SteamOS, Steam Machines, Steam Controller

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Steam-based Linux OS. They'll probably make a console also, but it can just as readily be installed on a standard PC as a dual boot or whatever. They're probably going to announce an actual Steam box later this week, though.

I do think if they can pick up the right exclusives, and charge the right price, a Steam console could easily compete with the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. I probably wouldn't give up my gaming PC for it, but I could definitely see myself spending $400 on a game console that has true cross-platform compatibility and a shared games list with all my PC friends.
 
I assume this is what they will run on the Steam Box. Although I won't be buying one of those.
 
So VALVE just went and announced their own controller, completing their week of living room stuff. I really don't know what to make of this:

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No D-Pad, no thumbsticks, no standard face buttons... everything has been mapped to these bizarre haptic stuff. I'm worried Valve might be a little to "innovative" for their own good here.

I'm not gonna declare it awful without trying it, but I'm certainly not convinced this is the future of gamepads.
 
What the.. first thing that came to mind was a cassete player  :-o
 
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I'm declaring it awful
simply because there is a good reason controllers have traditionally had 2-8 buttons and an analog pad FOR GOOD REASONS
 
Valve being the least shitty videogame related company at the moment, I'm sure they'll have another more traditional version at some point.
 
This will only ever work if this will be complemented with a hypervisor that'll allow people to run Windows only games. 80% of my Steam library are Windows games.

Running Windows inside a VM will reduce performance greatly though, maybe they fixed it somehow. It'll still cost a Windows license and seeing as SteamOS is free I wouldnt bet on it.
 
Their current solution is to stream it from a Windows PC with Steam installed. Goodish solution if you buy a separate Steam box, not a good solution for dual boots.
 
The controller isn't what you guys are expecting. I was thinking the same thing and was pretty disappointed that it would pretty much kill being able to play older console games.

However, the more research I did, and the more interviews I read about indie devs trying out the controller, the more I realized I was wrong at how amazing this actually is.

They aren't track pads, they are haptic pads. Basically it uses electrostatic to trick your fingers into thinking you're actually feeling a different surface, curve, bump, whatever. It can even fake your fingers into thinking it's a moving trackball. So if you spin it, it moves and slowly slows down, even though when you look at it, it's just a pad.

Basically, you can program any menu, any game, or whatever to have a different layout and expect a different movement. So you can create a Super Nintendo button layout, Gamecube layout, etc, and have it expect you to press down on specific locations while those locations feel like buttons that are expecting a push action.

I hope that it is as good as it sounds because it's one of those things that you just have to try to understand. Here is a video demonstrating the same technology on a flat screen tablet.
 
I'm genuinely interested in this, using a kb + mouse on the sofa gives my right hand cramps after a while, normal pads are useless for games like Civ V so I really hope this is an improvement.

They aren't track pads, they are haptic pads. Basically it uses electrostatic to trick your fingers into thinking you're actually feeling a different surface, curve, bump, whatever. It can even fake your fingers into thinking it's a moving trackball. So if you spin it, it moves and slowly slows down, even though when you look at it, it's just a pad.
Click to expand...
As I understand it the pad still uses motors to deliver the feedback, which isn't the same technology in the video you linked

The Steam Controller is built around a new generation of super-precise haptic feedback, employing dual linear resonant actuators. These small, strong, weighted electro-magnets are attached to each of the dual trackpads.
Click to expand...
http://www.precisionmicrodrives.com...ding-linear-resonant-actuator-characteristics
 
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I know it's all personal preference, but why would you want to use a controller for fps or strategy?
 
Well, personally my GF would rather me game in the living room than me being cooped up in my office and second there is a bit of nostalgia to living room gaming.

Lastly, I want other console manufacturers to miserably fail. There was once a time for proprietary closed consoles, but that time has ended.

Edit: Bridging the gap would be also amazing. No longer being dependent on specific hardware when wanting to play a Mario game, Final Fantasy, Halo, etc.
 
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What I don't understand: Steam Box (singular) was supposed to be a kind of console.
Now there will be a dozen or so Steam Boxes?

I doubt this concept will be working without *standardized* hardware.
 
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