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 sport console referred to as the Steam Machine.
The Steam Machine is Valve’s gaming PC, constructed right into a roughly 6-inch dice designed to connect 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 all the pieces 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 exhibiting off the brand new {hardware} lineup, Valve staff stated it will be coming in early 2026. On Feb. 4, Valve shared its first main replace in regards to the Steam Machine because the reveal, and it seems like will probably be delayed a bit.
“Our purpose of delivery all three merchandise within the first half of the yr has not modified,” the corporate stated. “However we now 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 Could or June launch.
Make some area in your lounge for the Steam Machine.
Can I preorder the Steam Machine?
There aren’t any preorders obtainable for the Steam Machine but. When preorders grow to be obtainable, they’ll possible be obtainable on the Steam Machine {hardware} web 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 possibly can preorder the system, and primarily based on when an order was submitted, you’ll get a chosen timeframe for its launch and if you’d obtain it.
Valve additionally required anybody who wished to preorder the Steam Deck to have a Steam account. This could forestall scalpers from ordering quite a few gadgets without delay, which can possible be the case with the Steam Machine.
How a lot will the Steam Machine price?
That is arguably the largest 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 is able to put the worth at round $600 to $800.
Nevertheless, the worldwide RAM scarcity continues to boost the worth of reminiscence. This might imply the Steam Machine could price $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 a daily gaming PC.
Valve stated on Feb. 4 that it is nonetheless making an attempt to determine the worth of the Steam Machine.
“The restricted availability and rising costs of those vital elements imply we should revisit our actual delivery 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 notice on the backside stating, “some specs topic to vary forward of availability.” It is not 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 worth 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 ft), 6.4 inches deep, 6.1 inches broad |
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, Change 2 or Xbox Collection consoles.
To begin, 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’ll be able to improve the storage by including a microSD card to the respective slot on the console or switching out the solid-state drive. There’s 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 similar 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 referred to as SteamOS. It is what powers the Steam Deck and creates the Large Image Mode, which permits players to play their PC video games in a largely console-like expertise as an alternative of the standard desktop expertise of utilizing a mouse to double-click a sport to start out.
Together with the working system, Valve additionally launched its Steam Machine platform. This allowed laptop {hardware} makers to develop computer systems formed extra like a house console as an alternative of a desktop. Alienware and Dell had been a few of the notable corporations that developed their very own Steam Machines, however none of them actually caught on, partly attributable to many video games not being suitable with the Linux-based SteamOS.
The Steam Machines fizzled out within the mid-2010s as making video games suitable with SteamOS was not a precedence for sport 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 greater than 20,000 Home windows video games.
Valve additionally ended up providing an alternative choice to getting a complete new piece of {hardware}. In 2015, the corporate launched Steam Hyperlink, a tool that allowed PC video games to be streamed on to a TV.
