Valve SteamOS is available for download right now

And just like that, Valve's SteamOS is upon us.

Valve's new operating system has headed into the wild, available for consumers and OEMs alike to download and take for a ride.

But be warned - Valve advised earlier this week that for now only the most dedicated Linux users should download SteamOS, which is still in beta. The rest of us are best left waiting till 2014 to access a more finished version.

Valve isn't joking either; a SteamOS FAQ warns both the system's install methods "will erase everything on the machine," meaning only the truly committed should saddle up.

Several reports indicate there are currently issues downloading SteamOS, potentially do to a rush of eager users. If you feel competent and confident enough to give the system a spin, you can download the 960MB installer by following the link provided by Steam Database or through the instructions in the FAQ.

What we know about SteamOS

The release of SteamOS falls on the same day Valve's Steam Machine prototypes are making their way to 300 beta testers, who via email instructions can go about installing the software.

Designed to port PC games to the TV (thus bringing Linux to the living room), the OS runs Steam and Steam titles. It does include a desktop mode that supports regular Linux applications.

According to the same SteamOS FAQ, the system is a fork of Debian GNU/Linux. SteamOS 1.0 - what we have today - is based on Debian stable 7.1 ("wheezy") distribution.

The hardware requirements for SteamOS 1.0 include an Intel or AMD 64-bit capable processor, 4GB+ memory, a 500GB or larger disk, UEFI boot support, a USB port for installation and Nvidia graphics.

Intrepid tinkerers could even go so far as to build their own rudimentary Machines thanks to Valve's specs.

The company noted that AMD and Intel graphics support is on the way soon.

Windows games and apps are not playable or runnable on SteamOS, the FAQ was sure to point out, however it does support streaming games from a Windows computer.

What's to come

We're not seeing mention of the functions specifically yet, but SteamOS is also meant to stream music, TV and movies while having family sharing features.

OS updates carrying security and bug fixes are due "as we are comfortable shipping them," and while the beta channel will funnel fixes on a weekly or even daily basis, the released channel will see them "every few months."

Commercial Steam Machines along with Valve's nifty Steam Controller are due to land next year. We will see plenty from the company as well as its partners at CES 2014, so keep an eye out for much more.

• We'd love to include a Steam Machine in our Holiday Gift Guide. Oh well.

BBC iPlayer available on day one for Sony PS4 buyers, unlike Xbox One

The Sony PS4 console will arrive in the UK packing the BBC iPlayer app when it goes on sale next Friday 29 November, reports have confirmed.

The Sixth Axis website, which has a pre-release PS4 console, says the iPlayer, BBC Sport, IGN and Demand 5 apps have already shown up on the console.

The site said there's no sign of Netflix, Lovefilm, 4oD, Blinkbox and NowTV, but there's a chance those apps will arrive in the week leading up to the console going on sale.

With iPlayer on board on day one, Sony can claim a minor victory over the Xbox One, with the BBC still in the process of developing its version of the on-demand portal for Microsoft's new console.

No Auntie

The Xbox One went on sale in the UK today without Auntie's app, but with 4oD, Netflix, Lovefilm and Demand 5 all on board the console.

Currently Sky says it has no immediate plans to bring Sky Go to the next-gen consoles, but the company is likely to roll out the on-demand portal to the Xbox One sometime next year. Now TV will arrive on the Xbox One next summer.

Does the presence of the iPlayer affect which console you'd prefer to have in your living room? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

• The smart console fans are biding their time before they snap up a PS4 or an Xbox One. TechRadar explains why.

AMD FX-9000 Series Chips Available Now (Kind of)

At last month’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) was busy tooting its own horn about the prospect of bringing the world’s first commercially available 5GHZ processor (max turbo speed) to market: the 8-core FX-9590. If you too are just as enthusiastic about the company’s enthusiast-class FX-9000 series chips and have spent the last month or so dreaming about the FX-9590 or the FX-9370, another 8-core FX-9000 series part announced last month, you will be happy to know that both chips are now available.

According to CPU-World, consumer electronics e-tailer TigerDirect began selling the FX-9590 and the FX-9370 in standalone form for $829 and $329, respectively, over the weekend. Further, both chips were also available as part of iBUYPOWER gaming rigs.  However, at the time of writing, only the cheaper, less powerful FX-9370 is available as a standalone product, and that too with a $353.34 price tag. For those of you don’t mind ordering a pre-built PC and having to wait anywhere between 10-30 days for your order to arrive, the site is also selling a few gaming PCs based on the FX-9000 series chips from iBUYPOWER.

Both the FX-9590 and the FX-9370 are enthusiast-class chips with eight “Piledriver” cores. While the former has a base clock frequency of 4.7GHz and a max turbo speed of 5GHz, the latter has a base clock of 4.4GHz and a max turbo frequency of 4.7GHz.

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