Alienware wants to make SteamOS feel more like Windows

Valve’s long-awaiting Steamboxes are just a few months away from launching and as one of the first companies to create a Steambox, Alienware has released a new UI for those of you who don’t like the way the Linux-based SteamOS looks. Known as HiveMind UI, this new UI is built on top of the open source home theater platform known as Kodi and creates a more Windows-like experience. 

With Steamboxes and Valve’s new controller on the way later this year, there’s never been a better time to play PC games in your living room. Now Alienware, producers of one of the first Steamboxes, has a whole new UI if you want to opt out of the Linux-based SteamOS for a more traditional Windows experience. The new version is called HiveMind UI, and it packs in a ton of new features and a high level of customization and compatibility. Alienware’s new HiveMind UI is built on top of Kodi, an open source home theater platform that’s found everywhere from high end PCs to Raspberry Pis. It brings with it a high level of base compatibility with media streaming services and games through the official distribution network, as well as through sideloaded apps. It’s also a seamless experience, where you can start a movie, then navigate the menus to change a setting and the video will continue to play in the background.