Valve SteamOS presents a Linux-based platform to bring Steam to your living room

Valve has just announced the first part of his strategy SteamOS lounge with a free operating system based on Linux that takes a step beyond the role of 'Big Picture'. In addition to playing your game collection, SteamOS lets you watch movies and listen to music.

The company has not yet announced a hardware partner for SteamOS, but this could certainly be the operating system of the computer behind rumored Steam Box. OEM can use to build computers SteamOS games like Valve said several times that it is an open platform.

When it comes to games, SteamOS works particularly well for performances and reducing latency audio input. However, only Linux
games
SteamOS will work. While many games are already available on Linux, it still has a long way to go compared to Mac OS and Windows in particular. That's why you will be able to run Steam on Windows or Mac computers in another room and then broadcast their games to your living room using SteamOS. Latency should not be a problem because everything happens in your local network.

The sharing feature of the family now makes even more sense as the living room is the perfect place to let your children play video games. Everyone will be able to have a separate profile and play the same games, just like you would on your Xbox.

SteamOS certainly could replace your game console, but could replace your Roku or Apple TV as well as movies, television and music. Valve not announced a content partner, but said they are "working with many of the media services you know and love." Services like Netflix,
Amazon
Instant Video, Hulu Plus and HBO Go must make his way to the platform.

While many of these services are only available in some countries SteamOS be available for everyone in the world. Just do not know when or what devices will run SteamOS. The second announcement is scheduled for Wednesday.

The company has not yet announced a release date for SteamOS. And while it is not the case of long-anticipated Steam, Valve plans to make further announcements in the coming days. In the Steam website, users can find a teaser page three icons representing three different ads for the living room - SteamOS is just the first.