Is Alienware Alpha - The First Steam Machine With Windows PC Capability?

The new Dell Alienware Alpha has made a promising entry into the gaming PC market. The new gaming hardware by the company combines the features of a gaming console and a Windows PC to meet gaming, as well as productivity requirements. Since the latest Alienware Alpha PC is quite new in the gaming industry, let us check out some its features to highlight its capabilities.

The popular gaming series by Alienware has come up with its latest PC gaming devices or a Windows compatible Steam Machine for $499. It is hard to believe that the Alpha costing $499.99 by Dell is the first commercially available Steam Machine, but it won't ship with Valve's Steam Controller. Additionally, the gaming freaks will get surprised to know that the Alienware Alpha gaming PCs also won't ship with SteamOS. So what does it actually take to lighten up the first commercially available Steam Machine? Well, if you cannot wait to enjoy your favorite Alienware Alpha games then, simply access this mid-spec Windows 8.1 PC by following common mini desktop startup settings. The gaming device will straight away boot into Steam Big Picture Mode and thus provide you the access to the plethora of online games. 

According to the previous market research, Steam Machines were developed to replace the Linux-based game consoles. The incorporation of the magical gamepads has made it quite simple and easier for users to play PC games right from their couch. Here comes a big question- what exactly is the Alpha series playing at?

The Background Story

During CES 2014, Alienware Alpha was one of the 12 hardware partners that shown the capability of becoming prototype Steam Machine hardware. Unfortunately, a lot of changes have taken place in the Steam Machine universe since then, and the entire plan of the Dell Alienware Alpha series got changed.

Valve Corporation focused on the development of SteamOS, a custom build of Linux software, to ensure that the new gaming machines can boot straight into Steam's Big Picture Mode. The gaming industry experienced a high curve, when the revolutionary Steam Controller entered the market and emphasized on making PC gaming accessible right from your couch. The controller eliminated the touchscreen features of the SteamOS and replaced it with an analog stick instead of a D-pad.

Dell's Decision and the Evolution Stage

When other hardware partners were waiting patiently for the Valve's final products, Dell's Alienware decided to launch its device with capabilities of both- the Steam Machine and the Windows PC. The company decided that the Alpha series will look like any other black gaming console but it will also work as a standard Windows 8.1 PC to meet productivity requirements. The company also took a step ahead by pairing itself with the Xbox 360 wireless gamepad to enjoy seamless gaming sessions. Alienware Alpha PC has its custom interface to ensure that a user will never have to choose between the Windows 8 Metro and Desktop interfaces.

The Final Product and Vital Tech Specs

The standard Alpha PC features a dual-core Core-i3 Intel processor with 4GB of RAM and 500GB of system storage space. The device also incorporates the custom-built Maxwell-based Nvidia GPU for faster and sharper gaming experience. Although, the base model doesn't feature the best CPU for gaming, but it allows you to play all Alienware Alpha games with great ease and comfort. If you're willing to spend $849.99 for a living room PC, you can buy the Alpha with a quad-core Core-i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 2TB hard drive.

Conclusion

The Alienware Alpha allows users to enjoy the freedom of PC gaming with an ease of a console and a game controller. The custom-made user interface (UI) of the gaming hardware allows you to navigate all of the Alpha's core functions and your favorite Alpha games at ease. The Xbox 360 controller enhances your gaming experience without using a keyboard, mouse, and other input mediums. If you're a gaming freak, then you should buy the device and connect with the global online community for downloading and playing variety of games!