Valve’s SteamOS operating system, the Debian Linux-based OS which was introduced in September last year, has been so far supported by 12 Steam Machine partners, according to reports.
The reported 12 Steam Machine partners are namely iBuyPower, Alienware, Falcon Northwest, CyberPowerPC, Origin PC, Gigabyte, Material.net, Webhallen, Alternate, Next, Zotac and Scan Computers.
While the above mentioned partners have already signed for the initiative, Digital Storm, a firm known for manufacturing custom gaming computers, is also rumoured to provide support.
The complete line-up is set to be displayed at CES, starting on 7 January 2014, reports Engadget. Valve’s Las Vegas conference will be held at 5PM (Pacific Time) on January 6, where it is expected to showcase the first Steam Machines, and a complete list of partners.
Valve’s Steam OS was announced in September last year. SteamOS is described by Valve as a “free forever”, standalone Linux-based operating system that’s meant for the “TV and the living room.” Valve on its SteamOS page says that in its efforts to bring Steam to the living room, it reached the conclusion that the “environment best-suited to delivering value to customers is an operating system built around Steam itself.”
The OS is focused on revamping the overall gaming experience for large screen users. SteamOS is also an attempt to compete against Microsoft and Sony powered gaming consoles.
Valve’s SteamOS is free to download, however the installation procedure is aimed at tech savvy users. The OS is in its version 1.0 codenamed “Alchemist” and is currently under its testing phase. The gaming OS is also available as a freely licensable operating system for manufacturers.
First-party Steam Machines are currently in their beta testing phase, with just 300 beta users, who are also testing the next-generation controller.
iBuyPower, one of the partners for the SteamOS Machine has revealed that their AMD processor powered Steam Machine will arrive in 2014 for $499.
Some of the key specifications of the iBuyPower Steam Machine are:
AMD multicore CPU
AMD Radeon R9 270 Graphic Card
500GB hard drive
Bluetooth and built-in wireless connectivity
Source-NDTV
