It's somewhat confusing as to which Steam Machine you should look into buying because there are multiple hardware manufacturers who make the same machine with different components. Some have major drawbacks like not being able to upgrade the graphics card or being too pricy.
Although easy to navigate and use, SteamOS doesn't have every single Steam game. For instance, if you like GTA 5, you won't be able to play natively on a Steam Machine because the game only runs on Windows. That is unless you stream the game from another computer that runs Windows.
Steam has a massive game library with over 2,000 games that trumps even the biggest console library.
On top of that, Steam is also famous for having great sales for older, and indie games.
You still get all the benefits of a PC, and all the games you acquire will come with you from generation to generation, with the advantage of having a cheap, easy to set up machine, with none of the fuss of building your own computer.
Steam Machines will come with a new revolutionary controller made by Valve, that is equipped with two touchpads instead of analog sticks.
The touchpads are incredibly precise, and allow for better control for small movement and large.
While it may not be able to dethrone the mouse and keyboard for precision, it is more comfortable to use in a living room setting, and if you find yourself wanting a mouse and keyboard, all games are still compatible with it.
Steam OS doesn't have compatibility with all games, but the hardware is still a PC, and there's nothing to stop you from dual booting whatever operating systems you want to play any game you want, and if you already have a windows box you like, you can use the Steam Machine to stream from that computer to the living room.
Because Steam Machines will run Steam OS, there will be less overhead required by the operating system allowing cheaper hardware to run games more efficiently, as well as the cost savings of the operating system being free.
Also, because the boxes will be streamlined and mass produced, those savings will be passed on.
Nintendo has some of the best hot-seat multiplayer games outside of the world of first-person shooters. With New Super Mario Bros. U, Super Mario 3D Land, Nintendo Land, and the upcoming Super Smash Bros. U, Mario Kart 8, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Nintendo already has some of the best hot-seat multiplayer options of the next gen consoles.
The best feature of the Wii U and all Nintendo devices is Nintendo games. Nintendo is one of the best developers in the world, and have an unbeatable track record for incredibly fun, clever, and polished games, and as always, they're only available on Nintendo platforms.
If you have a PC, you already have most of the things that Playstation 4 and XBox One offer. Many games for those platforms will receive PC ports, often with better graphics, better controls, and more options.
The PC, however, tends to be weak when it comes to local multiplayer, and in genres like platformers and fighting games that benefit from a standardized, gamepad-like controller. These are the exactly things the Wii U excels at - the Wii U's controls allow for interesting and flexible multiplayer games, with symmetric or asymmetric gameplay, using classic gamepad, motion controls, or some combination of the two, and Nintendo's highly regarded exclusive franchises provide a solid collection of content in these genres.
The gamepad's extra screen allows for some cool unique features. It allows you to play games off screen, allowing you to keep playing if someone else wants to use the TV.
The Wii U has applications for Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube. While pretty much every device supports those services, what makes the Wii U unique is that the gamepad is a much better interface for choosing media than fumbling with the controller.
A great feature for YouTube is that it allows you to search for the next video to play on the gamepad without interrupting the video on screen, making it the best platform for YouTube parties.
The online multiplayer is free, which is great for those not looking to have any type of monthly or yearly fee attached to their gaming console in order to get online gaming.
Unlike the PS4 Pro, but like the Xbox One X, the Xbox One S plays 4K Blu Ray movies. So if you're a huge movie buff with a 4K TV, the XBox One S is a good choice.
The Xbox One S is more similar in hardware and power to the PS4 Pro than it is to the PS4 Slim since the PS4 Slim's hardware hadn't changed (except for size) or improved since the original PS4.
A weird turn of events, considering the company behind the blu-ray made this console, the PS4 Pro cannot play 4K blu-ray movies but can stream movies in 4K.
Unlike the original model of the PS4 or the PS4 Slim, the PS4 Pro will not only be compatible with your older PS4 games, but will also be supported longer than the PS4 Slim or the original PS4.
Unlike the original model of the Xbox One or the Xbox One S, the Xbox One X will not only be compatible with your older Xbox One games, but will also be supported longer than the Xbox One S or the original Xbox One.
Cost less than most systems of this generation, though this is a portable and is comparatively priced when taking that into account. In the long run, this is also a less expensive system as the games are cheaper over other consoles as well.
You can use a keyboard like the Razer Stealth on this Device, but mostly you will use a controller and because you are streaming PC games from Nvidia Servers or your own PC they have any auto-aim built in, if the game has any specific option for that.
Many games designed for multiple platforms, those developed for PS4 & XO especially, have to be upscaled when deployed to XO due to lack of raw graphical power.
The Kinect is no longer just for new play controls. With its next generation high quality camera, it can now enhance other games with cool features, such as tracking your face and automatically logging you into your account, as well as being able to automatically re-arrange your UI position for multiplayer games.