Valve may unveil its own gaming ‘console’ sometime this year, according to a report by The Verge. The Valve console would be an open hardware standard that computer manufacturers could build to. It could potentially play standard PC titles and make use of competitors’ distribution services, like Origin. Despite any possible ‘Steam Box’ (as many are referring to the device) branding, the device would essentially be a small, reasonably powered PC connected to a television that also hosts a couch-friendly controller-based interface. If true, the Steam Box would be both a surprise entry into the next-gen console race and the first viable console from a new company since Microsoft’s Xbox debuted in 2001.
1UP’s Ryan Winterhalter and Chris Pereira sat down today to discuss the prospects of the system and what kind of impact it could have.
