Valve is pushing PC gaming back into the living room again and this time, the company seems determined to get it right. The newly announced Steam Machine (often called the next-gen Steam console) is a compact, ultra-powerful box designed to sit beside your TV yet deliver full-scale PC performance. Unlike the original Valve Steam Machines, this model is part of the new Steam Hardware lineup alongside Steam Deck, Steam Frame, and Valve Index, signaling Valve’s most ambitious ecosystem push yet.

Key Highlights

• Ultra-compact cube (~160mm)
• 6× more powerful than Steam Deck
• 4K / 60 FPS gaming with FSR
• Semi-custom AMD CPU + GPU (desktop-class)
• Whisper-quiet cooling
• Integrated wireless module for the Steam Controller and Steam Controller 2
• Wi-Fi 6E, BT 5.3, Gigabit LAN
• SteamOS, cloud saves, suspend/resume
• “Steam Machine Verified” game rating system
• Part of Valve’s 2026 Steam Hardware expansion

A Steam Console Built Like a Real PC

Valve describes the new Steam Machine gaming console as a hybrid plug-and-play like a console, yet fully flexible like a Steam PC. This new square “Steam Box” (or Steam Cube, depending on your nickname of choice) fits in the palm of your hand but houses desktop-grade AMD silicon. That gives it over six times the horsepower of the Steam Deck, making true Steam Machine gaming at 4K/60 FPS a reality.

It also plays beautifully with the rest of Valve’s ecosystem Steam Deck, Steam Frame, Steam Frame VR, Steam VR, and eventually the next-gen Steam Frame VR headset.

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Steam Machine Price & Cost

Valve hasn’t finalized the full price range yet, but internal documentation and sources point to two launch options:

• 512GB model: lower-end price tier
• 2TB model: higher-end price tier

Early estimates place the Steam Machine price competitive with mid-range consoles while delivering PC-level performance. Expect it to slot between a premium Steam Deck OLED and a full gaming desktop.

The planned Steam Frame price and Steam Frame cost are expected to be released in the same window, forming a cohesive pricing lineup for 2026.

Steam Machine Release Date

Valve has set the new Steam Machine as part of the Steam Hardware expansion in early 2026. Previews and developer evaluation units are expected late 2025, alongside updated Valve Steam Controller wireless adapters and software improvements.

Steam Machine Specs

Here’s what we know so far:

• CPU/GPU: Semi-custom AMD desktop-class APU
• Performance: 4K / 60 FPS with FSR
• Cooling: Quiet, advanced airflow with internal PSU
• Size: ~160mm cube
• Ports:
  • Gigabit Ethernet
  • DisplayPort 1.4
  • HDMI 2.0
  • 1× USB-C
  • 4× USB-A
• Wireless:
  • Wi-Fi 6E
  • Bluetooth 5.3
  • Dedicated antenna for wireless controllers
• Storage:
  • 512GB / 2TB
  • microSD expansion

It’s still a PC at heart you can install other operating systems, sideload apps, or run it like a traditional Steam PC.

Steam Machine Gaming Console Games

Valve will introduce a new Steam Machine Verified program. Similar to Deck Verified, it will rate game compatibility for:

• Resolution scaling
• Controller support
• Suspend/resume reliability
• Living-room UI readiness

Most games that run on Steam Deck will already perform even better here due to the hardware leap from indie titles to big AAA releases.

Everything from the standard Steam library to Steam VR titles (when paired with Valve Index or Steam Frame VR) is supported.

Steam Controller & Steam Controller 2

Valve is continuing support for the original Valve Steam Controller, but leaks point to a redesigned Steam Controller 2 optimized for low-latency wireless play with this new machine.

A dedicated wireless adapter is built directly into the Steam Machine itself supporting up to four controllers.

Where It Fits in Valve’s Ecosystem

The new machine sits between the handheld Steam Deck and a full desktop Steam PC, but it’s more than a middle child. Combined with:

• Steam Frame (Valve’s streaming display)
• Steam VR hardware
• Valve Index
• Steam Link streaming
• Deck suspend/resume + cloud saves

Valve is clearly building a multi-device gaming network. Play on the cube, continue on Deck, stream to Frame your library moves with you.

A Second Chance That Might Actually Work

The original Valve Steam Machine experiment failed because it lacked identity. This time, Valve knows exactly what it’s building: a powerful, tiny, console-like PC engineered for SteamOS, VR, and the growing Steam device ecosystem.

If Valve nails the steam machine cost, the software polish, and the 2026 steam machine release date, this could be the most successful hardware push the company has ever made.

A cube-sized comeback finally done right.