14 DAY TRIAL // This year’s edition of the E3 gaming trade show ended with a very short video teaser showing something really exciting, an upcoming handheld Steam Machine.
Did you ever want to play Amnesia or Mortal Kombat on the train? Well, the SteamBoy Machine Team is looking to make your dreams come true, then.
"Announced earlier this year, Steam Machines are new entertainment systems targeted for play Steam games in the living room. SteamBoy takes a step forward, carrying the fun everywhere," the team explained.
"I think people will get shocked by SteamBoy potential and possibilities. SteamBoy is the first device that allows to play Steam games on the go, you will keep playing your favourite games at the bus, the office, the school or the doctor's waiting room," SteamBoy Machine Team said.
The video offers a brief look at the SteamBoy concept design, featuring the signature round track-pads of the Steam Controller, and the ABXY buttons of the Xbox, with the device’s screen positioned right between them.
The project is not affiliated in any way with Valve, and it will be released in a market that’s already struggling, as the handheld gaming devices are facing stiff competition from smartphones and tablets.
The SteamBoy, however, will have a distinct advantage over the Nintendo 3DS and Sony PlayStation Vita devices, coming with a wide array of available games right off the bat, the devs saying that the console will allow gamers to play nearly all the games that are currently available on Steam.
The hardware details of the device are not yet final, and it is not yet entirely clear whether the device will be able to play the games on its own or by using Steam’s in-home streaming feature, but its prospective hardware specs indicate that it will be able to run quite a few games on its lonesome.
The developers have that they were looking to fit the SteamBoy with a quad-core CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 32GB built-in memory card, as well as a 5-inch 16:9 touchscreen.
The SteamBoy will be able to connect to the Internet via both WiFi and 3G, which means that it will most likely also support Valve’s game streaming service.
During CES 2014, Valve announced that it had partnered with 12 hardware manufacturers in order to create several different models of Steam machines, specifically designed to play or stream Steam games using SteamOS. The first of the devices are expected to become commercially available in 2015.
SteamBoy Machine Team did not reveal any prospective release date apart from sometime during 2015, or any details regarding the handheld console’s pricing, but we’ll keep you posted on any further developments.
