Valve Adds Additional 3rd Party Hardware Support to SteamOS - The UpStream

Valve Adds Additional 3rd Party Hardware Support to SteamOS

posted Sunday Jan 24, 2016 by Scott Ertz

Valve Adds Additional 3rd Party Hardware Support to SteamOS

Valve's "gaming console" Linux-based operating system SteamOS, has not been successful, either commercially or with hardware partners producing Steam Machines. In fact, many manufacturers are skeptical of the platform for a number of reasons. The primary reason for the skepticism might be the lack of games available on the platform, but a leading concern is the lack of hardware that can be used with it.

Many gamers are not big fans of the uncomfortable, awkward controller that is part of the standard setup, meaning that an alternative was needed. In a recent update, Valve has agreed and added support for Microsoft's new Xbox One Elite controller. This new controller is becoming incredibly popular among hardcore console gamers, meaning that supporting the controller could actually gain some traction for Steam Machines. The downside, of course, is that the controller can only be used wired, causing a lot of inconvenience in the livingroom.

Another area that SteamOS has lacked is in the ability to communicate with people on the platform. The addition of Bluetooth pairing in the latest update means that you can now pair any headset to the console, from a cheap cellphone headset to a high-end Monster headset. In addition, Bluetooth means that you could pair a PlayStation 3 or 4 controller with the system, though there is no telling whether or not the buttons will be mapped to anything that matters.

While these new features, available currently in the beta release, might make a lot of Steam Machine owners happy, it is unlikely that it will draw new users to the platform. Before they will be able to get any real traction, Valve still needs to address the biggest issue: catalog.

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