Why is there a steam usb drive in my alienware alpha

#Why is there a steam usb drive in my alienware alpha full#

HereвЂ™s what youвЂ™ll find under the hood of the base $550 Alienware Alpha console: вЂњWeвЂ™re specificallyВ designing this box and going after this initiative for the indie guys.вЂќ AlienwareвЂ™s also considering releasing an Alpha variant that ships without a gamepad, to bring the consoleвЂ™s cost down even more. The latter is an Xbox 360 controller in lieu of the delayed Steam Controller, though Azor says the Alpha also supports the PlayStation 3 controller, and others that AlienwareвЂ™s peripheral partners will announce in due time. Unlike some of the fire-breathing Steam Machines announced to date, the Alienware Alpha largely mimics traditional consoles, from its $550 price point to its small footprint to its bundled gamepad. Valve helped Alienware tweak the AlphaвЂ™s Steam Big Picture installation to include graphical elements that tie into the consoleвЂ™s glowing lights and overall design aesthetic, according to Alienware general manager Frank Azor. While the first-generation Alienware Alpha will ship with Windows 8.1 preinstalled, itвЂ™ll also feature a customized, living room-ready вЂњconsole modeвЂќ interface built to let you open Steam Big Picture, media, and other programs using a gamepad alone. ThatвЂ™s not to say the Alienware Alpha will launch without Steam, however.

#Why is there a steam usb drive in my alienware alpha full#

What will happen toВ the big push to bring PC gaming into the living room now that ValveвЂ™s delayed the Steam Controller thatвЂ™s oh-so-crucial for the Steam Machine vision? That was the question on everyoneвЂ™s lips leading up to E3, and Alienware-whose Steam Machine has been called вЂњa console that encapsulates the full potential of what a Steam Machine should beвЂќ by Valve boss Gabe Newell-answered the question by fully unveiling the $550 Alienware Alpha, a sleek-looking Steam Machine that will still launch in 2014-but without SteamOS.