The Steam Machine will arrive in two models, 512GB and 2TB, and will be available to purchase either as a standalone or in a bundle with a new Steam-branded controller. — Valve
Valve Corp is plunging deeper into the console wars with the unveiling of the Steam Machine, a new cubical device designed for playing PC games in the living room.
The new console, which isn’t yet priced, will be released in early 2026, the company said on Nov 12. It will use the SteamOS interface, an offshoot of Linux that debuted three years ago on Steam Deck, the popular handheld gaming device from the closely held Bellevue, Washington-based company.
"We’ve been super happy with the success of Steam Deck, and a lot of the feedback we’ve received from gamers about it is what encouraged us to expand the options for Steam users,” Valve said in a statement.
The Steam Machine will arrive in two models, 512GB and 2TB, and will be available to purchase either as a standalone or in a bundle with a new Steam-branded controller. The controller, which has magnetic thumbsticks and two trackpads, will also be sold separately.
In the past, newcomers have found it difficult to break into the lucrative console market. Over the last decade, Nintendo Co’s Switch and Sony Group Corp’s PlayStation have dominated sales while Microsoft Corp’s Xbox, once a contender, has faded.
But Valve’s digital platform Steam is already used by more than 40 million daily active players and has become synonymous with PC gaming. Customers will be able to access their Steam games on the new machine, which Valve says will be more than six times as powerful as the Steam Deck and support 4K resolutions at 60 frames-per-second.
On Wednesday, Valve also revealed its plans for the Steam Frame, a new virtual-reality headset that will ship around the same time as the Steam Machine and will also run on SteamOS.
This isn’t Valve’s first attempt to shake up the console market. In 2015, the company partnered with external manufacturers to release living-room PCs, also called Steam Machines. From the start, the pricey devices suffered from brand confusion, and sales were sluggish. After three years, Valve discontinued the effort. The experience led Valve to take its hardware development in-house for the Steam Deck, which has been far more successful.
Valve has yet to share exact sales figures for the Steam Deck. In a 2023 interview with Bloomberg, the company said that it has sold "multiple millions” and that a new iteration was in the works. – Bloomberg
