Gamers, are you ready for an all-new Steam experience? Video game developer Valve re-enters the console market with a trio of devices that aim to enhance the experience of every gamer.
Valve’s Steam is a popular gaming platform that gives people access to paid and free games across all types of genres. In 2022, Valve released the Steam Deck—a handheld gaming console that allowed gamers to play compatible games from Steam on a portable device. Now, Valve is expanding its range of devices once again with the Steam Machine, Steam Controller, and Steam Frame.
The Steam Machine is something that Valve attempted 10 years ago, but only revived it after the success of the Steam Deck. Valve promises the machine will be six times more powerful than the deck with a compact PC-like form. More details will be revealed soon, but the projection is that it will be the size of a Nintendo Cube. It will also utilize a custom Zen 4 CPU from AMD, which means you can upgrade the memory and storage configurations based on your needs. The Steam Controller accompanies the Machine and features two haptic-feedback trackpads with familiar thumbsticks, buttons, triggers, and bumpers from the usual gaming controller.
For those into VR, the Steam Frame is a virtual reality headset that’s described as a “streaming-first” device for wireless and lag-free gaming, especially when connected to a PC. This device also acts as a standalone headset made with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, which allows players to play x86 games on ARM using Steam OS. Players can run Windows games on the VR set, which will weigh 440 grams and will have 2160 x 2160 pixel resolution per eye.
Valve’s Steam Hardware set is scheduled to release in early 2026. Stay tuned for more details on their website.