Alienware now shipping its Alpha console box

By David Nield November 23, 2014

alienware now shipping alpha console box — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you just can’t decide between a next-generation console and a Windows-based gaming rig then the Alienware Alpha PC is here to meet your needs. It’s been in the pipeline since the summer, and this weekend Dell confirmed that shipping had started on the compact computer with console aspirations.

In terms of living room gaming, Sony and Microsoft have the market pretty much sewn up, but efforts such as Alpha and SteamOS are looking to change that landscape. Prices for the new machine start at $549 with an Intel Core i3 dual core CPU and 4GB of RAM, rising to $899 for a faster Intel Core i7 quad core CPU, 8GB of RAM and more storage capacity.

What makes the Alpha different is its customized Windows 8.1 interface — it sports a console mode that lets you dive right in to your games using a compatible gamepad. The alternative desktop mode available on the machine is invisible until you plug in a keyboard and mouse. If you need them, you’ll need to source these peripherals (and a monitor) separately.

The Alpha ships with an Xbox 360 wireless controller and a specially engineered NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M graphics card designed to maximize performance for games currently in the Steam line-up. If you don’t want to head to the Dell website to pick up your new compact gaming PC then you can find the boxes on sale at Amazon, BestBuy, GameStop, NewEgg and TigerDirect from this weekend.

“We’ve been working hard this past year to break the mold and develop a system that finally brings hundreds of Steam games, including some really fun indie titles, to TVs,” said Alienware’s General Manager Frank Azor in a press statement. “The team and I are excited to finally deliver our vision for big screen gaming and give our fans a console that delivers true next-gen performance with the flexibility to choose how, what and where they want to play.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributor

Dave is a freelance journalist from Manchester in the north-west of England. He's been writing about technology since the…

Computing

Save $500 on this Alienware gaming laptop with an RTX 4060

Doom Eternal running on an Alienware x14 R2.

Not all gaming laptop deals are worth your time and money, and even less will be powerful enough to meet gamers' needs for the next few years. If you're willing to make a serious investment, you should check out Dell's offer for the Alienware x14 R2 gaming laptop. From its original price of $2,000, a $500 discount brings it down to $1,500. It's still not cheap, but it's actually a reasonable price for a machine of this caliber. You need to hurry with your purchase if you want the savings though, as its price may be back to normal as soon as tomorrow.

Why you should buy the Alienware x14 R2 gaming laptop
The Alienware x14 R2 takes aim at the best gaming laptops with the powerful performance provided by the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card, which is paired with the 13th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and 32GB of RAM that our guide on how much RAM do you need says is the sweet spot for high-end gamers. You'll be able to play not just all of the best PC games, but also the upcoming PC games in the near future without having to make any upgrades.

Computing

Alienware gaming laptops and PCs are heavily discounted today

The Alienware x14 R2 gaming laptop on a desk.

If you're serious about gaming, you're going to need a powerful machine that won't have trouble running the best PC games. Alienware is one of the most trusted brands in the industry, and now's a great time to buy one of its devices as there's an ongoing sale from Dell. You can get a gaming PC for as low as $1,400 and a gaming laptop for as low as $1,450 in Dell's Alienware sale, where all of the options will also get you ready for upcoming PC games. You need to hurry in deciding what to buy though, as we don't think there's a lot of time left before you miss out on the massive discounts.

What to buy in Dell's Alienware sale

Computing

Hurry! This Alienware gaming PC with an RTX 4090 is $800 off

Alienware Aurora R15 placed at an angle on a table.

Gamers who are on the hunt for a powerful gaming PC should consider going for the Alienware Aurora R15, especially with Dell's $800 discount for this model featuring the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card. From its original price of $3,900, it's down to $3,100 -- it still isn't cheap, but it's a reasonable price for a gaming desktop that will be able to handle even the most demanding settings. You need to hurry with your purchase if you're interested though, because we're not sure if the savings will still be available if you delay the transaction to tomorrow.

Why you should buy the Alienware Aurora R15 gaming PC
While its successor, the Alienware Aurora R16, is already out, the Alienware Aurora R15 remains one of the best gaming PCs that you can buy today. This particular build of the gaming desktop, which combines the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card with the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X processor and 32GB of RAM, is capable of running the best PC games without any issues. It's also well-equipped to handle the upcoming PC games of the next few years, so you don't need to think about upgrading any components within the near future.