Valve Unveils New “Steam Machine” Console for Early 2026 Release

Credits: Valve

Valve Corporation has officially announced its next-generation console, the Steam Machine, a compact living-room gaming device designed to bring PC-class performance into entertainment-center environments.

According to the announcement published on 12 November 2025, the system is scheduled to launch in early 2026.

Valve claimed the success of the Steam Deck in a statement, according to Bloomberg, saying:

“We’ve been super happy with the success of Steam Deck, and a lot of the feedback we’ve received from gamers about it is what encouraged us to expand the options for Steam users.”

The device runs Valve’s proprietary operating system, SteamOS, which is built on an Arch Linux base and incorporates the Proton compatibility layer for Windows game support. 

Valve states that the Steam Machine will integrate seamlessly with the company’s existing ecosystem of hardware and software.

Valve provided select technical details, though it withheld final pricing. According to reports:

• The machine will use a custom AMD Zen 4-class CPU with 6 cores and 12 threads. 
• It incorporates a semi-custom AMD RDNA 3 GPU with 8 GB GDDR6 VRAM.
• Storage options and memory specifications include 16 GB RAM and NVMe SSD support, with both 2230 and 2280 form factors supported for storage upgrades.
• Valve’s engineers emphasise that the form-factor (a cube roughly matching the size of a tower console) was chosen to optimise cooling through a single-fan thermal module, as opposed to forcing a shape purely for aesthetics. 
• On pricing, Valve engineer Yazan Aldehayyat stated the target is a “competitive price” and “affordable,” compared with similarly capable PCs, but no dollar amount has been disclosed. 

The machine will ship alongside a redesigned version of the Steam Controller, and a new VR headset called the Steam Frame, marking Valve’s broader hardware push. 

Photo Credits: Future

Valve first introduced the original Steam Machines lineup in 2015. That initiative comprised third-party manufactured “console-style” gaming PCs running SteamOS, but the product family did not achieve substantial market penetration, largely due to developer and manufacturer hesitation around Linux gaming and the uphill task of convincing gamers to switch from Windows. 

Lessons from that earlier effort informed the development of the handheld Steam Deck, released in 2022, which achieved greater traction by offering a PC-gaming library experience in portable form.

The newly announced Steam Machine appears to represent Valve’s return to the living-room space, now backed by better software ecosystem support and internal hardware design. 

Launch and Availability

• Valve lists “early 2026” as the release window for the Steam Machine and its associated hardware line. 
• Pre-orders are expected but have not yet opened, while the product will be released in early 2026.
• Pricing details have not been disclosed, but Valve emphasizes the value compared to a PC with similar specifications. It estimates the price to be between $449 and $610, while many reports suggest it could be priced around $1,000 or less.

Game compatibility will rely on SteamOS’s continued expansion of the Proton compatibility layer and Valve’s internal ecosystem.

Here's a photo of the Steam Machine without its cover:

Photo Credits: Future

The announcement coincides with updates to Steam’s hardware compatibility labelling system, originally derived for the Steam Deck, which will now extend to other SteamOS-powered devices.

The announcement signals Valve’s renewed push to integrate console-style ease with PC-gaming flexibility.