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SteamBoy Machine Team Promises a Portable Console for Valve's Steam Games

Posted by timothy on from the render-judgement dept.

According to an article at The Escapist, a group of hardware developers is working on a portable version of the long-rumored SteamBox console, dubbed the SteamBoy. (Video tease.) This portable version wouldn't be as powerful as some other Steam-centric rigs, but a representative of this group says "it will be possible to play the majority of current games in Steam." While the exact hardware itself is still under wraps, the SteamBoy design should feature a Quad-Core CPU, 4GB RAM, a 32GB built-in memory card, and a 5" 16:9 touchscreen. ... The pictured SteamBoy looks like a combination of the Steam Controller and the PlayStation Vita, with two touchpads, 8 action buttons, 4 triggers, and two additional buttons to the rear. While that should certainly be as functional as a Steam Machine, we still aren't aware what the system specs will be.

8 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. Storage by Tinfoil · · Score: 2

    Really cool concept but they are intending to make portable a platform that is made with PC levels of cheap and easy to expand storage in mind. Many games will be fine with 32GB, but some (I'm looking at you, Wolf New Order and your 40+GB download) would be no go. Unless they are able to build it in such a way that games could be installed on memory cards that are easily swapped. That would be interesting.

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  2. steamboy? by ganjadude · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Something tells me nintendo might have some words for them if they try and sell the device under that name.

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    1. Re:steamboy? by tepples · · Score: 2

      For one thing, trademarks must remain in use in order to remain protected. Nintendo hasn't used the "Game Boy" mark since the end of 2008, when it discontinued the Game Boy Advance SP.

  3. SteamBoy? by ArcadeMan · · Score: 2

    I'm guessing these guys never heard about Steamboy.

    Say hello to Toho and Sony for me.

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  4. Re:That's nice. by Molt · · Score: 4, Informative

    Been using Steam since shortly after HL2 was released, and the few minor problems I've had with it have been sorted out quickly. Sorry your friend's had problems but personally it's my preferred way to buy games now.

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  5. 32 GB isn't enough for even one BD by tepples · · Score: 2

    A 32 GB internal memory isn't even enough to hold both layers of a single BD-ROM. How do you expect it to fit games with production values matching AAA PS3 games? Or do you expect game publishers to add "SteamBoy optimized" versions of their games with cut-resolution textures the way PS2 DVD games had to be squeezed into one-fourth of the size to fit on the PSP's UMD?

  6. Re:That's nice. by tepples · · Score: 2

    If you boycott all devices with digital restrictions management, then which handheld video game device do you recommend?

  7. Re:That's nice. by LordLimecat · · Score: 2

    "Friend had problems" is code for "friend was hacking and is bitter that he got caught".

    Good riddance to toxic players.