Valve recently announced the SteamOS operating system designed to bring Steam to the living room, and now Valve has announced Steam Machines, various hardware models designed to take advantage of the new operating system when Steam Machines launch in 2014.
Valve made the announcement on its official website, and revealing that gamers will have multiple different models of Steam Machines to test out.
"Entertainment is not a one-size-fits-all world. We want you to be able to choose the hardware that makes sense for you, so we are working with multiple partners to bring a variety of Steam gaming machines to market during 2014, all of them running SteamOS," wrote Valve.
The company will be releasing models made by several different manufacturers, including Valve's own so-called Steam Box. Valve explained the company was producing multiple models to test out various aspects and specs to discover what helps bring Steam to the living room:
"We're conducting a beta of the overall Steam living-room experience, so we needed to build prototype hardware on which to run tests. At Valve we always rely on real-world testing as part of our design process. The specific machine we're testing is designed for users who want the most control possible over their hardware. Other boxes will optimize for size, price, quietness, or other factors."
Valve revealed that it will have an exclusive beta program to test out these prototype Steam Machines, and those chosen will get one of these new devices for free:
"While these products are still in development, we need your help. As always, we believe the best way to ensure that the right products are getting made is to let people try them out and then make changes as we go. We have designed a high-performance prototype that's optimized for gaming, for the living room, and for Steam. Of course, it's also completely upgradable and open."
For those interested in joining the Steam Machine beta program, Valve has a very specific set of rules. Only 300 of these prototype consoles will be given out for the beta, so those interested in the program should make sure they qualify and sign up immediately.
This announcement is the second of three announcements that Valve has teased. The first was for SteamOS, and many have jumped to the conclusion that the third announcement will be for Valve's own Steam Box, which has been heavily rumored in the past.