Steam has no doubt become a large entity in PC gaming over the years. Many games and developers start out on console nowadays and then move to PC. Steam has deep PC roots, which is one reason why it is so popular among gamers. Steam, however, is now taking another daring step into the living rooms of gamers: Steam OS.
Steam OS is an operating system that can be booted to a PC in conjunction with Steam’s Big Picture Mode. It boasts a host of new gaming options that essentially turn a PC gamer’s rig into a console. Players will be able to stream content as well as play music and movies and view pictures on their hard drives. Family sharing will allow family members to share games between them, and parental control options will be available as well. The one thing that Steam OS might have over buying a new console is that it is completely free and always will be.
With the addition of Steam OS, Steam will not be abandoning all of the things that made it successful in the first place. Steam will allow all of its games and workshop content as well as 'friends' and Steam Cloud to be compatible with Steam OS.
Steam OS will also be available in a console ‘box.’ This ‘box’ will come with Steam’s own controller as well as other features. These boxes and controllers will be shipped to 300 eligible beta participants following Oct. 25. An FAQ can be found by clicking here.
