Valve Announces Console-Like Steam Machine, Steam Frame VR Headset, And New Steam Controller

Valve has revealed the Steam Machine, a cubical device that’s six times more powerful than the Steam Deck and lets you play your entire Steam Library with ease on a TV in your living room. There’s no price or release date yet, but Valve says it will be released in early 2026. 

Alongside the Steam Machine, Valve also revealed the Steam Frame, a new streaming-first, wireless VR headset (with controllers) that lets you play your entire Steam VR and non-VR catalog. And finally, Valve unveiled the Steam Controller, which looks a lot like a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller, but with the touchpads seen on the Steam Deck. Alongside the Steam Machine, Valve says the Frame and Controller will be released in early 2026. 

Steam Machine

Valve says the Steam Machine is over six times more powerful than the Steam Deck, and can play all of your Steam library – just sign in with your Steam account via the device and you’re set. It features SteamOS, an “OS optimized for gaming, with fast suspend/resume, and cloud saves,” and it’s all packed into a small form factor roughly the size of a 6-inch cube. The company says it keeps itself cool, is whisper-quiet, and can handle any peripherals you attach to it thanks to a 1 Gigabit Ethernet port, DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, one USB-C port, and four USB-A ports. 

As for what’s happening inside the Machine, Valve says you can expect 4K gaming at 60 FPS with FSR, thanks to a semi-custom AMD desktop-class CPU and GPU, and it will come in either a 512GB or 2TB storage capacity. However, both can be expanded via a microSD. In terms of connectivity, the Steam Machine has 2×2 Wi-Fi 6E plus Bluetooth 5.3 with a dedicated antenna. The Steam Controller’s wireless adapter is built right into the cube, too, which Valve says makes for easy pairing. And finally, the Steam Machine’s power supply is built in, so there’s no large power brick. 

An LED strip along the bottom of the cube lets you keep an eye on system status, such as download progress, even when the screen is off. You can change the colors and animations, too. 

Valve says it is expanding its Verified program (for Steam Deck) to include ratings for Steam Machine “so customers can understand how their games will run.” Also, despite functioning like a plug-and-play console, it’s still a PC, so you can install your own apps or a completely different operating system, if you want. 

Steam Controller

The new Steam Controller has been built for Steam and is configurable with Steam Input, allowing you to use it on a PC, a laptop, the Steam Deck, the Steam Machine, and even the Steam Frame. It comes with the Steam Controller Puck, which is both a wireless transmitter that “provides a fast, stable connection for your Steam Controller” and is also a charging station that connects to the controller magnetically. You can still use Bluetooth or USB, if you prefer, though. 

Valve says the Steam Controller features magnetic thumbsticks with TMR technology, “designed for improved feel, responsiveness, and long-term reliability.” Plus, they support capacitive touch for motion controls, and the entire controller features high-definition rumble and a grip-enabled gyro. 

It features all the other usual controller features like thumbsticks, buttons, bumpers, and triggers designed for comfort, motion controls, grip buttons, the Steam button, a quick menu access button, and even trackpads like those seen on the Steam Deck. It’s due out sometime in early 2026, though Valve didn’t reveal a specific release date or the device’s cost. 

Steam Frame

The final new piece of Steam hardware Valve revealed today is the Steam Frame, a “VR and non-VR” gaming device. Valve calls it a streaming-first, wireless VR headset that includes unique controllers, and the entire package “can handle your whole Steam library. 

“Step into immersive VR, or lean back and enjoy your non-VR catalog,” Valve writes on the announcement page. “And it supports stand-alone, too. The Steam Frame headset is lightweight and compact, with the weight balanced front-to-rear for a comfortable experience. It’s also easy to just slip on and play, with no wires and no setup.” 

With the included plug-and-play 6GHz wireless adapter, you can play both VR and non-VR games via streaming, and the device includes something Valve calls “Foveated Streaming,” which optimizes details based on where your eyes are looking. Like the Steam Deck and Steam Machine, Valve is expanding its Verified program to include Steam Frame as well. 

It’s due out sometime in early 2026, though Valve didn’t reveal any specific release date or price. 

What are your thoughts on all this new hardware? Let us know in the comments below!