There have long been rumors circulating that Valve might one day enter the console wars with a machine of its own, centered on PC gaming, to challenge the PlayStation and Xbox. While it attempted this with the Steam Machine back in 2015, it never gained traction, and in 2022, Valve took a different approach with the Steam Deck, targeting the popularity of the handheld Nintendo Switch and enabling gamers to take their extensive Steam libraries with them anywhere.
The Steam Deck has proven to be a major success for Valve, ushering in a new era of handheld PC gaming, with companies like Asus, Lenovo, and Msi having all leaped to release their own handhelds.
While many people are waiting for the next-generation Steam Deck 2, with the original Steam Deck now starting to show its age, Valve has taken a surprising turn in direction once again and has instead announced a revival of the Steam Machine, in an effort to offer its own console-style experience in people’s living rooms.
The Steam Machine is Valve’s newest concept of PC gaming, presented in a small 6-inch cube with a unique, customizable LED strip. Valve’s tagline for the Steam Machine is simple: “Powerful PC gaming made easy, in a small and mighty package.” And I think it’s safe to say that tagline is well-supported, with Valve claiming it has “over six times the horsepower of the Steam Deck,” thanks to a semi-custom AMD desktop-class CPU and GPU that powers the device. Valve says the Steam Machine is capable of playing games at 4K 60 FPS with AMD FSR enabled.
Like the Steam Deck, the new Steam Machine runs SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system that Valve has optimized for gaming and a simple plug-and-play experience. Although you can install Windows on it if you prefer. The Steam Machine features a variety of I/O ports, including HDMI, DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet, a MicroSD card slot, and four USB-A ports.
Valve says it plans to release the Steam Machine in early 2026, but has not yet revealed any pricing. Speaking to IGN, Valve Engineer Yazan Aldehayyat said that “We understand that affordability is really important, so we kept that in mind and made sure that it’s a device that’s going to be reachable for a lot of people.” So, hopefully that’s a sign that the pricing for the Steam Machine will be reasonable, making it a true alternative to building your own desktop PC or buying a PS5.
- 4K Capability
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Yes
- Brand
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Valve
- Game support
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Steam
- Storage
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512GB, 2TB
A new Steam Controller and VR headset are also coming
The Steam Machine won’t be alone when it launches in 2026
To aid in its quest to conquer the living room with the Steam Machine, Valve has also announced a new Steam Controller. The design of the controller is quite unique compared to the PlayStation and Xbox controllers, and is reminiscent of the Steam Deck, featuring trackpads for mouse controls and gyro controls, in addition to traditional bumper sticks, thumbsticks, face buttons, and a D-PAD.
The Steam Controller can connect to a Steam Machine or any PC either via Bluetooth or a wired link. It has a rechargeable battery that Valve states can last up to 35 hours. The coolest feature, in my opinion, is that you can charge it with a magnetic charging puck, which also acts as a wireless transmitter to improve the connection.
Additionally, the new Steam Controller also supports Steam Input for games, just like the Steam Deck, which is a library of community-created controller schemes for games. So not only can you create your own custom controller scheme for a game, but you can also simply import one that someone in the Steam Community has already made. This isn’t the first time Valve has released a Steam Controller, as it originally launched one back in 2015, but this is a much different design.
Finally, Valve also announced the Steam Frame, a new wireless VR headset that has a “streaming-first approach.” The headset can wirelessly connect to your Steam Machine or PC using a high-speed wireless adapter, allowing you to seamlessly stream VR games. It also comes with a pair of Steam Frame controllers, which you can use in both VR and non-VR games, thanks to the fact that it has all the regular controller inputs built into it.
While the Steam Frame is aimed more at streaming games from your PC to the headset, Valves says it supports stand-alone play as well, as it features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and 16GB of RAM. The Steam Frame is set to launch in 2026, alongside the Steam Machine and Steam Controller, but again pricing has not yet been revealed.
Overall, I’m really excited to see all of Valve’s new hardware in action next year, especially the Steam Machine, which excites me the most. As a lifelong PC gamer, one obstacle I’ve always faced when trying to convince my console friends to switch is the belief that PC gaming is expensive and much more complicated. While there is some truth to that, I think the Steam Machine has the potential to alleviate both of those concerns and make PC gaming a lot more accessible, if the price is right, of course.
