Are Steam Machine Game Consoles Worth it?

[Arkaign]

I'm a big PC gaming fan, but this was an idea that could have only worked with :

(1)- A loss-leader type of major backer that could package something superior for an affordable price, $299 or $349ish.

(2)- Full Steam library availability, you'd have to have some unbelievably good dev work behind the scenes so that EVERY title could be recompiled and work acceptably (within 10% performance) of Windows PCs. It goes without saying that this is pretty much impossible, and why Windows is the de facto standard for PC gaming.

Seeing that as it is, the Alienware X51 is the closest thing we have to a legit product that delivers decent PC gaming in a prepackaged cheapish box that can be connected to your TV.

DIYers have had better options for ages really, but it remains a shame that no major company has truly figured out how to do this (living room PC for sale at Walmart/etc). The Alienware box is close, but I feel the cost is a little too high, and the results a little too weak to call it a homerun, to say nothing of the absent marketing for the thing.

But SteamBoxes? DOA. They would have been better off waiting for the pieces to work before releasing something that is just going to send the few people that buy them screaming onto Google on how to install Windows 10 on the damned things because they can only play a fraction of major titles (and at considerably worse performance to boot).