Copyright 9to5Toys
Following the success of Steam Deck, Valve is doubling down on the hardware department with a range of new hardware. Leading the pack is the all-new Steam Machine, which you’ll be able to pair with long-rumored VR headset called the Steam Frame. There’s also a brand-new Steam Controller to go with the new console, which you’ll be able to bundle with the console itself or buy separately. With these new additions joining the already popular Steam Deck, it’s safe to say that Valve is betting big on hardware, going head-to-head with the likes of Sony and Microsoft. Head below for a closer look and more details. Value’s all-new Steam Machine is now official Valve’s next-gen Steam device, targeting a Spring 2026 release, packs serious power with a custom AMD Zen 4 CPU and RDNA3 GPU that’s said to be over six times faster than the Steam Deck, supporting 4K 60FPS gaming with FSR and ray tracing. It comes in 512GB and 2TB SSD variants, with 16GB DDR5 RAM, 8GB VRAM, and microSD expansion. The connectivity options here include Wi-Fi 6E, Ethernet, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C, and four USB-A ports. This console, as you’d expect, runs SteamOS, featuring fast suspend/resume, controller wake, and a customizable LED bar. We don’t have anything in the name of pricing, but it’s safe to say that this marks a major leap beyond the Steam Deck. The new Steam Machine will work with pretty much any controller that’s compatible with the Steam Deck, but Value is also launching a new Steam Controller, which is an optional purchase for its console. This will also work with any device running Steam, meaning you can pair it with your Windows PC, macOS, and the Steam Deck, of course. It supports Bluetooth and USB for wired play, and is said to have 35+ hours of battery life, which is pretty good. Notably, this new gamepad also has TMR joysticks, which should eliminate drift. What really makes this controller stand out are its dual trackpads, which feature haptic feedback and let you play games that don’t natively support joysticks. It also includes six-axis gyro controls for motion-based gameplay. The layout combines ABXY Xbox-style buttons with symmetrical PlayStation-style thumbsticks, along with four programmable rear buttons, standard triggers, and bumpers. Interestingly, it’s also said to feature capacitive grip sensing, allowing it to detect when you’ve picked it up. Lastly, there’s the Steam Frame – a wireless, “streaming-first” headset running SteamOS and powered by a 4nm Snapdragon chip. It supports both VR and traditional flat-screen games and connects wirelessly through Valve’s new 6GHz plug-and-play adapter, which can be inserted into your PC or the new Steam Machine. The headset features dual 2160 x 2160 LCD panels with refresh rates up to 144Hz. Valve’s new Foveated Streaming technology uses eye-tracking to render sharper detail where you’re looking, promising up to a 10x boost in image quality and bandwidth efficiency. It works across your entire Steam library and comes bundled with two controllers, each functioning as half of a standard gamepad to provide full input support for both VR and non-VR games. Valve hasn’t revealed pricing or release dates for any of the new hardware yet, but all of it is expected to launch sometime next year. It’s unclear if we’ll see a new Steam Deck model by then, though that seems unlikely as Valve will probably want to focus attention on its latest lineup instead.
