Besides 95% of games who don't support Linux, while that number might shrink, I doubt most games will support Linux or Unix in the near future (5-10 years). Besides how does Microsoft ignore PC gaming, by being the only OS on the market which runs 95% of video games on the market, or their DirectX which is the best API out there, I really don't know how.

Or do you think Linux with its constant driver issues and hardware support is so much better? I got a AMD 7950 and Team Fortress 2 runs like shit on Linux, compared to Team Fortress on Windows 8 on the same hardware.

As I said above in another comment, yet another Linux distro, with a Steam overlay - if developers and publishers don't jump on the Linux boat, this wont change much in the world of PC gaming. I think they say they can stream Windows games from a Windows PC to the Steam OS box, but that is the same as putting instant noodles into the microwave and then the microwave in the oven, why not just have a Windows box below the TV and have everything there, Steam Big Picture is already all a gamer needs, well maybe a more refined one, but really, I don't need another OS to play games when Windows does everything people could possibly want from an OS to do.

The only thing Microsoft could do is release a cheaper version of Windows for gamers, but I bought 5 copies of Windows 8 for 20EUR each when they had that promo at release time, that's 5 licensed copies for a total of 100EUR, well worth it if you ask me, whilst the price for Windows 8 now is around 250-300EUR and that is quite expensive I give you that.

So yeah, it's ubuntu based.

Here's a link.

Component: steam Origin: Valve Software LLC Label: Steam Architecture: amd64 Description: Steam packages and updates for Steam based on Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS

They're realizing Krazy Ken's vision.

Yes or they would have to create some kind emulation, though on the the website it it states: Hundreds of great games are already running natively on SteamOS.

That doesn't seem to indicate emulation but it is still a bit vague what that means. I would assume that is Linux games, I mean it isn't too long ago Valve released Steam for Linux, and they do seem to have strong Linux focus in any case.

Exciting times for gaming.

so there are only a few games that run native on Linux, but we can stream to this box/OS... so we'd still need a windows machine to stream games to our SteamOS box in the living room.

i need this why?

rant...

i know it's likely not for me and would work for others... but, at least, it sounds like they want to make a console (which PC people say they don't want) but they kind of have one but since it's based on Linux you still need to have a windows box to stream games to it and they announced it (like all Linux based projects) because they want to get the news out about this half an idea even though it doesn't work yet and is half baked and has not even a remote suggestion about a release date other than "soon" and we still need to build our own box (which we can do but most of the population can't) but we don't know when we can and they are staggering their announcements to gauge response.

you know the PS4 is based on FreeBSD, but, the PS4 has games that it can run on it's own, and it's cheaper, and it's one box, and i don't have to build it or maintain it or fix it when it breaks. What devices will games release on first? right xb1/ps4 so i'll stick with the appliance style machine since... like most normal adults I have a job and a family and will not sit around having to maintain yet another broken Linux machine.

i've worked with the Linux ecosystem directly for 15+ years, even did some projects, but Linux outside the server space is a joke. (fragmented andriod included). you can't build a coherent whole when literally everyone involved is pulling in different directions.

a machine is useless without an os, and os is useless without a machine and they are both useless without relevant apps that consumers demand.

Successful mainstream solutions... Apple, Sony and MS... love them or hate them... they sell a solution (hardware, os and useful apps consumers demand to use the devices) (an appliance turn key thing you simple plug in and turn on) at a price the market can bare for people who either don't have the knowledge or time to build it themselves but still want to enjoy the device. SteamOS fills none of those criteria.

... /rant.

sorry, i respect the whole PC thing and Steam but thus far, personally, i'm not all that into it... yet at least.

if you want PC games in the living room, plug your PC into your tv. done.

This is going nowhere. Normal consumers won't know or care about it, and generally do not install OSes. Hardcore gamers either prefer real consoles, or have tonnes of legacy PC titles this software requires a second computer to run. Why would they build 2 PCs when they could build one much more powerful Windows PC? Now a dedicated Steambox, if they announce one, possibly has more legs as a PC-console hybrid which serves as a living room accessory to a PC (sort of like the Vita TV acting as a bedroom accessory to a PS4). But this OS on its own merits? Worthless.

@churrific said:

My thoughts exactly. I don't even feel like we can intelligently respond to this announcement before we get the rest of the news. Also there is a lot about this announcement that wasn't made clear.

It's simple really, we're all slaves. We're Valve's bitches.

Uh, it doesn't sound like that to me. This seems like an OS for a console-use device. Not a PC as we use PC's. Granted, there aren't many details on this, but it doesn't seem like this can replace Windows, MacOS or Linux. It's meant for a console.

Additionally, if all you do is game this is not the thing you want as it will be unable to run 98% of games out there.

This just seems like a first move in a list of many moves needed before this becomes a viable option for anyone. Just like Steam was when it first launched. Also, while I have no numbers to back anything up, I tend to think that hardcore PC gamers are a market that is so small, that Microsoft wouldn't even notice it if they all went SteamOS once it is a viable option. Windows makes their business primarily off companies and such.

Love Steam, couldn't care less about this; I just hope they finish it soon so they can get back to making games.

Oh, hello.

Saw this coming a mile away, i'll be interested to see if they can drum up all the needed vendor support at a driver level.

As a PC gamer, I would be happy to exchange my Microsoft leash for a Valve one.

This OS is not for me, at least right now. I already have my PC hooked up to my TV and Windows runs basically everything. This would be awesome for whatever this Steam Box is going to be, but the SteamOS seems like it's for the most rabid Valve fans.

The only reason I've used Windows my whole life is gaming.. This changes fricken EVERYTHING. Not because I'll switch to steamOS, it doesn't seem to do what I need in the first place which is a desktop computer.. But.. What it does do is make devs want that SteamOS label, which means they will develop a linux version.. I've been mocking Linux since day one, but man.. This could be kinda big.. If I get the choice when buying my next PC (hypothetically. I always build my own) between a linux box for 499 or a winbox for 599.. both now able to run the exact same software.. Windows being a shitty OS that coasted on its monopoly for 20 years... Guess I might go Linux then..

It's a shame Microsoft stagnated the way they did. They've done nothing new since Gates left. And after ONE successful console gen they believed they had monopolized the console market as well, offering us the sad pathetic expensive ugly Moviebox that is the Xbone. They just have no idea of how to innovate. NO idea. Apple will probably also make some money off of this, should MS lose its grip on the OS market. Would be hilarious if MS fell back on its spreadsheet days. 30 guys working in an office somewhere, cranking out the next excel and word.

Prediction on next 2 announcements:

1. The SteamBox with this newfangled OS is launching in November - right with the 2 new consoles. Preorders are being taken now (through Steam!)

2. HL3 is launching exclusive with the SteamBox.

Sign my ass up.

SteamOS must be installed to play Half-Life 3

UBUNTU FTW!!!

I don't get it. From what I understood, this OS will run OSX, Windows and Linux games. Now, most of those Mac and Linux games work on a Windows as well, but apart from that I wonder if Steam OS will allow me to run the programs I use on my Windows PC and Macbook? I don't see why I personally would use this instead of my PC or laptop...

Still surprising to me that people don't already have their main PC next to a TV. Feels like the 90's in here.

Awesome. I have another computer thats ready to test this out on. I love Big Picture Mode and can't wait to see whats up. XD

What is the difference between the PS4 and Xbox One? The pricing and package, everything else is basically the same and comes down to personal preference, I really don't grasp comments like this. Microsoft doesn't innovate, what different did Sony do? Nothing, nada, zilch.

Microsfot wanted to innovate with becoming Steam like, but the outcry of what basically is piracy on consoles - used games sales supporters and trading camps, was too much even a sane person could stand and they reverted that thing.

If you want a gaming PC, $499 covers about the graphics card and RAM, everything else costs a bit more. And no if you buy a full PC for $499 it's not a gaming PC, playing games at 15FPS is not gaming but a dias show.

So yeah when and if they offer a Steam Box for $499 and it actually has decent parts inside, you know parts that make new games run smooth as butter, I will congratulate VALVe, but that wont happen, cause they can't swallow the loses.

And as said above a OS soley for playing games is fine on a console or handheld, for everything else it's useless and as much as people like to give shit to Microsoft for Windows it's simply the best OS on the market, why would anyone go Steam OS for gaming if he can do that with Windows and many more things is beyond me, besides if Steam OS would actually run all games I would say "hm.. maybe a serious gamer would go for it" but because it's just yet another Ubuntu derivative, we know how that will end.

And it was Good. Hopefully!

Eh, nope. From the way they've worded it on the website you'll be able to run certain games specifically ported to Linux on your SteamOS box. Windows or MacOS games will have to be run on an actual Windows or Mac machine, then streamed towards the machine running SteamOS.

EDIT: To be a total dick about it, Valve just made its own Nvidia SHIELD.

Depends what you want to do with your PC. A proper monitor is still tons better as any TV screen.

@flannelbeard: hi5! My thoughts exactly.

I could totally see having steamos as a second os on my pc

Yeah. Less input lag for one.

Desktop Linux is the very definition of a cluster fuck. A cluster fuck that spans entire continents, language barriers, and religions. It has spawned some of the dumbest open source projects in history: Pulse Audio, Network Manager, Mir, and much more!

The best thing that could happen to Linux on the desktop is to have someone with a metric shit ton of money walk onto the playground and say, "This is the way we are going to do it. You can come along and play by our rules, or whatever, go masturbate in obscurity."

I'm curious to see how well Valve handles this.

So this is probably a stupid question, but you won't actually get to play any games on steamOS unless a Linux version exists, right? I'm all for circumventing Windows 8, but there just aren't enough games that I can run outside of Windows for switching to make sense to me

Interesting idea though considering how operating systems are spelled out Steamos just sounds like some b-movie monster that just sounds silly as many people are probably going to combine the word over calling it steam-os.

Whaaaaaaaaat!?

Coming this year the "Three" box. Containing tf3, hl3, portal 3 and l4d3. Only on SteamOS....

first of three...... kinda want to have multiple USB ports for a lot of those steam games. Big Picture is nice, but gotta keep a keyboard and mouse along with the controller

As cool as this is, I really love Windows 8 so I'll be sticking with that.

I've never understood why people want to play in the living room, honestly. As a PC gamer this means nothing to me.

I'd be very interested in a set top box that allowed me to remotely play my PC games off my high-end PC on my big screen TV. If the Steam Box can do that, I'm in. Otherwise, it would be just another console.

Hmm, Gabe said Windows 8 was the devil, so he went and built his own OS. Let's see how many AAA developers sign up.

I expect the other two announcements to be A. Solid details on one or more third party hardware platforms running SteamOS, and B. More detailed plans for Steam to become a more open, easier to publish on marketplace, as Gabe has hinted at previously - a caveat to which might be required SteamOS support for all games except those from existing partners (i.e big publishers.)

Wait... linux based... doesn't that mean all games now have to support linux to work with Steam OS??

@soulcake: That's only for the Windows/Mac only games. Linux games will run nateively

There aren't enough games on the PS4 or XOne but that doesn't stop people, or even maybe yourself, from buying it though. People will buy those consoles and games will get made for them. People will switch to SteamOS now that it is being marketed and push and games will get made for it.

This is potentially revolutionary.

No. Win-based games will not run on SteamOS natively; they will stream from your Windows PC within your network. I've heard people speculating that this is a push to get more games to be Linux compatible. SteamOS isn't an incentive for devs/publishers to do that. Having a large userbase that own a console running SteamOS made by Valve and/or its hardware partner(s) could be though.

I mean it has to be the steam box at some point, and I bet an exclusive game. I would not be surprised if it was either Half Life 3 or Left 4 Dead 3.

Cool stuff. Competition is always good. Pouring some development money in getting better 3D graphics performance on Linux is also good.

Awesome and perfect timing for me considering I just rigged my PC up to be accessible in the loungeroom.

So Valve wants to be the living room Microsoft? With how shitty big picture mode can be they are off to a great start.

I don't understand why someone who already has a gaming PC or isn't just completely up Valve's ass and hopelessly addicted to anything they release, would make use of this. This is a neat announcement that, on it's own, seems completely silly and pointless for 95% of people in an already comparatively small section of gaming overall. A previous comment mentioned that this is great because you can boot multiple OSes from a traditional PC, but... someone really needs to explain why that makes any sense.

To make it a successful OS some things need to happen:

* It has to 'just work' on 99% of the hardware. Most gamers just don't have time to browse the internet for hours to find a driver.

* It has to have a way to make the vast majority of Windows games (past, present, future) run without any significant performance loss.

If only the first one is there, it will still make an interesting OS for a media center or a more office/home-centered machine.

But since even the big Linux companies have never succeeded in either of those, I doubt Valve will make it happen.