There were rumours that Valve was set to make some serious waves today in the form of new announcements, with some suggesting that Half-Life 3 was set to be a part of the reveals. While there is no news as of yet about that very long-awaited game, Valve has instead presented a new idea that might just crack the entire console market in two.
The Steam Machine has been revealed, with this essentially being a small form-factor mini PC. It's designed to be an alternative to a console on your entertainment unit or even a replacement for a gaming PC, and according to Valve itself, the aim of the gadget is "powerful PC gaming made easy, in a small and mighty package."
The Steam Machine runs on SteamOS and will have a dedicated Verification page like Steam Deck that explains whether a game is optimised and refined for this new system. Valve adds that it will provide a "plug-and-play user experience, while keeping the power and flexibility of a PC." This means you can actually install your own apps on the device or even switch out the operating system entirely.
As for the hardware, some of the key elements include a form-factor that spans approximately a 6" cube, 4K/60FPS gameplay thanks to a custom AMD desktop class CPU and GPU, storage options that span 512GB and 2TB, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity and Bluetooth 5.3 support, ports for DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, a USB-C, and four USB-A, and it also doesn't have a power brick as the supply is incorporated into the design. There's an LED strip to provide some helpful visual cues, and while it is made for the Steam Controller, Valve notes that it's also great to use while streaming games to either VR (like on the new system that was announced) or the Steam Deck.
As per the actual tech specs, you can see these below.
General
CPU
Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 6C / 12T - up to 4.8 GHz, 30W TDP
GPU
Semi-Custom AMD RDNA3 28CUs - 2.45GHz max sustained clock, 110W TDP
RAM
16GB DDR5 + 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
Power
Internal power supply, AC power 110-240V
Storage
Two Steam Machine models:
512GB NVMe SSD
2TB NVMe SSD
Both models include a high-speed microSD card slot.
Connectivity
Wi-Fi
2x2 Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.3 dedicated antenna
Steam Controller
Integrated 2.4 GHz Steam Controller wireless adapter
I/O
Displays
DisplayPort 1.4
Up to 4K @ 240Hz or 8K@60Hz
Supports HDR, FreeSync, and daisy-chaining
HDMI 2.0
Up to 4K @ 120Hz
Supports HDR, FreeSync, and CEC
USB
Two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports in the front
Two USB-A 2.0 High speed ports in the back
One USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port in the back
Networking
Gigabit ethernet
LED Strip
17 individually addressable RGB LEDs for system status and customizability
Size and Weight
Size
152 mm tall (148 mm without feet), 162.4 mm deep, 156 mm wide
Weight
2.6 kg
Software
Operating System
SteamOS 3 (Arch-based)
Desktop
KDE Plasma
There is no word on an exact release date but we are expecting 2026, and likewise no price information has been revealed, but you can get a look at the Steam Machine below.