Steam started as a simple video game provider for computers, and has grown into a major competitor in the video game market, console or computer. Steam offers users thousands of video games to purchase, as well as extra hardware and software. While the service has grown over the years, it has always had some trouble competing in a market that is dominated by consoles and controllers connected to televisions. Computer gaming has always has some limitations, as different users will have different computers with different capabilities. In order to fix this, Valve, the company behind Steam, has been working on a console of it own.
Announced last year, the new Steam console will allow users that have downloaded Steam games on the computer to download them again and play on a console. Valve has just announced that it has developed a new operating system for the future console, and major developers are preparing their popular games to run on the new operating system.
This new operating system will allow Steam to become a major competitor among the likes of Microsoft and Sony. The open operating system may very well become a preferred alternative to the limited access operating system of the Xbox and Playstation. Video gaming has always been restricted to the mediums used to play them, creating a divide between PC gamers, Xbox gamers, Playstation gamers, and handheld or mobile gamers. Steam has been working hard to find ways to bridge the gaps between the mediums and improve the experience for the user.