The Seattle, Washington-based company Valve surprised gamers with the announcement of three new hardware devices that could shake up the gaming space.
The exceptional Steam Deck handheld computer is not the only device that Valve will rely on to further push the Steam storefront experience to the masses.
Described as new additions to the “Steam Hardware family,” the three new devices include the Steam Machine, a small box-shaped console aimed to bring the Steam experience to users’ living rooms, the Steam Frame, a lightweight VR headset, and a new Steam Controller that has some of the design features from the Steam Deck.
“We’ve been super happy with the success of Steam Deck, and PC gamers have continued asking for even more ways to play all the great titles in their Steam libraries,” President of Valve, Gabe Newell, said in a press release.
He continued, “Our work over the years on other hardware and even more importantly on SteamOS has enabled Steam Controller, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame to do just that.”
Valve Is Trying Once Again To Make The Steam Machine A Thing
Of the three, it’s the Steam Machine that is grabbing all the headlines. It’s a 6-inch cube that honestly gives us Nintendo Gamecube vibes, or a smart device from Amazon designed to sit in your living room without being obtrusive.
It’s sleek, black, runs quietly, features a blue LED bar to indicate whether the device is powered on, and has a changeable front panel so you can customize your Steam Machine to fit your living room aesthetic or mood.
As for performance, which is honestly the most crucial aspect, Valve boasts that the Steam Machine is 6 times more powerful than the Steam Deck, with 16GB DDR5 and 8GB GDDR6 VRAM.
Under the hood, it has a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 6C / 12T CPU, a semi-custom AMD RDNA3 GPU, and supports 4K gaming at 60 frames per second with FSR.
Like the Steam Deck, it runs Linux and can be hooked up to a monitor and keyboard to be used as a standalone PC.
When it ships sometime in 2026, it will come in 512GB and 2TB models and will be bundled with the Steam Controller or sold standalone at some point.
The Steam Frame Is Also Another Way To Enjoy Your Steam Library
The Steam Frame is a standalone virtual reality headset that lets users enjoy and stream any game from their Steam library.
It can also be billed as a PC and can be used by itself without having to be tethered to a desktop.
The Steam Controller Specs
Valve says the new Steam Controller “shares DNA” with the Steam Deck, and it’s very obvious with the two trackpads located below the magnetic thumbsticks. The company says the Steam Controller is “high-performance” and “ergonomic,” and also features a gyroscope and buttons on the grips.
Gamers with PCs and laptops can also use the Steam Controller.
As you can imagine, the video game streets are talking, with Valve potentially shaking up the gaming landscape with this surprise announcement, which could spell even more bad news for Xbox, which is potentially looking to drop an expensive, and even more powerful, Xbox/PC hybrid that will allow gamers to access multiple storefronts.
You can see more reactions below.
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