In a slew of announcements, Valve have revealed a new line up of SteamOS oriented hardware, coming in 2026. We’ve got a new VR headset, a new controller and they’re bringing back the Steam Machine in a big way. Let’s dig into everything Valve have announced, because honestly, this is kind of a big deal.
Steam Machine
If you want something bigger and more powerful (although arguably slightly less portable) than a Steam Deck, then the newly announced Steam Machine is for you. Promising 4K gaming at 60 fps, an operating system that is made for gaming and even a built in power supply, this small cube shaped device has a ton of nifty features to optimise your experience, at least according to Valve.
The Steam machine runs SteamOS, which is Valve’s gaming-first operating system. Designed to make it simple and uncomplicated to play on, yet still giving all the performance of a PC. It is also worth noting that other operating systems will run on this device. The unit comes with two different amounts of internal storage available – you can pick either 512GB or 2TB, and both can be expanded upon via microSD. There’s also different ways of connecting, with the wireless adaptor for your Steam Controller built into the device. And just to make it all a little more funky, there’s a customisable LED strip. Fancy!
The specs are as follows:
| CPU | Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 6C / 12T up to 4.8 GHz, 30W TDP |
| GPU | Semi-Custom AMD RDNA3 28CUs 2.45GHz max sustained clock, 110W TDP |
| RAM | 16GB DDR5 + 8GB GDDR6 VRAM |
| Power | Internal power supply, AC power 110-240V |
| Storage | Two Steam Machine models 512GB NVMe SSD 2TB NVMe SSD Both models include a high-speed microSD card slot |
| Wi-Fi | 2×2 Wi-Fi 6E |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 dedicated antenna |
| Steam Controller | Integrated 2.4 GHz Steam Controller wireless adapter |
| Displays | DisplayPort 1.4 Up to 4K @ 240Hz or 8K@60Hz Supports HDR, FreeSync, and daisy-chaining HDMI 2.0 Up to 4K @ 120Hz Supports HDR, FreeSync, and CEC |
| USB | Two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports in the front Two USB-A 2.0 High speed ports in the back One USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port in the back |
| Networking | Gigabit ethernet |
| LED Strip | 17 individually addressable RGB LEDs for system status and customizability |
| Size | 152 mm tall (148 mm without feet), 162.4 mm deep, 156 mm wide |
| Weight | 2.6kg |
| Operating System | SteamOS 3 (Arch-based) |
| Desktop | KDE Plasma |
You can read more about the new Steam Machine, right here.
A New Controller
Alongside the new Steam Machine is a brand new Steam Controller. It’s packed with features, with all the inputs you’d expect, be it next-gen magnetic thumbsticks, dual trackpads, motion controller gyro and more.
It works with everything else announced today – including your SteamDeck, and anything running Steam. It even comes with a plug-and-play controller puck that charges it when connected, and acts as a wireless transmitter.
Neat! You can read more about the new Steam Controller, right here.
Steam Frame
Per Valve, Steam Frame is a “streaming first, wireless VR headset (+ controllers) that can handle your whole Steam Library. Step into immersive VR, or lean back and enjoy your non-VR catalog.” Sounds pretty nice, and Valve have stressed it supports stand-alone play too, with Steam OS powered by a Snapdragon 8 Series processor and 16GB RAM.
It comes with a 6Ghz wireless adaptor, which according to Valve ‘provides a dedicated link for both VR and non-VR streaming. It has dual radios inside, with one looking after audio and visual, the other connecting to your wifi. In terms of specifications and technology under the hood, the Steam Frame supports ‘Foveated Streaming’ – this is a new feature that optimises detail wherever your eyes happen to be looking. It has four high resolution monochrome cameras that provide controller and headset tracking and all that jazz, and really does look pretty neat. You can read more about the Steam Frame here.
Should Microsoft be very worried?
While Xbox have made plenty of noise about their next-generation plans, bringing the Xbox console closer to the Windows PC than ever before, it’s rumoured to not be arriving until 2027.
Valve are making a play next year, and by all accounts they might be first. With the popularity of the largest and most dominant PC store behind them, this could mean a lot of trouble for the Windows giant. It’s going to be very interesting to see how it all plays out, though at this time, no price for these devices has been revealed by Valve.
Would you pick up a Steam Machine? Let us know in the XboxEra Forums or make some noise in the lively XboxEra Community Discord Server. If you’re looking to be a bigger part of an amazing community, then either choice is a good one!
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