Valve is making another run at offering a console-style experience in your living room. The company has announced a new Steam Machine and Steam Controller that let you play PC games on your TV in the same way the Steam Deck lets you play them on the go. Better yet, it’s planning to release them both in early 2026.
The Steam Machine works like a console, but is technically a compact PC running Linux-based SteamOS. The boxy device features a customizable front plate and LED light strip, with a USB-A port and a microSD card slot available up front, and DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0 and ethernet ports on the back. Inside, the Steam Machine is powered by what Valve describes as a “semi-custom AMD Zen 4” CPU and a “semi-Custom AMD RDNA3 ” GPU with “16GB DDR5 + 8GB GDDR6 VRAM” and either 512GB or 2TB of SSD storage.
Valve says the Steam Machine has “roughly six times the horsepower” of the Steam Deck, and is capable of supporting 4K gaming at 60 FPS with FSR. Interestingly, Valve is also pitching the device as a way to stream more demanding games to your Steam Deck, the Steam Frame VR headset the company also announced today or any device running Steam Link.
Someone holding the new Steam Controller, with trackpads visible. (Valve)
While you could use the Steam Machine with a traditional Bluetooth controller, Valve has created its own solution. The new Steam Controller puts all of the various control methods of the Steam Deck into a wireless controller. That includes sticks, face buttons, grip buttons, triggers and bumpers, but also trackpads for mouse controls and gyro controls, too. The Steam Controller works over both Bluetooth or a wired connection, and Valve is also including a charging dongle that doubles as a wireless transmitter for the fastest possible connection.
Like the original Steam Controller, your input method can be individually customized for each game, and profiles can be shared. Valve also says the new controller will work with any device that runs Steam, including the Steam Deck, Steam Machine and Steam Frame.
Missing from Valve’s announcement is any kind of official price. Early hands-ons with both the Steam Machine and Steam Controller suggest Valve wants the devices to be competitively priced with equivalent PCs and game controllers. Given the extra power and features, though, it seems like they might not be as much of a deal as the $400 Steam Deck was at launch.
Credit: Source link