Valve has today announced a trio of new devices, one completely brand new, and two new refined takes on older concepts which should have console manufacturers worried.
Valve has today announced three new devices, a new Steam Machine designed to be plugged directly into your TV, a new portable headset the Steam Frame and an updated Steam Controller incorporating the touchpads from the Steam Deck.
The Steam Machine and the Steam Controller aren't entirely new concepts, both have been tried before almost exactly ten years ago, with OEM console PCs running SteamOS first released on 10 November 2015 before being retired a few years later.
This new Steam Machine is built and sold by Valve directly and it's not hard to see the lessons learnt from the Steam Deck being applied here, with an all in one box running SteamOS underneath your television. With rumours that the next Xbox will be more PC like and this Steam Machine becoming more console-like, the lines between console and pc gaming are getting pretty blurry.
In statement provided Valve said the success of the Steam Deck encouraged them to develop the new devices.
"Along with Steam Deck, these are devices designed to work together, optimized for Steam while continuing to operate as open platforms.
"Our goal is to start shipping in early 2026, with specific launch timing and pricing to be shared after the first of the year."
The Steam Machine, Steam Frame and Steam Controller will be shipping to everywhere the Steam Deck is sold: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, European Union, Australia directly through Steam and also through KOMODO into Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The Steam Machine is the most interesting of the three devices for me. I'm a huge fan of how easy it is to play PC games on the Steam Deck and offering that experience in front of the telly seems like a winner to me. Valve claims the new box has about six times the power of the Steam Deck, and the cube is 160mm on each side. It's compatible with Steam Controller which you can also get with it in a bundle, will be available in both 512GB and 2TB configurations expandable with an SD card. You can also BYO controller as well. There is also the option to use the SD card as a portable library as well, which might mean moving games directly from Steam Deck over to Steam Machine when you get home. Being able to wake the console directly with the Steam Controller is excellent too.
Here are the specs currently, which Valve says are subject to change.
Specs
I/O
Other features
I'm a VR luddite, I might let Hope do a proper assessment of this particular headset, but it appears to be of a similar philosophy as the Meta Quest headsets. A mobile PC that runs everything on the device, with the benefit of also being usable as a streaming console too. Latency is the killer with VR, so if it's all super smooth this could be very interesting. Here are the specs as they stand at the moment.
Lightweight, modular architecture
Specs
Optics
Tracking
Other features
Steam Frame Controllers
Paired with the new Steam Machine or by itself, the new Steam Controller is an evolution of the weird and interesting controller Valve released back with the original Steam Machines in 2015. That version dropped a thumbstick and D-Pad to make the touch pads work, but this one has everything you'd expect from a normal controller in 2025, but with two large angled thumbpads that look like they were pulled directly from the Steam Deck. These touchpads work incredibly well on the portable console, so it'll open up a lot more playstyles for those who prefer to game on the couch. You can connect it with it's own proprietary wireless puck, Bluetooth or plug it in with a USB cord. These specs are also subject to change.
Works with any device that runs Steam
Three ways to connect
Li-ion rechargeable battery
Magnetic thumbsticks (TMR)
Grip sense
HD haptics
Full input list
I'm not the target market for VR, I've tried it a few times and it never sticks for me, but the Steam Machine feels like an excellent option for those wanting to play games in an affordable way on their couch. If nothing else I hope it prompts the other console makers at Sony and Microsoft to start aggressively pricing their games and putting them on sale. Nintendo are in their own race.
Lets hope the pricing in Australia is competitive, if it comes in at cheaper or close to an Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5, especially with the rates those previously console exclusive games are coming to PC it might be the best way to play games full stop.
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