First images of prototype Steam Machine revealed

The first images of a prototype Steam Machine were published today in a Seattle Times report about Valve's upcoming hardware.

None of the images are close-ups, though the Steam Machine is shown in both black and white color configurations.

In one image, Valve's new haptic Steam Controller is shown plugged in through the back of the Steam Machine.

The Seattle Times report suggests that a "variety" of Steam Machines, as well as entertainment applications for the system, will be announced in January at the Consumer Electronics Show. Units will then go on sale sometime in mid-2014, the report said.

Not all will have to wait until 2014 to try out Valve's own Steam Machine prototype and Steam Controller. The developer will release 300 systems and controllers to beta testers later this year.

Valve's Steam Machine prototype will feature the following system specifications:

• GPU: some units with Nvidia Titan, some GTX780, some GTX760, and some GTX660
• CPU: some boxes with Intel : i7-4770, some i5-4570, and some i3
• RAM: 16GB DDR3-1600 (CPU), 3GB DDR5 (GPU)
• Hard drive: 1TB/8GB Hybrid SSHD
• Power Supply: Internal 450w 80Plus Gold
• Dimensions: approx. 12 x 12.4 x 2.9 in high

Valve announced last week that Steam now has more than 65 million members.

Also in the Seattle Times report, various Steam Controller prototypes were shown. One model featured a trackball placed underneath, while another included a trackball on top. The final Steam Controller design, announced in late September, does not feature thumbsticks, but rather two trackpads that Valve says support a variety of games and genres, from first-person shooters to strategy games.