Rumor: Valve said to be working on 'Steam Box' gaming console with partners

[Philip_J_Fry]

no one posted this?
http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/2/284...gaming-console

We're told that the basic specs of the Steam Box include a Core i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GPU. The devices will be able to run any standard PC titles, and will also allow for rival gaming services (like EA's Origin) to be loaded up.

basically it all started when Gabe said in the most recent interview: "Well, if we have to sell hardware we will."
http://www.penny-arcade.com/report/e...-and-whether-w

[breakfromyou]

They seem to already be dominating the PC gaming world, but if they got into hardware and did incorporate some media center features, that would be pretty awesome. Keep the price under $600 and it might just have a chance.

[SKYMTL]

So.....it's a PC with Steam's logo on it and a custom UI?

Release this at a price that's competitive with next gen consoles and you'll have something. More than $600 and people will just ignore it,

[Andrew LB]

With those rumored specs, all Valve needs to do is create a very slick GUI with web-TV, blu-ray, access to the entire steam library, and DVR type functionality... and like Skymtl said, keep it under $600... and they have a winner IMO. An i7 with 8gb ram and modern nVidia GPU without the huge overhead called Windows, would be a very powerful machine. Far more so than any rumored specs for Playstation 4 or Xbox 720. We'll find out shortly.

[The Jesus]

With those rumored specs, all Valve needs to do is create a very slick GUI with web-TV, blu-ray, access to the entire steam library, and DVR type functionality... and like Skymtl said, keep it under $600... and they have a winner IMO. An i7 with 8gb ram and modern nVidia GPU without the huge overhead called Windows, would be a very powerful machine. Far more so than any rumored specs for Playstation 4 or Xbox 720. We'll find out shortly.

If you remove Windows, what would it run? That would remove the entire Steam game part...

[El Mano]

If you remove Windows, what would it run? That would remove the entire Steam game part...

Not necessarily, it may use a linux distro and run games in some form of virtual machine.

Whatever, take my money Valve!!

[matari]

Sub 300 USD maybe, over, good luck.

[The Jesus]

Not necessarily, it may use a linux distro and run games in some form of virtual machine.

Whatever, take my money Valve!!

I feel like that would be more hassle than its worth :/ I don't really know though. We'll see

[zanzabar]

Not necessarily, it may use a linux distro and run games in some form of virtual machine.

Whatever, take my money Valve!!

valve has been working with OSX and moving source to run ogl and directX, so since they had been rumored to be working on their own OS i dont see why this would not have it.

[Syn.]

valve has been working with OSX and moving source to run ogl and directX, so since they had been rumored to be working on their own OS i dont see why this would not have it.

Well they have to be working on something since they still haven't even announced a squeal for HL:EP3. I mean, come on, they have said NOTHING!!!!!

A Steam console would be good, for a non-pc player. Desktop PC's FTW.

[zanzabar]

Well they have to be working on something since they still haven't even announced a squeal for HL:EP3. I mean, come on, they have said NOTHING!!!!!

A Steam console would be good, for a non-pc player. Desktop PC's FTW.

we as the pc community need to have the general public see how a pc works better on a tv than a console and that the mouse is the only way to play a shooter.


and whats with the $600 price range, once u got the last gen of consoles set up you were at like $650 so i dont see this upcoming one costing less than $750-800.

[Hornet331]

Funny how this is still going.. and all this steams from a rumor and a twitter pic back from november where a dude build a HTPC with a Zotac Z68-ITX WiFi Supreme board that could run portal 2 coincidently worked for valve...

[himaro]

It would work for indie games and non online FPS games (such as Half Life). but ye, essentially, it's going to be a very powerfull, steam branded, black and white HTPC.
It will probably run either a very steamlined windows 8 or a very customized linux distro. though i wouldnt put it past them making there own OS.
Will be interesting to see what happens imo

[himaro]

It would work for indie games and non online FPS games (such as Half Life). but ye, essentially, it's going to be a very powerfull, steam branded, black and white HTPC.
It will probably run either a very steamlined windows 8 or a very customized linux distro. though i wouldnt put it past them making there own OS.
Will be interesting to see what happens imo

[lizardmech]

It would be great if they make their own linux version. Breaking the directX stranglehold would greatly benefit pc gaming.

[Hornet331]

Not with OpenGL in its ty stat as it is.... Hell even carmack says DX is better then OpenGL.. and that says a lot when this comes form a man that basically kept openGL alive for gaming on its own.

[lizardmech]

Couldn't they do away with the API if they control the hardware? If valve get enough momentum with their own hardware ATI and Nvidia would likely release steam compatible GPUs. It's not like MS is doing them any favors at the moment, the dx9 console ports must be hurting the high end gpu market.

[Craftyman.]

Valve-branded gaming-oriented OS for PC? I wish .

[Iconyu]

If it happens, it would just be windows, or a stripped version of it. It needs to be able to play everything on Steam, not just the game developers can be bothered adjusting. In reality it would most likely just be a small PC, with a faster than normal GPU.

[Locke]

why this is great: because its a PC powered system with accessibility of a console. if people want good games and graphics than this is the spot! It will compete directly with PS and XBOX and provide anther options and expand PC style game play into the mass market.

why this is bad: because if it fails no one will ever try again and it might mean that valve might start limiting their games based on their console.

[Peakr]

What's the point, Steam can't get premium EA games anymore. They should get back into the 'making games side' of the equation. DX on linux, probably not gonna happen.

[Kayin]

DX on linux is completely possible. OpenGL can do the same things that DirectX does, you just have to translate it. If games did OpenGL calls instead of DirectX, we could have any game on any platform (and I would dump Windows in a heartbeat.) Plus, if Valve did their own gaming OS, I'd love to use it, but I'm sure it would require an always on connection-something I don't have the luxury of where I live. Nothing like being told "we don't care what the FCC says, we're not connecting high speed to your area."

[crash5s]

we as the pc community need to have the general public see how a pc works better on a tv than a console and that the mouse is the only way to play a shooter.


and whats with the $600 price range, once u got the last gen of consoles set up you were at like $650 so i dont see this upcoming one costing less than $750-800.

Most people are already aware of this.

The problem is that most of the time when people buy a computer now, it's a laptop and thus can't game all that well due to the sort of GPUs in them. Plus people don't want to have to deal with the "hassle" of a computer. Keep in mind that for most people using a computer isn't all that fun. So there is no urge to move from a workable console area to the (for them anyways) hell of dealing with drivers, system updates, system upgrades, and blah blah.

The general public knows all about PC gaming and what fancy desktops can do, they voted with their wallets against them.

When a thin and light laptop can game properly on peoples TVs and games are made for those and not higher end desktops the general public will care. Till then, they won't. And laptops are rapidly turning into "too much machine for when you aren't at the office" with tablets out now.

[zanzabar]

Most people are already aware of this.

The problem is that most of the time when people buy a computer now, it's a laptop and thus can't game all that well due to the sort of GPUs in them. Plus people don't want to have to deal with the "hassle" of a computer. Keep in mind that for most people using a computer isn't all that fun. So there is no urge to move from a workable console area to the (for them anyways) hell of dealing with drivers, system updates, system upgrades, and blah blah.

The general public knows all about PC gaming and what fancy desktops can do, they voted with their wallets against them.

When a thin and light laptop can game properly on peoples TVs and games are made for those and not higher end desktops the general public will care. Till then, they won't. And laptops are rapidly turning into "too much machine for when you aren't at the office" with tablets out now.

thats my point, if u have a pay a few hundred on a desktop and build it yourself or go to a shop to have them build it (unfortunately the OEMs dont give a about properly configuring computers) then u can smash a console in performance for a similar price. then with the TV, i dont think that most people know that u can use a tv as a monitor and have an HTPC/gaming pc that works just like a console or boxee would.

[ryan92084]

boxeebox:HTPC::steambox:gaming pc?