The problem I have with the Steam Box is that I just can't for the love of it get hyped about the concept of a Steam Box.That doesn't sound like you have a problem at all.
But I'm sure that's just because I've burned my bridges with the community I was in on Steam.
Can I hack this box? Run another OS? Change the hardware? Install my own software? Use it to build a robot?
Sure.
Can I download the OS to try it out?
You will be able to download it (including the source code, if you're into that) but not yet.
Stay tuned, though - we have some more to say very soon on the topic of input.
Questions!
Is this the same beta as the Steam machines one, or is it separate?
Same. So you only need to sign up once.
How does the beta work? When will it start? How will you choose participants?
Please see the FAQ on Steam Machines, because it covers lots of important questions.
I’m a happy Steam customer happily using my happy mouse and keyboard. I don’t want a controller?
You can’t make a sentence into a question by just putting a question-mark at the end. But we’re happy you’re happy, and by all means keep using whatever input method makes sense for you. Rest assured, we won’t abandon you. We love mice and keyboards, too.
Can I use a controller if I don’t have a Steam machine?
Yes. It’ll work very well with any version of Steam.
I’m a developer - how can I include support for the Steam Controller in my game?
On the same day that our prototype controllers ship to customers later this year, the first version of our API will also be made available to game developers.
How will the beta controller differ from the one that’s for sale next year?
There are a couple important differences: the first 300 or so beta units won’t include a touch screen, and they won’t be wireless. Instead, they’ll have four buttons in place of the touch screen, and they’ll require a USB cable.
What’s next?
We’re done with our announcements, and we promise to switch gears now and talk specifics over here in our Steam Universe community group. Also we’ll talk soon about the design process and how we’ve arrived at our current prototype. (We’ll post detailed specs next week for our living room SteamOS prototype, too.)
We look forward to working together with you to design the future of Steam in the living room.
That is interesting. Maybe the third announcement is a special gamepad of some sort made for Big Picture?
Having such a big platform as Steam is move over to Linux should really make developers aware of it.Implying that developers aren't aware of Linux. I've honestly never met a developer who didn't know about Linux.
I think the reason as to why people don't program for Linux is that it just adds a bunch of development cost and time. If you're using DirectX, you're already targeting two major platforms out there, Xbox and Windows. That's the main reason why Microsoft uses DirectX on the Xbox platform (DirectXbox?).
- GPU: some units with Nvidia Titan, some GTX 780, some GTX 760, and some GTX 660
- CPU: some boxes with Intel : i7-4770, some i5-4570, and some i3
- RAM: 16GB DDR3-1600 (CPU), 3GB DDR5 (GPU)
- Storage: 1TB/8GB Hybrid SSHD
- Power Supply: Internal 450w 80Plus Gold
- Dimensions: approx. 12 x 12.4 x 2.9 in high