Valve announces new Steam Machine console
Digest more
Valve confirms that it has stopped making Index VR headset
Digest more
Valve has officially launched the new Steam Machine: a compact, SteamOS-powered gaming box that claims to deliver more than six times the horsepower of a Steam Deck. Paired with a revamped Steam Controller,
Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer has welcomed Valve’s next-gen Steam machine in a congratulatory message to Valve.
The company also teased the Steam Frame, a follow-up to the Valve Index VR headset, along with an updated Steam Controller.
If Valve takes that affordability approach, then the new Steam Hardware is potentially disruptive to several different areas within the gaming industry. It could pose particular issues for Microsoft, which has recently begun talking about plans for its next-generation Xbox, and to Meta’s current prominence within the VR space.
At the other end of the spectrum, Superdata Research founder and SuperJoost newsletter author Joost Van Dreunen predicted the entry-level Steam Machine could come in as low as $549, rising to $749 for the 2TB version (plus an additional $50 for bundles including a Steam Controller).
Dbrand CEO Adam Ijaz told The Verge that the Cube is a shell that attaches to the Steam Machine’s own chassis, and that it’s been designed not to block any air intakes or the rear exhaust. The design is still being refined to work around the console’s ports though.
Valve may not have announced Half-Life 3 yesterday, but the time feels right for the game to finally be revealed.