When Valve first released its Steam Machine console over a decade ago, the world wasn’t quite ready for it. Gamers still compartmentalized PC and console experiences and were less comfortable with the lines between the two being blurred. The failure of the console led to the ever-popular Steam Deck handheld, allowing Valve to perfect its Linux-based SteamOS and work towards wider game compatibility. Now, the company that helped usher us into this new era of gaming is trying again, and we think it’s gonna be big.
The Second Time’s the Charm
A decade ago, Valve outsourced production to third-party manufacturers who created a confusing ecosystem of machines with wildly different specs and price points. SteamOS was immature, game compatibility was abysmal, and the whole thing collapsed. But the lessons learned fed directly into the Steam Deck’s development, specifically around Proton — Valve’s compatibility layer that lets Windows games run seamlessly on Linux. That breakthrough changed everything.
This time around, Valve engineered everything in-house. The result is a compact 6-inch cube designed to slip under most TV shelves (they literally measured down to fractions of a millimeter). Inside sits a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 CPU with 6 cores boosting up to 4.8 GHz and an RDNA3 GPU running at 2.45 GHz — roughly six times more powerful than the Steam Deck.
It’s Pretty Cool
The cooling system consists of a 120mm fan that runs whisper-quiet at mid-20s decibels during idle and barely reaches 30 dB under full load. Valve designed the fan first, acknowledging that heat removal dictates everything else.
The cooling solution pulls air through the 300W power supply (integrated so thoroughly it doesn’t need its own fan) and uses four 8mm heat pipes with an aluminum fin stack. There’s 360-degree intake with a 50/50 airflow split to handle challenging living room placements. All told, the system draws around 200W+ under typical load while supporting 4K gaming at 60 FPS with ray tracing.
A custom 10-layer motherboard enables HDMI CEC support, meaning the Steam Machine automatically turns on your TV and soundbar with a single button press. The magnetic front panel accepts 3D-printed custom designs (CAD files will be released) and a customizable RGB light bar reflects system status and download progress. The exposed M.2 2230 SSD is easily replaceable, though the system supports full-size 2280 drives.
Spec Sheet
Model: Steam Machine
CPU: Semi-Custom AMD Zen 4, 6C/12T up to 4.8 GHz, 30W TDP
GPU: Semi-Custom AMD RDNA3, 28CUs, 2.45GHz sustained clock, 110W TDP
Memory: 16GB DDR5 + 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
Storage: 512GB and 2TB SSD models (M.2 2230), microSD slot
Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4 (up to 4K @ 240Hz), HDMI 2.0 (up to 4K @ 120Hz), 1 Gbps Ethernet, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, USB-A ports
Wireless: 2×2 Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, dedicated 2.4GHz Steam Controller radio
Operating System: SteamOS 3 (Arch-based) with KDE Plasma
Dimensions: 6″ x 6.1″ x 6.4″
Pricing & Availability
Valve hasn’t finalized pricing yet but confirmed the Steam Machine will be priced comparably to PCs with similar specs. Both 512GB and 2TB models will ship bundled with the new Steam Controller in early 2026, with standalone options available as well. Valve has also unveiled a new wireless VR headset called Steam Frame, which has been in development since 2019.
Recap
Valve Steam Machine Console
Valve’s taking another swing at the living room console with the Steam Machine, and this time they’ve learned from their mistakes, building everything in-house with a compact 6-inch cube that’s six times more powerful than the Steam Deck. It’s got all the PC gaming horsepower you need for 4K at 60 FPS, whisper-quiet cooling, and clever features like auto-turning on your TV, all running on that perfected SteamOS that finally works.
