Steam announces new Steam Machine running SteamOS to compete in the console gaming market
In a surprising move, Valve has just announced three new hardware devices expanding its lineup beyond the Steam Deck, including the Steam Controller, a new Steam Frame VR headset, and the long-awaited return of the Steam Machines, designed as a compact Linux-based SteamOS PC with console-like usability. Powered by a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 CPU and RDNA3 GPU, Valve claims the Steam Machine delivers up to six times the performance of the Steam Deck, supports 4K gaming at 60 FPS with AMD FSR, and includes 16GB of DDR5 RAM, 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM, and up to 2TB of SSD storage. It features USB-A, microSD, DisplayPort, HDMI, and Ethernet ports, and can also stream games to the Steam Deck, any Steam Link device, or the previosuly mentioned Steam Frame VR headset.
This new console-like experience from Valve aims to break into the traditional console market and offer an alternative kind of versatility to PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox (ironically, the new machine kinda looks like a half-sized Xbox Series X) thanks to the flexibility of Linux-based PCs through SteamOS, offering Steam Deck users a familiar yet more powerful experience. The new console also includes the updated Steam Controller, which adapts the Steam Deck’s hybrid input system into a standalone wireless controller featuring analog sticks, triggers, dual trackpads, and gyro controls, with customizable input mapping for each game. The controller works across all Steam hardware, including the Deck, Machine, and Frame.
Lastly, Valve also announced the Steam Frame, a new wireless “streaming-first” VR headset designed to work with SteamOS while also supporting Android games. It can function either as a standalone device powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and 16GB of RAM or as a PC-connected headset through a dedicated 6GHz wireless adapter, making it a clear alternative to Meta Quest and PlayStation VR. It features dual 2160×2160 LCD panels at 144Hz, eye-tracking, a 110-degree field of view with custom pancake lenses for edge-to-edge clarity, Wi-Fi 7 support, and new 6-DOF controllers.
Valve has not yet revealed pricing for any of the new devices, though early reports suggest they will be competitively positioned against comparable gaming PCs and VR headsets.
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External links
- Steam HardwareSteam • Official source
- Steam Hardware AnnouncementValve on YouTube • Official source
- Valve announces three new products: the Steam Frame, Steam Machine and Steam ControllerPC Gamer
- Valve announces new Steam Machine and Steam ControllerEngadget
- Valve is back with an all-new Steam Machine 'console' rammed with games from Steam, Xbox, and PS5 — here are the mini PC's specs, features, launch window, and moreWindows Central
- Valve Deckard has been officially revealed as the Steam Frame, and it looks like a combination of PSVR 2 and the Meta Quest 3's best featuresGamesRadar+
Comments
I won't be buying one, but I'm grateful for all that Valve has done for the Linux community.
if the price is actually $550-650 then maybe there's a chance, but given the specs vs current Mini PC hardware I'd expect it to be $1,000+ which won't compete. Though mayve the new steam controller will be what really sales it? If they bundle the controllers with it and they get super hype and getting the console is the only way to get them for a long time. it's not impossible for it to succeed, just unlikely. Especially with just lightly custom stuff unless they either have some major magic trick up their sleeve or custom is code for way cheaper than other companies can get and they can under cut the mini PC market.
16GB RAM + 8GB VRAM isn't much comfortable for many recent games, mostly for UE5-based one. The PS5 has 16GB total memory, shared between RAM and VRAM (18GB for the Pro), and pretty much the same characteristics, for we can expect a $550-$650 price tag (tariff changes excluded).
Linux surely can squeeze some performances thanks but compatibility with AMD GPUs may be hassle. Ready for 2027 would certainly be a more realistic estimate.
in the Linux community it is known that AMD drivers run way better than the Nvidia ones and as for the UE5 game requirements that is just bs, 8GB VRAM is still hugely popular and I don't see that changing very soon, I myself have a 8GB AMD GPU and don't plan on upgrading soon... I recommend you follow Threat Interactive on Youtube since they do a lot of performance profiling on the most recent AAA games and they basically get into details about how all these incompetent devs rely too much on crutch features like lumen, nanite and whatever AI bs...
With this, 2026 will be the "Year of the Linux Desktop". As we keep saying every year.