Valve dipped its toe into the {hardware} enterprise when it launched the Steam Deck handheld again in 2022. This previous November, the corporate revealed an expanded lineup of hardware that features a VR headset, controller and a lounge recreation console known as the Steam Machine.
The Steam Machine is Valve’s gaming PC, constructed right into a roughly 6-inch dice designed to hook up with a lounge TV. The purpose is to ship a simplified PC gaming expertise for a broad viewers. Whereas the Steam Machines’ {hardware} makes it barely extra highly effective than the usual PS5 or Xbox Collection X, the corporate would not see the Steam Machine as a direct competitor to these consoles.
Here is every little thing we all know in regards to the Steam Machine.
When does the Steam Machine come out?
Valve has but to provide a agency launch date for the Steam Machine, however final November, when displaying off the brand new {hardware} lineup, Valve staff stated it will be coming in early 2026. On Feb. 4, Valve shared its first major update in regards to the Steam Machine for the reason that reveal, and it seems like will probably be delayed a bit.
“Our aim of transport all three merchandise within the first half of the 12 months has not modified,” the corporate stated. “However now we have work to do to land on concrete pricing and launch dates that we are able to confidently announce, being conscious of how shortly the circumstances round each of these issues can change.”
This might imply that Valve was anticipating to launch the Steam Machine in March, however the firm is now altering to possibly a Might or June launch.
Make some area in your lounge for the Steam Machine.
Can I preorder the Steam Machine?
There are not any preorders out there for the Steam Machine but. When preorders turn out to be out there, they may doubtless be out there on the Steam Machine hardware page.
If Valve does do preorders, the corporate could have a system in place to roll out consoles in a well timed method, because it did with the Steam Deck. With the Steam Deck, you would preorder the machine, and based mostly on when an order was submitted, you’ll get a chosen timeframe for its launch and once you’d obtain it.
Valve additionally required anybody who wished to preorder the Steam Deck to have a Steam account. This could stop scalpers from ordering quite a few units directly, which is able to doubtless be the case with the Steam Machine.
How a lot will the Steam Machine value?
That is arguably the most important query in regards to the Steam Machine, and for good motive. Valve stated the console could be priced in the identical vary as a gaming PC with the identical sort of energy. There was hypothesis that this may put the value at round $600 to $800.
Nevertheless, the worldwide RAM scarcity continues to lift the value of reminiscence. This might imply the Steam Machine could value $1,000 or extra, which might be a tough promote for a lot of and make it much less aggressive towards the PlayStation 5 or an everyday gaming PC.
Valve stated on Feb. 4 that it is nonetheless attempting to determine the value of the Steam Machine.
“The restricted availability and rising costs of those important parts imply we should revisit our actual transport schedule and pricing (particularly round Steam Machine and Steam Body),” the corporate stated.
What are the Steam Machine specs?
Valve has launched the specs for the Steam Machine, however on the {hardware} web page, there’s a word on the backside stating, “some specs topic to alter forward of availability.” It isn’t widespread to see that sort of disclaimer, which hints that if tariffs or RAM shortages make the console too costly, Valve could make changes to maintain the value enticing.
Steam Machine Specs
| CPU | AMD Zen 4 6C / 12T, as much as 4.8 GHz, 30W TDP |
|---|---|
| Reminiscence | 16GB DDR5 plus 8GB GDDR6 VRAM |
| Graphics | Semi-custom AMD RDNA3 28CUs, 2.45GHz max sustained clock, 110-watt TDP |
| Storage | 512GB NVMe SSD or 1TB NVMe SSD, high-speed microSD slot |
| Ports | USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (x2), USB-A 2.0 (x2), USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort 1.4 (as much as 4K @ 240Hz or 8K@60Hz, helps HDR, FreeSync and daisy-chaining), HDMI 2.0 (as much as 4K @ 120Hz, helps HDR, FreeSync and CEC), Gigabit Ethernet |
| Wi-fi Networking | 2×2 Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Working system | SteamOS 3 |
| Weight | 5.7 kilos (2.6 kilograms) |
| Measurement | 6 inches tall (5.8 inches with out toes), 6.4 inches deep, 6.1 inches large |
What else is exclusive to the Steam Machine?
Valve is doing a bit extra than simply making a tiny gaming PC. The corporate is providing some options that are not discovered on the PS5, Swap 2 or Xbox Collection consoles.
To start out, there are detachable face plates for the Steam Machine. That is much like the faceplates for the Xbox 360, which provide a little bit of customization for the console.
An e-ink show can be utilized because the entrance panel on a Steam Machine (used for testing by Valve, won’t be on the market) https://t.co/NIO6m4qm5o pic.twitter.com/Gd30STsifs
— Wario64 (@Wario64) November 12, 2025
Steam Machines are upgradable. You possibly can improve the storage by including a microSD card to the respective slot on the console or switching out the solid-state drive. There may be additionally the likelihood to improve the RAM, however that can take a couple of extra steps versus the storage swapping.
The Steam Machine will even be simply a pc when wanted. Join it to a monitor with a mouse and keyboard, and the console will act identical to a Linux desktop. There’s additionally the choice to put in Home windows in lieu of SteamOS, which might make it nonetheless play PC video games, though the expertise will not be as easy as SteamOS.
The Steam Machine is a PC, too.
The Steam Controller for the Steam Machine will join seamlessly to the console. And, for multiplayer video games, 4 controllers can join with a console very simply.
Wait, did not Valve have already got Steam Machines?
Form of. Again in 2013, Valve revealed a brand new working system known as SteamOS. It is what powers the Steam Deck and creates the Huge Image Mode, which permits players to play their PC video games in a largely console-like expertise as a substitute of the everyday desktop expertise of utilizing a mouse to double-click a recreation to start out.
Together with the working system, Valve additionally launched its Steam Machine platform. This allowed pc {hardware} makers to develop computer systems formed extra like a house console as a substitute of a desktop. Alienware and Dell had been among the notable firms that developed their very own Steam Machines, however none of them actually caught on, partly as a result of many video games not being appropriate with the Linux-based SteamOS.
The Steam Machines fizzled out within the mid-2010s as making video games appropriate with SteamOS was not a precedence for recreation builders on the time. It wasn’t till 2018 that Valve developed Proton, a compatibility layer for SteamOS to make it simpler to run most Home windows video games. Proton at present helps more than 20,000 Windows games.
Valve additionally ended up providing an alternative choice to getting a complete new piece of {hardware}. In 2015, the corporate launched Steam Link, a tool that allowed PC video games to be streamed on to a TV.
