Valve may be developing a “Steam Box” powered by SteamOS
The new kernel designed for “AMD Lilac” hints at possible new hardware
The device seems more of a competitor for Nvidia Shield than an upcoming Steam Deck 2.
Would buy this day one. I really hope these rumors are true.
If I could put a decent linux TV targeted distro on a minipc then I’d happily use it now.
This is what I’m using, and required no tinkering.
I use it for VR and step mania, too.
I’d love a shield replacement (even though it’s pretty much fine), but how are you going to get streaming to work properly? Are you going to support all the DRM stuff platforms require to stream reasonable quality video in Linux?
I am definitely interested if it has decent apps to replace my aging Roku. I do have the Steam deck docked to my TV. I was interested in an updated Nvidia Shield Pro if it ever came out, but I would like to see what Valve comes up with.
I don’t quite understand the appeal of a streaming box in most cases. What is the appeal?
It turns any TV into a smart TV. Compared to just using the features built into a smart TV, it has a more capable processor, more timely updates with a longer lifetime, and possibly a wider selection of apps. Compared to using something like a game console or PC, it is smaller, more power-efficient, and (if the only feature you care about is streaming) has fewer unnecessary features.
I use a laptop hooked up to my TV which is vastly superior in the most important way for me: ad blocking.
Of course it depends on the OS, but when NVIDIA started showing ads I installed a 3rd party launcher. It also allows me to install apps that block and skip ads on a major streaming platform. And, if I upgrade my TV I’m not entering my info into a new system, I just plug in the Shield.
I mean all they have to do is the Steam deck without the screen and with a controller. Steam deck 2 hardware to get 1080p.