Alienware wants to to attract more customers with its “console mode”

It’s probably time to forget about Steam Machines. When Dell and Alienwaredebuted their Alpha PC console at E3 earlier this year, I confidently predicted it would be the ideal gateway to teleport Xbox and PlayStation diehards into a frustration-free PC gaming experience. I recently took a deeper dive into the Alienware Alpha user interface, and my confidence has only been elevated. For those unfamiliar with the Alpha, it’s a sleek, diminutive box which Alienware describes quite purposefully as a “PC console.” And its purpose exactly? To offer graphical performance on par with a system like the Xbox One or PlayStation 4, but do so without the usual hurdles and hassles typically associated with PC gaming. Stuff like Windows and Driver updates, network and display configurations — hell, even the desktop itself (or lack thereof).