

What else can I do on SteamOS besides play games?Īlthough primarily a game-playing operating system, SteamOS will also support media streaming services. EA is unlikely to invest hugely in Linux ports if the public doesn’t invest in SteamOS, so the more people who do this the better. We’ll be back with more on how to do this soon. If you have a media box PC, it’s likely you’ll be able to convert it into a Steam Machine using the SteamOS download available from Valve’s website. However, you don’t need such a machine to get up and running.Īs SteamOS runs on the same x86 architecture as Windows, so you can turn just about any modern PC into a Steam Machine.

SteamOS will see several manufacturers make a bunch of different Steam Machines – computers designed with the SteamOS specifically in mind. SEE ALSO: Best Xbox One games What do I need for SteamOS? It has a long way to go at present, but Valve promises native support for triple-AAA games in the future as it attempts to woo big publishers to make their big PC releases work on Linux and by extension SteamOS and Steam Machines. The idea, however, is that the rise of Steam Machines will eventually improve Linux support in the games industry. They include favourites like Counter-Strike, Football Manager 2014 and Garry’s Mod, but the selection right now isn’t great. You can find out which Steam games support Linux on the Steam website. Native games compatibility isn’t going to be anywhere near as good as it would be on a standard PC, though, as Steam Machines are based on Linux rather than Windows. Any PC can run SteamOS and Steam Machines will play games, but they can also stream games from your high-power desktop PC to your TV, via the Steam Machine and your Wi-Fi network. SteamOS is a free download, and is a complete, Linux-based system that you’ll need to install on a ‘Steam Machine’ that hooks up to your TV (or a monitor). non-console) audience, which has gradually eroded over the last decade. The system is designed to offer an experience that bridges the divide between PC gaming and the more relaxed style of console gaming, and to try and bring back the ‘PC games’ (i.e.

SteamOS is a gaming-centric operating system made by Valve, the developer/publisher behind games like Half-life 2 and the proprietor of Steam, the biggest digital games portal in the world. SEE ALSO: Steam Machines Specs and Prices What is SteamOS? But what is SteamOS and should you be excited about Steam Machines? Here’s a primer on everything you need to know about Valve’s latest innovations. SteamOS is being released to the public today in download form, and the first Steam Machine units are being sent out to gaming geeks across the world for real-world testing.
