With Valve delaying its official launch of Steam Machines, partners like Alienware have had to rethink their plans for bringing PC gaming into the living room. That's not to say they're giving up though; instead, companies are using the hardware platform as a vehicle to sell Windows-based PC gaming consoles that can run the full catalog of games in Big Picture Mode and with Steam Controller support.
Today, Cyberpower PC is launching its own take on the concept with the Syber Vapor series. The company's first line of Steam Machines is a little bigger than the Alienware Alpha — it's 21 cm wide, 20.3 cm deep and 5.5 cm tall compared to the Alpha's 17 in x 13.6 in x 7.9 in dimensions — but crams in a similar spec'd set of hardware.
The low-end model starts at $449, while the high-end model is priced at $1,399. Both machines are fully upgradable with standard desktop components, which means you won't be stuck on the same graphics card for eight years like the Xbox One.
Despite being a bit on the pricey side, it's worth noting that Syber's Steam Machine is also significantly smaller than a traditional Xbox One or PS4. Its modestly spec'd Intel Core i3 processor and GTX 950 GPU should be able to put up with some pretty demanding titles as well. And if you want even more power, it's easy to upgrade the CPU and GPU for a lot less than the MSRPs of an Xbox One or PS4. The sale runs until midnight tonight.