Valve confirms internal development of “Steam Box” hardware

Valve CEO Gabe Newell has shed some light on Valve’s plans with its own hardware, most particularly, that of the long-rumoured Steam Box. This should not be confused with another hardware project into which Valve invested – the Xi3 Piston.

In an interview with The Verge, the Valve CEO confirmed that the company will sell its own Linux-based hardware. Windows can also be installed, as the Steam Box “is not some locked box by any stretch of the imagination,” said Newell.

Referring to the hardware as “Steam Box”, Newell also revealed that project’s codename is “Bigfoot.”

Newell explained that the Steam Box can be used as a server “so you could have one PC and eight televisions and eight controllers.”

Talking controllers, the Valve boss said that the company is more focused on utilising biometrics, than traditional motion controls.

“I think you’ll see controllers coming from us that use a lot of biometric data. Maybe the motion stuff is just failure of imagination on our part, but we’re a lot more excited about biometrics as an input method.”

Newell said the choice to implement biometrics is to add more “communication bandwidth between the game and the person playing it, especially in ways the player isn’t necessarily conscious of.”

When asked about any mobile plans, Newell said that Valve is looking to extend their gaming approach into the mobile market, and added that the company is currently working on a mobile project, codenamed “Littlefoot”.

“Our approach will be pretty similar. We also think there’s a lot that needs to be done in the tablet and mobile space to improve input for games.”

Valve also showed off another PC hardware project at CES, the Xi3 Piston, a project into which Valve invested with Xi3 Corporation – Valve shows off PC hardware project at CES