Game developer Valve wants to launch its own game console with support for its Steam gaming platform.
For some time now, rumors have been circulating that Valve, the developer behind gaming classics Half-Life and Portal, is working on a Steam game console. The Verge spoke to sources who were allegedly involved in the project.
According to those sources, Valve is working on a reference design based on PC hardware, which it wants to make available together with its software to computer manufacturers. The base specifications for the so-called Steam Box would include a Core i7, 8 GB of RAM, and an Nvidia graphics card.
Rather than releasing a game console under its own name like Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony, Valve would leave production and sales to various partners. Much like Google does with Android, the company would focus on the development and support of its Steam software.
Valve would also be designing its own game controller for the Steam Box, although other USB accessories would be supported as well. The buttons and control method of the Steam controller could supposedly be adjusted for different games. Valve filed a patent for this last year.
In addition, the Steam Box might also be able to pick up biometric data from the player. Think, for example, of a wristband or controller module that records the player’s heart rate.
According to The Verge, Valve may already unveil the Steam Box this week during the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. Another possible launch moment would be during the E3 games expo in early June.
