All they need to do is make a console-sized Linux-desktop for $400 with an i3/FX-4300 and an HD 7750/GTX 650 with equal games support to windows, and they will be golden.

Then make CPU/GPU/RAM upgrading as easy as switching DVD's, and it will be that PC-console bridge so many have been waiting for...

It would perform slightly below the Xbox One, but easily run the same games with the added ability to do all your normal PC taskes, and the promise of the ability to upgrade when you want to.

What do you guys think?

It will either be a streaming device, either another overpriced console that will flop

F#cking exclusives and worthwhile games to move any units because from what I think that thing is bound to flop. Valve knows even less than microsoft in the console space so yeah they need to listen to me to be able to succeed.
BTW valve can't possibly try porting every steam game to opengl seeing as how that would make them bankrupt.

I'm assuming that they will have a mid-range hardware version priced to compete. And there will also be an upgraded version (which can also be easily done by the user) for those who want something top-of-the-line. Valve has already clear how important user-upgradeable hardware is.

Beyond raw specs, this box needs to be able to do things that the traditional consoles cannot. Something along the lines of projecting the same game to multiple TVs at once is a great idea. Two siblings in one home can play competitively on their own TV sets without the other one seeing what's on their screen. And if they play co-op, they can each have their own screen without having to run multiple wires to multiple TVs. This is both possible and an exciting thought.

And as far as controls go, I am wondering if it will be more of a traditional remote or something much more elaborate. I know that they've done lots of testing with VR, so I'm curious whether or not that plays into this new hardware.

Lots of unanswered questions, but I'm very enthusiastic to hear from a company that is know to think outside of the box (no pun intended). Looking forward to next week's announcements.

I don't see the gap the steam box can fill really when consoles are closer and closer to pcs, if valve made a bunch of high quality games exclusively for that platform the backlash would be to big for it to be worth it, and making multiplat pc/steam box games will probably end up with 95-99% of the games bought on pc and the rest on the steam box for Valve and other devs.