Valve‘s new hardware announcement surprised the gaming world this week. The company gave an insight into a compact, console-style Steam Machine, a streaming-focused VR headset called Steam Frame, and an updated Steam Controller.
Valve intends the trio to sit alongside the Steam Deck in its hardware family. It will allow players to have more ways to access PC Games, whether they play them on a couch, in VR, or on a bigger screen.
Valve’s surprising hardware announcement has fans talking
The Steam Deck’s makers recently made an announcement for new Valve hardware on YouTube. The company stated, “We’re announcing three new members of the Steam hardware lineup. All three connect you with powerful PC gaming, are optimized for Steam, and are shipping in early 2026.” (via Valve on YouTube)
The video shows three products and gives away key details for each. The first one is a Steam Machine. It is a cube-shaped gaming PC designed to sit by a TV or desk. Valve says that it runs SteamOS, supports 4K/60 FPS with its semi-custom AMD GPU, and offers roughly “six times the horsepower” of a Steam Deck. The Steam Machine will be available in storage tiers, 512 GB and 2 TB. The system also supports expandable storage via high-speed microSD.
The second hardware announced is a Stream Frame. It is a streaming first VR Headset that can stream an entire Steam library. Valve says that it is wireless, lightweight, and capable of running games locally as a SteamOS PC, with camera-based tracking. The headset is optimized to stream high-resolution content to where the user’s eyes are looking.
The third hardware that Valve revealed in their announcement is the Steam Controller. This modern controller will have dual trackpads and gyro aiming, along with back grip buttons and magnetic thumbsticks. It also adds a new “Puck” accessory that will serve as a wireless adaptor and a magnetic charger. Highlighting the battery life, Valve said, “Play for ages on the rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which delivers over 35 hours of playtime.”
Fans reacted under the video, commenting, “We’re finally getting our Gabecube,” while another posted, “The future of gaming right here!”
