Steam Machine prototype from iBuyPower revealed

Not to be outdone by the launch of next-gen consoles (Xbox One and PS4), traditional PC manufacturer iBuyPower has revealed its first Steam Machine prototype. The company has released some hi-res photos of the intriguing machine which ditches the traditional black color of consoles, and even Valve's own prototype, in favor of a sleeker white casing with a light bar running horizontally through the middle.

Engadget reports that the iBuyPower machine is set for a 2014 launch and the hardware "will run all Steam titles in 1080p at 60fps." No further hardware details were revealed, but the prototype was showing running "an early build of Steam OS, but it's not quite a finished product."

Two variations of the prototype were actually shown off, both white in color but with different light bars. One model had a clear light bar, while the other one was black when not illuminated. The two models were codenamed Gordon and Freeman, though I'm not sure which name represents which variation — or if there were any other differences aside from the light bar.

The Verge, meanwhile, reports that iBuyPower's machine is larger than the PS4, but smaller than the Xbox One, and comes standard with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 500GB hard drive. It also has an integrated power supply, which means no bulky power brick. The site also reports the machine will be priced at $499, the same price of Microsoft's Xbox One.

Valve first revealed the idea of the Steam Machine in September of this year when they made a series of announcements including the SteamOS, Steam machines, and a Steam Controller. There's still plenty of questions surrounding this initiative, but we'll probably see more at CES 2014, which is just around the corner.