For what seems like years now, gamers have been hearing rumors with regards to Valve's foray into the console space. Some say it will be a straightforward console, while others claim it will a device for streaming PC games straight to the TV, but no one really knows.

Whatever it is, we may soon know more about it, as analysts claim Steam Box news may be right around the corner. In fact, some analysts suggest Valve is ready to unveil the device/console/PC peripheral next week.

This news comes hot off the heels of Gabe Newell's keynote for LinuxCon 2013, in which he praised the open source nature of the Linux platform. Newell revealed that his admiration for Linux is what prompted his company to think about their own open-source device. This, of course, prompted speculation that Valve is ready to announce the Steam Box.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time we've heard rumblings of a Steam Box announcement. Last year, it seemed all but confirmed that Valve would roll out the Steam Box as a competitor to the Ouya, Nvidia Shield, and many of the other self-contained "consoles" out there, but alas nothing became of those rumors.

Gabe Newell Billionare

In addition to talk about the box, there have also been reports that Valve is looking to take a new approach to controllers with biometrics and a feature that tracks the player's eye line. And, on a more basic level, the controller is said to include mix-and-match components, so that developers are not hindered by one particular controller design.

The concept of a console developed by Valve and featuring Steam as its main platform is certainly exciting, but one has to wonder if now is the right time to make this announcement? Both Sony and Microsoft are battling it out with the PS4 and Xbox One, leaving little room for anything else.

That said, this could also be the perfect time for Valve to make the Steam Box announcement, since there are likely a lot of gamers looking at the price tags for the PS4 and Xbox One and knowing their bank account can't support such a purchase. If the Steam Box price was right, however, that might be enough.

Regardless of the evidence, though, when it comes to Valve and announcements it's best to hold off any and all enthusiasm until they are official. We'd rather pretend like things don't exist and be surprised by them, then be stuck in Half-Life 3 limbo.

Do you think Valve is ready to announce the Steam Box? Would you choose it over an Xbox One or PS4?

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Source: Micah John - YouTube