SteamOS updated with AMD, Intel graphics support

Valve's Steam Machine PC-based games consoles, unveiled by its hardware partners at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week, may not yet have hit shop shelves, but the company has updated its free SteamOS software for those looking to build their own with support for Intel and AMD graphics.

The update, released late last night, allows anyone with dedicated AMD graphics cards or Intel integrated graphics to install and try the software. It also addresses numerous bugs within the operating system. Those with SteamOS already installed will receive the update automatically, while the downloadable version has also been updated. As before, users will need a machine with a 64-bit AMD or Intel processor, at least 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB or larger hard drive which can be dedicated to the OS.

Valve's Steam Machine push sees a total of fourteen manufacturers building officially-licensed living room centric gaming PCs running Valve's Debian Linux-based SteamOS software, including Bolton-based Scan Computers. Designed to bridge the gap between PC and console gaming, SteamOS sends the user straight into Valve's Steam digital distribution platform running in TV-friendly Big Picture mode - making it as easy as possible to start playing games.

As well as powering commercial machines, Valve has released the SteamOS software as a free download for anyone looking to make their own Steam Machine console. The operating system is still in the very early stages of beta testing, however, and initially launched supporting only selected Nvidia graphics cards.