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Over the next few days and weeks beta testers everywhere will be unwrapping their shiny new Steam Machine, the latest gaming experiment from Valve. And while we don't have our own Steam Machine unit to pore over, several beta testers have been kind enough to share their unboxing experience with their fellow gamer.

As you can see from the video above, the Steam Machine comes packaged in a hefty wooden box, complete with sturdy latches for added security. This is obviously not the type of packaging that the Steam Machines will come in when they go to market, although it would be cool if it was.

Inside is, of course, the Steam Machine unit, which looks like a matte black version of the Xbox 360. It's a rather innocuous design overall, but one that will fit in perfectly with the endless array of all-black entertainment devices (Xbox One, PS4, Wii U) that are perforating the gaming market.

Steam Machine Unboxing

The beta shipment also comes with the Steam Machine controller, which is arguably the most intriguing part of the "console." Instead of traditional joysticks, the controller boasts two touch pads, which act almost like virtual joysticks. Obviously, no video is going to be able to communicate how the joysticks feel, or whether they are intuitive enough, but it's still interesting to see the design out in the wild.

And finally, the Steam Machine package comes with the usual array of cables — USB, HDMI, power — and also comes with a Wi-Fi antenna, since Internet connectivity is essential to the device's success.

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For those that are interested in seeing the console's guts, the beta tester has also provided a break down video (seen above). The video doesn't reveal too much about the Steam Machine's specs, only that all of its various parts are tightly arranged and everything is secure. It also, by the beta tester's estimation, appears as if the Steam Machine could hold a second hard drive for added space or for a potential RAID set-up. That will likely require more investigation, but this first look suggests it does.

Sure, it's an unboxing video — something we've seen done to death in the past few years. But when it's of an exciting new piece of tech, it's hard not to want to see what the box holds, even if we'll never see for ourselves.

What do you think of the Steam Machine's initial design? What about the hardware configuration?

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Source: YouTube