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Yesterday's morning came alongside a couple of interesting reveals, with one huge reveal being the "Super Mario Galaxy Movie" trailer, and another huge reveal that came as a surprise to many, was a brand new video announcement from Valve unveiling a handful of new hardware that they have planned for release in early 2026.

This new announcement came with 3 new hardware reveals by Valve, with the Steam Controller, the Steam Frame and the Steam Machine joining Valve's lineup in the hardware space.

To start off, the new Steam Controller is based on what the Steam Deck's controller scheme is, featuring the following:

• Usual 4 face buttons (A,B,Y,X)
• Two analog L2/R2 triggers alongside the digital L1/R1 triggers
• Two analog sticks with L3/R3 buttons with next generation magnetic thumbsticks and capacitive touch sensors
• 4 additional buttons similar to those from the Steam Deck, with two functioning as Start/Select, and the other two being the Steam button, and the 3-dot Quick Access button for opening the SteamOS menu.
• Four grip buttons, similar to the L4/R4/L5/R5 from the Steam Deck.
• Two trackpads below the sticks similar to those found on the Steam Deck.
• Motion controls
• High definition rumble
• Grip-enabled gyro
• Rechargeable lithium ion battery with up to 35 hours of playtime
• Each Steam Controller will include a "Pluck", which is a wireless magnetic charger for the controller.

Second, we have the new next generation VR headset by Valve, the Steam Frame, which features the following:

• Stream VR and non-VR games
• Wireless 6Ghz adapter for plug-and-play streaming of games into the headset
• Foveated streaming, which focuses details on parts where the eyes are focusing
• Camera-based tracking
• Special Steam Frame controllers, which can be split up and include almost every feature from the Steam Controller, like the magnetic thumbsticks, motion sensors, and works with the user's normal Steam library
• High-fidelity audio with dual stereo speakers
• 2160x2160 optic lenses, one-per eye
• Steam Frame is basically a PC, with it also running SteamOS, so users can play without a host PC
• Expandable storage with microSD.

Lastly, and without a doubt the most attractive part of the presentation, was the reveal of the brand new Steam Machine, which will serve as a main gaming PC running Steam OS with much higher specs than the Steam Deck, with Valve claiming it's about 6 times more powerful than the Steam Deck. The Steam Machine features the following specifications:

• Runs SteamOS 3 with KDE Plasma, games marked as verified for Steam Deck will be automatically verified for Steam Machine as well. However, the Steam Machine will include an exclusive verification system to let players know if a game is fully compatible with the Machine or not.
• Up to 4k 60 fps gaming with FSR.
• Customizable LED strip
• Small-form factor, with the whole hardware fitting into a 6inch cube, that some labeling it the "GabeCube", with 2.6kg in weight.
• Several peripherals:
  • 1 Gigabit ethernet port
  • DisplayPort 1.4 HDMI 2.0
  • Two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports in the front
  • Two USB-A 2.0 High speed ports in the back
    
  • One USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port in the back
  • One high-speed microSD card slot.
• 2x2 Wi-Fi 6E, plus Bluetooth 5.3 with a dedicated antenna.
• Available in two storage options, 512GB and 2TB, both being NVMe SSDs.
• Steam Machine's power supply is built right into the console.
• Full hardware specifications are as follows:
  • CPU: Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 6C / 12T, up to 4.8 GHz, 30W TDP
  • GPU: Semi-Custom AMD RDNA3 28CUs, 2.45GHz max sustained clock, 110W TDP
    
  • 16GB DDR5 RAM + 8GB GDDR6 VRAM

Without a doubt the most interesting part is Valve's entry into a main gaming console, or PC as some would like to see it, and most importantly, the operating system featured in the device will also be SteamOS, the same as the Steam Deck, giving users complete freedom over the device to install programs, emulators, or even bring their own PC/ROM/ISO library and play at their hearts content.

What new hardware from Valve are you most interested in? Let us know in the comments below!

Source

 

[Xzi]

The Controller Looks like an ergonomical nightmare

How so? Your thumbs aren't gonna be touching the trackpads when they're on the sticks, so the outer shape/grips aren't gonna feel different from any other controller. Just a matter of preference on in-line sticks versus offset, but I don't mind either one.

 

[BasedKiliK]

The Controller Looks like an ergonomical nightmare just like the first Steam Controller and i hate touchpads on controllers

My experience with the Steam Deck after initial doubts about its ergonomics, tells me the controller will be perfectly fine. I tried out other, more powerful handhelds and I kept going back to the Deck. Every time. Valve did something special there.

 

[sarkwalvein]

Someone on the Steam subreddit 3D printed one for comparison, mostly it's a little taller:

View attachment 539546

Wow, when you put them side to side it really is a GabeCube, meme aside.

 

[RNG_Manipulation]

Honestly looks pretty bad. Likely will be high quality hardware at a decent or poor price; but will be completely stonewalled by a disasterous UX. Linux is pretty bad, and KDE plasma (the desktop used per specs page) doesn't fix that.

 

[lordofcombo]

Im not a cry wolf type but i think the biggest loser here is Sony.Most of their games on steam,microsoft owns windows so theres that.As for nintendo,they are smart and are outside this console wars.Gabe basically wore a strap on with with Sony.if this machine is below 1000 dollar,it gonna kill the comp.Heard the online is free.Valve is not complaining for that because they get money from game sales.

 

[retrospect]

It's slightly bigger, It's 16cm to a side, the GameCube is 16x16x11cm.
...meaning the Game"Cube" is not a cube at all Nintendo has been lying to us all this time

I think cubification is the main function of the GameBoy Player.

 

[Ondrashek06]

Nothing running Linux can rival Microsoft & Sony because online gaming is a popular thing. It's also not powerful. It's a native 1080p 60fps setup at best. The cpu is fine, however the gpu is basically just an overclocked RX 7400.

By releasing all that new hardware, Valve is trying to push the publishers to finally support Linux. I'm all for it, as I'm genuinely sick of Windows but some of the major game publishers still stubbornly refuse to support anything but it.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

The specs of the Steam Frame weren't mentioned in the OP, they're actually using an ARM SoC and some translation layer wizardry to run x86 applications. It'll be interesting to see how well that works because my impression is that it hasn't been "quite there" in terms of compatibility and certainly not in terms of performance until now. But if Valve is supporting it, then I have high hopes, Proton is pretty incredible after all.
Also, the controllers have capacitive finger tracking like the Valve Index controllers. This is a first for standalone VR and worth mentioning. It remains to be seen if the technology has improved or if it's still just as janky as it was then.

The Steam Frame looks pretty good but I already have a Quest 3 and it doesn't seem like a massive improvement on that. For anybody who doesn't yet own a Quest 3 I think the choice is obvious, go with the Frame.
That being said if portability and wireless use are not priority #1 a PCVR headset might suit you better, such as one of the current offerings with OLED screens, which the Frame lacks. The Bigscreen Beyond 2(e) and Pimax Dream Air offer a much slimmer form factor and lightweight design than a standalone VR headset that needs integrated processing and battery ever can, making them better suited for long play sessions (for example in VRchat), they also offer higher resolutions and at least in the case of Bigscreen, superior headphone quality due to them actually going over your ears.

Personally, I already own a Quest 3 which gets the job done well enough for standalone VR, with the largest library of supported apps, and I just preordered a Bigscreen Beyond 2e which offers one of the best PCVR experiences. I don't think it would make any sense to cancel my Beyond 2e order in favor of a Frame.

The most exciting announcement out of this whole thing for me personally is the new Steam Controller. I love the OG Steam Controller for certain games but it's completely unusable for others. The lack of a D-Pad really hurts it, so I've been anticipating a new Steam Controller with more Deck-like controls. I am 100% getting this and I'll be using it as my go to all around controller for every PC game. Steam Machine looks amazing but I just have no use for it. I already have a desktop hooked up in my living room.

Post automatically merged: Nov 15, 2025

The VR headset definitely, but I'd estimate the Gabecube will be priced around $600, and Valve might be taking a slight loss to even hit that price point right now.

I think they've already said that it's a fully featured PC and people should expect it to be priced like one, and they aren't subsidizing the cost this time around. I'm not expecting it to be any less than $800 including tax, which isn't far off from where the other consoles are priced right now and in line with the pricing of some budget gaming laptops.

It makes sense, since unlike the Steam Deck there's nothing specifically gaming about it, people are likely to buy them to use for whatever purposes they would need a mini PC for, and they could make decent desktops, office PCs, home servers, media PCs, mini NAS and so on. So a lot of people will be putting their own OS onto it and they might not even run Steam. If Valve sold them at a loss they could actually lose money overall, especially with the tendency of the enterprise world to buy up cheap consumer gear in large volumes to repurpose for their own proprietary uses.

 

[Xzi]

Likely will be high quality hardware at a decent or poor price; but will be completely stonewalled by a disasterous UX. Linux is pretty bad, and KDE plasma (the desktop used per specs page) doesn't fix that.

You're quite a bit behind the times if you haven't seen SteamOS gaming mode/the latest updates to big picture mode. Interacting with the underlying Linux desktop environment is not at all a necessity.

I think they've already said that it's a fully featured PC and people should expect it to be priced like one, and they aren't subsidizing the cost this time around. I'm not expecting it to be any less than $800 including tax, which isn't far off from where the other consoles are priced right now and in line with the pricing of some budget gaming laptops.

It makes sense, since unlike the Steam Deck there's nothing specifically gaming about it, people are likely to buy them to use for whatever purposes they would need a mini PC for, and they could make decent desktops, office PCs, home servers, media PCs, mini NAS and so on. So a lot of people will be putting their own OS onto it and they might not even run Steam. If Valve sold them at a loss they could actually lose money overall, especially with the tendency of the enterprise world to buy up cheap consumer gear in large volumes to repurpose for their own proprietary uses.

Yeah that's a fair guess on the high end I suppose. Not just laptops, but smaller form factor PCs in general are more expensive, especially capable ones. $700 I think would be the sweet spot for a lot of people in the market for a pre-built PC/set top console, but it'll have discounts a year or two later regardless. The new controller is the only purchase I personally can justify in the short term.

 

[ikynx]

Thats exactly what everyine said about the Steam Deck and the Switch and here we are with only 4 million Steam Decks sold and 154 million Switch sales lol.

That is probably because the deck didn't get remotely as much marketing as the NS, doesn't have Nintendo's heritage or mascots, isn't marketed as a console / platform, is rather still in the realm of the PC mess (i.e. the user needs to care and understand tech specs, and rapid obsolescence is always a risk lurking around the corner).

 

[PatrickD85]

Not really.. People keep poking at the vram like they’re advertising this as a high end product. Such a weird sticking point.

The price will determine whether this sinks or swims.

Agreed, Vram is ok for what is intended to be in my book.
But what it would signal though is that it would het bi or tri yearly revisions or so for sure.
And factoring that in ... well price will make it viable or not.

 

[tech3475]

So, my opinion:
The Controller Looks like an ergonomical nightmare just like the first Steam Controller and i hate touchpads on controllers

The Headset sounds actually quite good but the Price will tell if its viable

The Steam Machine might be a great compromise between consoles and PC Gaming for People that want PC Gaming but can only afford Console Prices.

For the pictures above: Is the Gamecube even complete without a Super Gameboy? It will still not be 16cm high but it comes closer.

The touchpads make sense because allot of games don't support controllers and they also make navigating on a desktop easier.

I would say this new one is better than the previous one which suffered from the lack of a right analogue stick for those who do want a more traditional experience.

Post automatically merged: Nov 16, 2025

That is probably because the deck didn't get remotely as much marketing as the NS, doesn't have Nintendo's heritage or mascots, isn't marketed as a console / platform, is rather still in the realm of the PC mess (i.e. the user needs to care and understand tech specs, and rapid obsolescence is always a risk lurking around the corner).

If Valve was to try and mass market this, the biggest problem will be trying to make it suitable for the mass market, especially as a console which will be the obvious target.

For example, ensuring games like COD/Battlefield/Fifa/Minecraft 'just work', maybe by default locking it down and requiring users to enable viewing non-verified games, desktop mode, etc.

Note, I base this on my retail experience and the typical lazy dipstick who doesn't do any research I have to deal with.

 

[wurstpistole]

Honestly looks pretty bad. Likely will be high quality hardware at a decent or poor price; but will be completely stonewalled by a disasterous UX. Linux is pretty bad, and KDE plasma (the desktop used per specs page) doesn't fix that.

Have you ever used a Steam Deck? It's gonna handle just fine.

 

[doorbell8423]

.

 

[DragonMals]

One of the best things to come out of Valve hands down. While I don't think I would be getting any of this, I always wanted to know the price of the Steam Machine because in the future, that or the Steam Deck would be one of the best ways I can get comfortably into Linux, even if it means using the hellhole that is Arch.

Actually now that I think about it, should I get any of these, I actually might replace it with Bazzite since that is Gaming Tailored, and it uses the best kind of Linux: Fedora. Sorry Debian/Ubuntu, but I think Fedora is the future for general use of Linux imho.

 

[sarkwalvein]

One of the best things to come out of Valve hands down. While I don't think I would be getting any of this, I always wanted to know the price of the Steam Machine because in the future, that or the Steam Deck would be one of the best ways I can get comfortably into Linux, even if it means using the hellhole that is Arch.

Shall we start the random guess game?
I place my bet on 600€ base model 512GB.

PS: the Steam Deck is beautiful, but I still cant get comfortable with the flatpak stuff, I mean, it works but I don't feel I know why/what am I doing... Everything was easier just using apt-get.

 

[DragonMals]

PS: the Steam Deck is beautiful, but I still cant get comfortable with the flatpak stuff, I mean, it works but I don't feel I know why/what am I doing... Everything was easier just using apt-get.

if I have to be brutally honest, the apt package manager sucks as a whole. idk about rpm much (all I know that it's pretty much Fedora's .deb files), but the dnf package manager is what i like to call the successor to apt.

 

[RNG_Manipulation]

You're quite a bit behind the times if you haven't seen SteamOS gaming mode/the latest updates to big picture mode. Interacting with the underlying Linux desktop environment is not at all a necessity.

"Guys the post-launch updates fix everything".

Have you ever used a Steam Deck? It's gonna handle just fine.

I have; don't own one. And I watched a friend spend 3 hours of a party debugging the thing to run Nucleus (it was a file extension error due to Linux).

By the way, them not revealing the price in the announcement universally means it's not good per the product.


Unrelated, I rewatched the trailer, and, seriously, who the fuck is going to do this:

Sitting in your yard, full VR, playing a video game. Just appreciate your fucking yard. Nothing against the actor, she's just paid for this. Imagine the type of consooomer who'd replace being outside itself with VR.

 

[Xzi]

"Guys the post-launch updates fix everything".

What? The SteamOS 3 UX was there from launch on Deck. System updates actually improve things unlike consoles, yes, but the core of it has been there since the beginning. Everything you'd expect from a console is now there, like quick suspend/resume and sleep mode downloads. Suffice to say it's comparable with PS5's UX.

 

[shadow1w2]

Wish they'd releaae the Steam Controller 2 right now, I need it now.
Though dual stage triggers woulda been really nice.
They put two on each of the VR controllers so why not the gamepad too?

Do hope there can be a way to use those motion controlls outside of VR with full motiontracking somehow.
Maybe if the Index trackers can be used somehow.
They'd make some nice wii and general aiming controls.

Frame is definitrly the VR I've been waiting for though I do wish it was a little beefier power wise I am looking forward to running all konds of odd software on it with FEX.

Steam machine looks nice but I'll wait for a few revisions oerhaps.
Might make a instantly great media machine or even a good desktop box really.
Looks like it might be a good bang for the buck but we'll see.