Recently, the announcement was made that the PC gaming way of life will have some of its roots enter into uncharted territory: your living room. SteamOS was officially unveiled.

First of all, I love competition. It benefits the consumer by demanding innovation and pretty much disallowing a monopoly (on most occasions). Google has stopped Apple from taking over the tech industry just as Apple stopped Microsoft. Phone carriers are increasingly offering better consumer-oriented plans because that’s what their competitors are doing.

The same concept goes for video games and video game consoles. It’s been the big three for a long time. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo haven’t had much threat over the years except from each other. But they know how to deal with one another; they all have unique things going for them.

But now, with the announcement that Steam is coming to the living room, and to a console for that matter, not even Microsoft has hesitated to say that they’re keeping a close eye on what Valve has planned for its Steam Machines.

Here’s my take: I love Steam. I also love Steam Big Picture. But what I don’t like about PC gaming is the fact that it can be very expensive to keep a rig in top-notch condition that can max out every new game. For this reason, console gaming has always been my preference.

Now, with a Steam console, we get PC-quality gaming in an upgradable (likely to cost less than upgrading an actual PC), gaming-dedicated console that brings the supreme advantages of Steam to the television. What’s so exciting about this is that SteamOS is free, will run all Steam games, and is the first ever operating system meant just for gaming.

For years, people have relied on Windows for gaming. Only recently have Mac and Linux been viable for heavy-hitter titles. The point is that computer gamers have always had to rely on an operating system to game on that was not built with gaming in mind (at least not at the forefront). But with SteamOS, we get a free operating system that was designed by gamers, for gamers.

That’s another thing; Valve is a gaming company. They make hit games as well as manage the largest digital distribution platform in gaming history. These guys know their stuff, and quite honestly, I think Steam is close enough right now to being its own OS.

Think about it. Steam already has a browser, a big picture mode for TVs; it handles mods, programs and third-party software; it has a marketplace and, of course, a community. The only thing holding it back from making Sony and Microsoft and Nintendo shake in their boots is hardware that can bring it to the living room, and that’s about to change.

Along with the astonishing endeavor of SteamOS, Valve announced the new controller and the Steam Machines that will go with it. The controller is an interesting thing; certainly unlike any we’ve seen before. While I’ll have a more in-depth review up later when I get to mess around with it (likely in 2014), the basics are simple. It has touchpads, a touchscreen and buttons. What Valve is trying to do is to bridge the gap between the awesome feel of a controller and the precision of a mouse. They’re hoping that with clickable touchpads instead of analog sticks, they can revolutionize the way we use controller input to play our games. I think they may be on to something, but it’s way too early to tell.

As for the Steam Machines, I have no idea what to think of them. I’m curious as to why there will be multiple manufacturers. What will be my incentive to buy, say, an ASUS Steam Machine, when Valve sells their own that is likely to work better? ASUS was just an example, and I have no idea if they’re going to be one of the companies building these SteamOS gaming consoles. I’m sure pricing and specs will distinguish the hardware options.

The only downside I can see to all of this is that Valve has no experience with hardware, unlike the big three. That’s something to keep in mind. Waiting to by certain tech things  is applicable to an infinite degree in this situation.

This whole initiative is set to change the way the gaming setup has worked for the last 10 years. If it succeeds in doing this, I think this will be the most fun gaming generation we’ve ever seen. It’s already shaping up to be one hell of a firefight, and I applaud Valve for stoking the flames even more. Tis a wonderful time to be a gamer.