market space. But mother **** is it just so damn convenient and by far the best option out there. Agree with you though that it would be great if M$ could be a legit competitor in the space. Epic Games sure isn't.

My only issue with this Steam Machine is it's apparently underpowered, and doesn't bring the horsepower that the Xbox Series X does. From DF:

"The decision to opt for 8GB of GDDR6 memory has been proven to be a limiting factor on many modern mainstream triple-A games and falls short of the maximum VRAM pools and memory bandwidth available on both Xbox Series X and base PS5. To accommodate 8GB on affected games, paring back settings (particularly texture quality) and steering clear of ray tracing is frequently required."

"Factoring out the growing wave of triple-A titles that do present best with more VRAM, there is certainly an argument that 8GB will be fine for the vast majority of the current Steam library, but explicitly laying out a 4K 60fps FSR target for the hardware reminds us of similar claims made by console manufacturers in the past. It's a claim that can only fall short when games have so much scalability built in and where every title has its own level of baseline performance. We'd need to go hands-on, obviously, but experience of what this level of horsepower achieves based on our GPU reviews suggests that expectations should be tempered in this regard."

So somewhere between a Series S and a base PS5. They're hoping it comes in at around $400. That'd be a good price if I didn't own an Xbox and PS5. But personally, I'm willing to pay a lot more if I'm getting a future-proof machine, at least for three or four years.

[ReasonablySober]

Watch on YouTube

Oh hell yea. Gonna be time for another play though.

[DanoMac]

How have you guys unlocked the map playing Ghost of Yotei? Like what direction did you first go in?

Starting in the Yotei Grasslands, I went Tokachi Range first, then Ishikari Plain (where I currently am). Is that the most common route? Should I head back to Tokachi and go up towards Teshio Ridge next?

[jschligs]

I didn’t expect much from it, but the BO7 videos I’ve seen are horrendous. Especially the campaign which has giant mutant zombies?

It is good to see COD have competition. Hopefully rights them a bit for the next installment. In honesty they should take an extra year. I played the MP beta and it was as cookie cutter as all the others.

[MikeIsGood]

Seems like the Steam Machine is roughly a wash or maybe even behind my desktop from ~8 years ago - which I say to be factual and not damning, actually. It's clearly intended to be a lower cost, entry level-type option for people who may not have Steam access today. It's interesting to me that a high-end desktop from 8 years ago matches up with a mid-range laptop/small form from 2 years ago (which is the rumored tech); I just thought we'd advanced further in that time.

Anyways, so I may install SteamOS on my current PC and build a new desktop instead. That would be significantly more expensive, but it's probably been a long time coming.

[humanrefutation]

I'm in the process of sourcing parts for a gaming desktop. My laptop is about 10 years old now and needs to be replaced. I have a work laptop. So, I figured that instead of paying for a personal laptop upgrade, I'm going to try to build a gaming desktop for the first time. I'm keeping an eye on specials.

[MikeIsGood]

I'm in the process of sourcing parts for a gaming desktop. My laptop is about 10 years old now and needs to be replaced. I have a work laptop. So, I figured that instead of paying for a personal laptop upgrade, I'm going to try to build a gaming desktop for the first time. I'm keeping an eye on specials.

Same - post any deals you see and I'll do the same!

I hope the laptop I got in the spring is the last big "gaming" laptop investment I'll need to make. Streaming keeps improving, and with up and download speeds doing the same, I hope streaming over your home network becomes easier and easier.

[jschligs]

Been in Florida with the family for the last 8 days. On our way home today. I have been dreaming of sitting at my desk and gaming for the last few nights. Gosh I’m an old nerd homebody.

[MikeIsGood]

If there any other puzzle fans out there, I could not recommend Lumines Arise enough. I had no idea this was coming out until a few days ago, but it's a Lumines revival themed to Tetris Effect. It's absolutely incredible.