Sorry Guys, Valve Shoots Down “Steam Box” Game Console Rumor

Not too long ago, word spread around the ole Internet that vaunted game developer Valve is working on a game console, dubbed the “Steam Box,” which would allow users to play Steam games (just PC games) on their television from a set-top box. Not the worst idea in the world, in that the console would appeal to gamers who would rather sit back on couch than hunch over a desk, as well as gamers who couldn’t exactly afford a top-of-the-line PC in order to play games, but could afford a single console. Unfortunately for current and would-be fans of Steam, Valve marketing director Doug Lombardi seems pretty adamant that this Steam Box isn’t happening — at least not anytime soon.

Lombardi did say that Valve is currently working on the Steam Big Picture Mode UI, which will allow gamers to play games on their TV connected to a PC, and also mentioned that Valve is experimenting with biometric feedback, noting that these are the things Valve is currently working on, but they’re a long way from shipping.

Initially, Steam Box rumors pointed to a specific box built by Valve employee Greg Coomer, but Lombardi said that box was specifically built to test Big Picture Mode, and that Valve tends to build specific boxes for many of their projects, even the original Half-Life. Hopeful readers noted Lombardi seemed to be dancing around flat-out denying that Valve is making the Steam Box, pointing out that Valve could be taking the kind of approach with the Steam Box as Google does with Android, partnering with other hardware manufacturers to make the box, and thus, technically, Valve wouldn’t be making the box. Lombardi swooped in and put that theory to rest, though, saying that no, nothing like that is happening anytime soon.

Sorry, folks.

(via Kotaku)

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James Plafke