Linux-Based Steam Box Information Coming Soon: Gabe Newell

Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve and major proponent of Linux, said at a conference today that Linux is the future of gaming. He has a strong belief in the operating system, so much that he has brought almost 200 games on Steam to the platform. Now he is that much closer to revealing new information about the Steam Box he has been hinting at for some time.

According to Ars Technica, Mr. Newell hinted at details about the device, while not specifically mentioning “Steam Box” by name. “Next week we’re going to be rolling out more information about how we get there and what are the hardware opportunities we see for bringing Linux into the living room,” Newell said.

It would be great for Gabe Newell to clarify what exactly the Steam Box is. We know that it probably won’t be out for some time, as it may not do well against the next-gen consoles by Microsoft and Sony that are coming out this holiday season. We can guess that it may be a sub-PC device that may act to link multiple monitors and setups within one household. We also know that it won’t be a closed system, allowing for other operating systems and special gaming devices to work with the Steam Box. Finally, we can guess that it will be a new way of getting PC gaming content to those more familiar with gaming consoles.

We’ll be on the lookout for more information about Valve and the proposed Steam Box in the week(s) ahead. We know how Gabe Newell likes to take his time, but we await more information with bated breath.

Check out the LinuxCon speech for yourself below.