Valve Unveils Steam Machine and Controller, a New Era for PC Gaming on TV
In an effort to further blur the lines between PCs and gaming consoles, Valve has announced its latest hardware innovations: the Steam Machine and the Steam Controller. These new devices are designed to bring PC gaming into the living room, where it can be enjoyed without the need for a separate computer.
The Steam Machine is a custom-built cube that runs on SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system popularized by the Steam Deck. It boasts a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 CPU and an AMD RDNA3 GPU with 28 compute units, paired with 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 8GB of dedicated DDR6 VRAM for the GPU. The machine will come in two configurations, with either 512GB or 2TB of unspecified SSD storage.
Valve has touted its Steam Machine as "over 6x more powerful than the Steam Deck," capable of supporting ray-tracing and/or 4K, 60 fps gaming using FSR upscaling. While this increased power comes at a premium price tag, Valve is tight-lipped about pricing details for now.
The Steam Controller, on the other hand, has been designed with a focus on comfort and usability. It features dual touchpads underneath the thumbsticks, magnetic TMR thumbstick sensors, a six-axis IMU, and "HD tactile feedback" haptic motors. The controller will be available via an included "plug and play" Steam Controller Puck that supports up to four wireless connections.
While the Steam Machine has long been in development, its successor is set to launch in early 2026. As with previous Valve hardware releases, we'll have to wait for more information on pricing before making a final judgment on this ambitious project.
In an effort to further blur the lines between PCs and gaming consoles, Valve has announced its latest hardware innovations: the Steam Machine and the Steam Controller. These new devices are designed to bring PC gaming into the living room, where it can be enjoyed without the need for a separate computer.
The Steam Machine is a custom-built cube that runs on SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system popularized by the Steam Deck. It boasts a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 CPU and an AMD RDNA3 GPU with 28 compute units, paired with 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 8GB of dedicated DDR6 VRAM for the GPU. The machine will come in two configurations, with either 512GB or 2TB of unspecified SSD storage.
Valve has touted its Steam Machine as "over 6x more powerful than the Steam Deck," capable of supporting ray-tracing and/or 4K, 60 fps gaming using FSR upscaling. While this increased power comes at a premium price tag, Valve is tight-lipped about pricing details for now.
The Steam Controller, on the other hand, has been designed with a focus on comfort and usability. It features dual touchpads underneath the thumbsticks, magnetic TMR thumbstick sensors, a six-axis IMU, and "HD tactile feedback" haptic motors. The controller will be available via an included "plug and play" Steam Controller Puck that supports up to four wireless connections.
While the Steam Machine has long been in development, its successor is set to launch in early 2026. As with previous Valve hardware releases, we'll have to wait for more information on pricing before making a final judgment on this ambitious project.