Valve has announced a new series of Steam Hardware gadgets, which includes three new products: the second attempt to create a standardized PC in the spirit of the Steam Machine console, the second generation of the next-generation Steam Controller gamepad, and the next-generation Steam Frame standalone virtual reality headset.
Valve has announced a new series of Steam Hardware gadgets, which includes three new products: the second attempt to create a standardized PC in the spirit of the Steam Machine console, the second generation of the next-generation Steam Controller gamepad, and the next-generation Steam Frame standalone virtual reality headset.
«We’re thrilled with the success of Steam Deck, and PC gamers continue to ask for more ways to play all the great games in their Steam libraries. Our years of work on other hardware and, more importantly, SteamOS have enabled the Steam Controller, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame to do just that,» said Valve CEO Gabe Newell.
The company has not yet disclosed prices for the new devices, but has said they will be available for purchase in early 2026.
Almost a decade ago, Valve had already tried to create the Steam Machine, a gaming PC that was supposed to give gamers a console experience, but with PC games. It was Valve’s first hardware product in collaboration with PC manufacturers, but the initiative was unsuccessful — seven months after the official release, less than half a million units had been sold, and by the end of the first year, most Steam Machines had disappeared from sale.
Among the reasons for the failure were the unsuccessful first versions of the Steam OS operating system, the high cost of the devices, and the delay in the release of the Steam Controller gamepad. Although the controller itself was a greater success. Obviously, Valve learned from its failure, as evidenced by subsequent and much more successful releases of gadgets, such as the Valve Index and Steam Deck.
This company decided to try to break into the «console war» again, but this time without third-party manufacturers, but on its own.
The new Steam Machine is a 6-inch cube that can fit seamlessly into a living room or entertainment center and is 6 times more powerful than the Steam Deck, GeekWire reports. It’s designed to efficiently run games from your Steam library, has a removable front panel for customization, and an LED so users can easily tell when the device is on or off.
Like the Steam Deck, the Steam Machine runs on a Linux-based operating system built around Steam. When connected to a monitor and keyboard, it can be used as a standalone PC with the KDE Plasma desktop environment. Valve notes that users will be able to install other operating systems on the device.
The original Steam Controller was designed to allow you to interact with your PC while sitting on the couch or away from your desk, with the precision of a mouse, but without the need for a mouse, notes PC Gamer. It was released in 2015 to mostly positive reviews, but it never became a mainstream gamepad and was discontinued.
In the new generation of the Steam Controller, Valve decided to work on the mistakes of its predecessor and preserve its advantages. The gamepad received symmetrical sticks like in the PlayStation and retained the touch panels, which now resemble the Steam Deck.
«We wanted it to be familiar, so we aimed to achieve data entry parity with Steam Deck,» said Steve Cardinali, an engineer at Valve.
The controller works across the Steam ecosystem and has three ways to connect. The primary connection is the separate Steam Controller Puck, which combines a dongle and a magnetic charging station. It uses a proprietary wireless signal with a latency of about 8 milliseconds at a distance of 5 meters — more stable than Bluetooth — and allows you to sync up to four controllers at once. You can also use regular Bluetooth or simply connect via USB.
The rechargeable battery lasts for over 35 hours and charges via the Puck or USB cable. The Steam Controller features highly responsive magnetic TMR joysticks, functional knobs that can trigger the gyroscope or other commands, and four haptic motors that provide detailed feedback. There are also pressure-sensitive trackpads with a 6-axis IMU, four programmable buttons on the knobs, and all the standard controls you’d expect.
The Steam Controller works with Windows, Mac, Linux, portable devices, phones via Steam Link, and all Steam hardware.
This is the company’s second VR headset after the Valve Index. The Steam Frame is designed as an ultra-lightweight PC gaming VR headset with a modular architecture, weighing just 185g and a head strap. It features a face interface, audio, and a rear battery.
Inside is a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor with 16GB of combined LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1TB of storage. This will help the device stream Steam games over Wi-Fi 7 and the included low-latency adapter, using eye tracking, which allows it to upscale resolution exactly where the user is looking.
The Steam Frame features a pair of dual 2160×2160 displays that refresh at 144Hz across a 110-degree field of view. Four external cameras and an infrared illuminator provide tracking in any environment.
Built-in audio and a 21.6 Wh battery complement SteamOS with full suspend/resume functionality and power the Steam Frame controllers with TMR magnetic sticks.
