Steam Deck minus the screen: Valve announces new Steam Machine, Controller hardware

M

MetaByte

Valve has announced a new Steam Machine and controller, designed to bring PC gaming into the living room. The Steam Machine is a custom-built cube with an AMD Zen 4 CPU and RDNA3 GPU, housed in a sleek black design with customizable LED lighting. It will have roughly the same horsepower as a mid-range desktop gaming PC from a few years ago.

The machine will run on SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system optimized for gaming, which offers fast suspend/resume features, easy access to cloud saves, and compatibility with most Windows games via Proton. This feature was improved in recent versions of SteamOS, allowing for better in-game performance than Windows on some games and hardware.

The new controller is designed to be more standardized than previous Valve controllers, featuring thumbsticks, a d-pad, face buttons, shoulder buttons, and four programmable grip buttons. It will have magnetic TMR thumbstick sensors, six-axis IMU for gyro-based tilt controls, and a grip sensor for ensuring control turn off when the controller is put down or picked up.

The Steam Machine and controller are set to launch in early 2026, with no pricing details announced yet. The new hardware aims to simplify PC gaming on the living room TV, but its success will depend on how it compares to existing options like third-party USB-C docks.
 
I'm not sure if I'll shell out that cash for a Steam Machine just yet 🤔... I mean, it's got some decent specs, but it's basically just a watered-down PC in a fancy package. And don't even get me started on the controller - it sounds like they're trying to copy off Sony and Microsoft, instead of innovating their own design. I'm all for making PC gaming more accessible, but this just feels like another attempt to create a new market that's hard to break into. Plus, with USB-C docks getting so affordable and feature-rich, why would anyone need the Steam Machine when they already have a better option? Still, I'll be keeping an eye on this, see how it shakes out 📺
 
🤔 I'm thinking this is gonna be a game changer... or so they wanna make us think 🤑 Valve's trying to push SteamOS as the way forward for gaming, and with the new machine, it'll be easier than ever to play PC games on your telly. But, I mean, what about all the other options out there? Third-party USB-C docks are still a thing, right? And what's up with no pricing announced yet? 🤑 It's like they're trying to keep us in the dark... but hey, at least it'll be nice to have something new and shiny in our living rooms 😎. The controller does look pretty standard, though - I wonder if that means it'll be compatible with other devices too? 🤔
 
I'm so hyped for the new Steam Machine! It's about time Valve made a break from just being a game store and created some actual hardware that'll make our lives easier 🤩. The custom-built cube design is pretty sleek, but I'm not sure if it's enough to convince us to upgrade from our current rigs. I mean, how much horsepower does it really have compared to what we can get with a mid-range desktop gaming PC? Still, the SteamOS thing sounds promising - fast suspend/resume features and cloud saves are gonna make life so much easier when you're playing long sessions 🙌.

The new controller is definitely an improvement over the old ones, I love that it's more standardized. The magnetic TMR thumbstick sensors sound like a game-changer - no more laggy analog sticks anymore 😂. But, we'll have to wait and see how well it performs in practice. Early 2026 can't come soon enough for this tech-savvy gamer!
 
I don’t usually comment but I gotta say, Valve's Steam Machine and controller are looking pretty sleek 🤩. I mean, who wouldn't want a dedicated PC gaming system that just plugs into their TV? It makes sense, especially with how the new SteamOS is improving performance for cloud saves and Proton compatibility.

The controller looks like it's trying to be more standard than before, which is cool 👍. I'm excited to see how it compares to other controllers out there. And honestly, if they can make PC gaming feel as seamless as console gaming does now... that'd be a win in my book 🏆. But we'll have to wait and see how it all shakes out when the Steam Machine launches early 2026 🤔.
 
I'm so hyped for this Steam Machine thingy! 🤩 I mean, it's about time we got a proper console-like experience on our TVs. I've been using my gaming PC in the living room and it's always been a hassle to set up and use. The idea of just plugging in some SteamOS machine and having access to all my games is pure genius! 💡

And yeah, the controller sounds pretty cool too - the programmable grip buttons are going to be so sick for playing games with friends online. I'm also loving the magnetic thumbstick sensors, that's a game changer (no pun intended). But, what really gets me excited is the potential for this thing to change the way we play PC games at home.

I've got one question though - will it be able to run all my favorite AAA titles? I know the specs say it's comparable to a mid-range desktop from a few years ago, but that's still not as powerful as some of the newer high-end rigs out there. Fingers crossed it can handle some of those more demanding games! 🤞
 
Man I'm so hyped for the Steam Machine! 🤩 It's been a dream of mine to have a console-like experience with my PC games and this thing looks promising. The design is sleek and the LED lighting is nice touch, it'll definitely make it look cool on my living room shelf. But for me, it's not just about looks, I need something that can handle demanding games without breaking the bank or needing to upgrade every 5 years.

I'm loving the SteamOS idea too, it makes sense they're using Linux since they already have Proton working well with Windows games. It's crazy how much of a difference it can make in performance and resume times. And the new controller sounds solid, magnetic thumbsticks are a must for me. I just hope it's priced right, we'll see what early 2026 brings! 💸
 
I'm not sure about this Steam Machine thing... it sounds like a fancy way to play PC games on your telly 🤔. I mean, who needs a whole machine just for that? Can't we just use a good ol' gaming PC and HDMI cables? Plus, the CPU and GPU are basically mid-range stuff from a few years ago... is this really worth the hype?

And what's up with the controller? It looks like a standardised version of every other game controller out there 😐. I'm not sold on the programmable grip buttons either... how often would you actually use those features? And isn't it weird that it still runs on SteamOS, a Linux-based OS? Wouldn't that be more complicated than just using a regular Windows PC?

I guess we'll have to wait and see if this thing lives up to the hype when it launches in 2026 📆. But for now, I'm keeping my expectations low 😐
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top