SteamOS, from Valve Corporation, the company behind Steam, the popular gaming platform, is the latest Linux distribution to be announced.
Yep, that’s one more addition to an endless list of distributions that you can download and use.
But SteamOS will be different. At least according to the official announcement. Different because it is intended for use, not on desktop or notebook computers, but on “TV and the living room.”
Put another way, it is designed for the “living room machines.” But what’s a “living room machines?” Is that just a TV? If so, does that mean I can buy a smart TV, download SteamOS and install it on the smart TV in much the way I install any Linux distribution on a desktop or notebook computer? Or is it any computing device connected to a smart TV?
I think it’s the latter, but I could be wrong.
In any case, SteamOS is not yet available for download, but I’m sure it won’t be long before it hits a download mirror near you.
Here’s an excerpt from the announcement:
Steam is not a one-way content broadcast channel, it’s a collaborative many-to-many entertainment platform, in which each participant is a multiplier of the experience for everyone else. With SteamOS, “openness” means that the hardware industry can iterate in the living room at a much faster pace than they’ve been able to. Content creators can connect directly to their customers. Users can alter or replace any part of the software or hardware they want. Gamers are empowered to join in the creation of the games they love. SteamOS will continue to evolve, but will remain an environment designed to foster these kinds of innovation.
Read the complete announcement here.
