Steam Box will not be a set console but an open platform
After years of speculation, Valve announced Wednesday the details for its plan to expand Steam‘s influence to the living-room. The long rumored Steam Box will be available to the public as early as next year.
The “Steam Box” is more aptly called the “Steam Machines,” as unlike most consoles it will not feature a defined set of hardware characteristics but will be an open system. The consistent piece between these various models will be Steam’s extensive library of games and the Steam Operating System announced on Monday. This operating system will be open source and modifiable, a bit like Android OS, allowing different manufacturers to tailor it to their hardware needs. The openness of the Steam Machine system will also mean that consumers can purchase components and build their own Steam Box, just like they can with PCs.
A preview of what Steam OS will look like running on a Steam Box.
Even though third-party manufacturers can build these Steam Boxes, Valve also plans to market its own version. Beta testing of this “prototype” (as they term it) box will begin before the end of 2013. Valve explains:
We always rely on real-world testing as part of our design process. The specific machine we’re testing is designed for users who want the most control possible over their hardware. Other boxes will optimize for size, price, quietness, or other factors.
Access to the beta, however, will be extremely limited. Only 300 units will be shipped. Beta testers will be chosen through Valve’s Steam Hardware Enthusiast badge. The steps to qualifying are:
- Join the Steam Universe group.
- Agree to the Beta Terms and Conditions.
- Have at least 10 Steam friends (if you already do, you already meet this qualification).
- Make a public Steam profile (if you already have, you already meet this qualification).
- Open and play a game on Big Picture mode with a controller.
Meeting these qualifications will place you in the pool of qualified applicants for the beta. All steps must be completed by October 25th, 2013. Valve stated that they plan for 30 of the units to be sent to people who have done a lot of beta testing before, while 270 of them will go to anyone regardless of previous beta experience.
“The Steam Universe is expanding!”
No photos, hardware specs, or price has been announced yet, but Valve seems very open to the idea of beta participants sharing their opinions publicly about the prototype, so expect to hear more soon.
Now with the Steam OS and Steam Machines announced, Valve just has one final announcement to make this Friday at 1:00pm ET. Stay tuned at Einfo Games for coverage of this announcement! Let us know what you think about the Steam Machines in the comments.
