14 DAY TRIAL // The gaming community is anxious to get their hands on the new Linux-based Steam Machines from Valve, but it seems that the launch of this console hybrid is being delayed until next year.
Valve is not a company known for its punctuality and it looks like the upcoming Steam Machines will definitely fit the profile. But what are these Steam Machines everyone is talking about?
The company announced only a year and a half ago that they were launching the Steam for Linux client, and a few months ago Valve released SteamOS, a Linux distribution based on Debian that will power a console / PC hybrid. It will try to rival the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in the living room.
The only difference is that Valve is thinking about this console model a little bit differently. They want to have a console that can be upgraded with new parts and that is built by numerous third-party companies according to a set of specifications, which are not very constraining.
To make things even better, Valve is working on a new controller that will revolutionize the way people play games on the consoles, especially for first-person shooters and strategies. Unfortunately, as you can see, this is a lot of work and the proposed 2014 goal is no longer viable.
“We’re now using wireless prototype controllers to conduct live playtests, with everyone from industry professionals to die-hard gamers to casual gamers. It's generating a ton of useful feedback, and it means we'll be able to make the controller a lot better. Of course, it's also keeping us pretty busy making all those improvements. Realistically, we're now looking at a release window of 2015, not 2014.”
“Obviously we're just as eager as you are to get a Steam Machine in your hands. But our number one priority is making sure that when you do, you'll be getting the best gaming experience possible. We hope you'll be patient with us while we get there. Until then, we’ll continue to post updates as we have more stories to share,” said a Valve representative in the Steam Universe discussion group.
This can indicate a number of problems that need to be solved, beside the fact that the Steam controller is nowhere near ready. It's very possible that their operating system, SteamOS, is not prepared to take on such a huge task. There are still problems with the drivers and it will take a long time to fix them.
The AMD support is rather poor and Valve really wants the Steam Machines project to be a powerful competition. The biggest problem is probably the price, which is high at the moment, as it surpasses PS4 and Xbox One by a lot.
Valve and the companies that are building the consoles probably need more time to get the prices down and to improve the final quality of the product, hardware and software-wise. They also need more games under their belt, so postponing the Linux domination of the world by another six months, into 2015, may not be such a bad thing.