SteamOS changes needed for them to become a Console contester

SteamOS is the console OS from valve that runs on any hardware, bringing PC to the couch and to the masses, but SteamOS has little bumps in the road that prevents it from being a good console alternative for people who aren't used to the PC market.

Playable Games

SteamOS still has a way off having all games or games by default coming to both SteamOS and windows thus they need a better way of handling content not available for SteamOS coming into consumers eyes that they can't use, currently if you open the store and go to featured, you have a high chance of seeing some windows only deal on the right hand side, for any windows user its like seeing Halo or Uncharted on the front page of steam just to be told that you can't play it on windows but you need to go grab a PS4 instead, this is something that used to be a much bigger problem for big picture mode as it used to just show what ever people running windows would see, but to say its not a problem currently is a issue.

People also realise theres a pc and phone client and a web app, which is great, but the problem with that is that windows only games are shown there, possibly making steamOS users feel upset about games they can't get, a solution could be, only show games that are available for all platforms by default then choose the platforms you game on, and thus the front page would always only show you games you can play regardless of device.

Another difficulty people may have is that they're probably using a steam machine in a front room with no keyboard and mouse, they only have the steam controller, which is great, and works with many more games then ordinary dualshock 4's and xbox 360 controllers, but there are still games that require a keyboard and/or mouse, pony island is one, you need a keyboard there to type, sure you could use the onscreen keyboard option but that is a pain, and not practical in some games and a lot less enjoyable as a keyboard, my solution to this would be, if you're in big picture mode with only a steam controller connected, by default the only games that should show up is games that have full controller support or games that you can beat from beginning to end with a steam controller even if they originally needed a keyboard and mouse, this should include games that need keyboard and mouse if the system detects one, or is selected in the store's settings screen.

One if not the worst issues with steam machines is there confusion, what hardware should I buy is a problem we're going to have to deal with, but if a game works or not on your system with the current drivers shouldn't be a problem any more with SteamOS, SteamOS detects your hardware and steam version, and knows the minimum system requirements for a game, so why not hide games with minimum system requirements that aren't met? This means gamers wont be disappointed that they can't play there game they just bought and that its extremely laggy..

Please note that any game that I'm saying should be hid by default, should have an option not to hide, people who have the capability’s or are willing to deal with certain difficulties should be able to, just customers who perhaps don't have as much knowledge as hardcore gamers shouldn't have to risk these issues.

Separation of Media’s

Steam currently has several issues with displaying media's in big picture mode, when you go to the store page the games and movies a icon or banner, in which it shows a bit of the media the same way a bit of box art would, the issue is that they aren't separated at all, there's never anything to say which media it belongs to, the only thing below the icon is a price tag, possibly with a discount sticker with it, the only way you find out if the media is a game or movie is if you click on it, which isn't exactly a chore but makes the system seem less cohesive.

Steam does address this in some tabs a little further down if you wish to segregate media's inside a tab named “Browse” which offers you to browse Games or Videos, so perhaps this isn't that big of an issue, but should be talked about.

Now while we're talking about media's and videos, how can I miss out, Youtube and Netflix? There’s no app for steamOS simple enough, you can easily access these providers and many more via the internet browser but the ui isn't good its not fun, and is awful for a consumer, theres also no picture viewer or usb media playback, this means you cant browse photos on a USB stick or watch movies you've torrent-I mean downloaded legally on your TV with the Steam Machine unless you pull yourself out of big picture mode and into the desktop mode.

Perhaps a little amount of people like to view images on there tv via there console, but I'm sure many people use there consoles to play other media like music and videos whether that be via a usb stick, or YouTube, or Netflix, there’s already tabs for music and videos, why not let people import there own, and add a tab for apps and try to get big internet players on board?

Boot like a console

Currently SteamOS at least on the cyber, this is less true with the alianware steam machine, is you turn it on, you get a bio's screen, then a steam machine logo, then sometimes it'll go to a steam os logo with a bar underneath it, go black for several seconds and then show the big picture splash screen.

With alianware the bio's screen doesn't show up, this as a console is a good thing, the bio's screen makes it feel like a desktop when it should feel like a console, just have a steamOS boot screen which you can go into the bios by holding down a button on the steam controller or keyboard but don't make it look like a bio's screen, make it a steamOS logo screen, then after a second or so of waiting the splash screen should awaken and let the players play.

The Steam Machine also boots games pretty slowly, perhaps this is a hardware issue, but for a console that costs double or more then a playstation 4, the ps4 shouldn't boot games faster then the Steam Machine...

Adverts

Now that most uncertainty's of SteamOS has a solution the next is selling devices and getting games, the first step is to let people know it exists, get some advert time on TV, get advert space and advertise like crazy, get bigger slots in game retailers for hardware, make steam stores, just get out there, and give the world SteamOS and Steam on Linux.

Exclusives

Now Valve has said there wont be any SteamOS exclusives but I think this is negative for SteamOS, without exclusives theres little reason for anyone to try and use SteamOS or Linux, if they created Half life 3 and was only available for steamOS/Linux then you know a lot of people would install ubuntu or steam OS and may start to use it as there main gaming OS if every new game comes to both systems and the exclusives are the difference between HL3, Portal 3, team fortress 3 on Linux and Halo reach on windows.

What do you think? What do you think would make SteamOS better and more successful in the main stream?