Steam Hardware Announced (Frame, Controller, Machine)

[Xzi]

Well, it looks like the colours on the Machine only extend to replaceable face plates, sadly. All the rest looks to be completely black, unless they come up with special editions like they did with the Deck.

Can't believe they missed the opportunity to make a companion cube themed one, but I actually like how minimalist the design is overall, the little light bar at the bottom is a nice touch.

 

[Noctosphere]

Can't believe they missed the opportunity to make a companion cube themed one, but I actually like how minimalist the design is overall, the little light bar at the bottom is a nice touch.

minimalist, and yet customizable

 

[Exnor]

For the right price, Steam machine 2 (or whatever is called) could be the one to replace Xbox in the market, since MS just pretty much gave up on the brand.

Would be hilarious if Steam call it Steam Box or Steam Cube.

 

[Noctosphere]

For the right price, Steam machine 2 (or whatever is called) could be the one to replace Xbox in the market, since MS just pretty much gave up on the brand.

Would be hilarious if Steam call it Steam Box or Steam Cube.

Gabe Cube

 

[Taleweaver]

Interested in all three, but mostly the Vr thing.
For the cube I 'm thinking whether I'll just use it as a gaming pc.

But all depends on price and politics (I'm not going to fund a fascist state because they make a gizmo I like)

 

[johsam]

Interesting. I'm planning to build a mid-tier gaming-pc but now i'm gonna wait and see how the steammachine is priced.

 

[lightwo]

Added to OP: a bit late, but Gamers Nexus video is very insightful on top of the data released on the promo pages:

 

[Magsor]

We'll see it when it comes out. The problem is, all the best chips in the world comes from the same factory in taiwan. That makes a pression upward in prices and keeps it up because everyone wants more chips.
The steam deck did not sell too well because is kind of hard to get and it will be the same with those product, you cannot buy them at walmart.

 

[Robert Newbie]

I'm not really in the market for a new controller, but I do like the idea of the new Steam Controller. The original seemed like a nice experiment, but I don't think I could work 2D games with a touchpad instead of a tactile D-pad. (For any OG Steam Controller users reading this, how did the touchpad-D-pad work for 2D games?)

The new Steam Controller has the touchpads below the standard layout, which resembles a Dual Shock. I like the idea of extra buttons on the back, and there are motion controls like the OG model.

Overall, it has my attention, but new controllers are priced at $60+ USD these days.

 

[Reualed]

Massively underpowered GPU with only 8GB of VRAM, no upgradeable parts, and according to GamersNexus, will be priced higher than the consoles, including the PS5 Pro.

And as a device that runs the shitty SteamOS, it cannot run Battlefield 6, Stalker 2, Black Myth: Wukong, etc., etc. Here's a list of over 8000 PC games it cannot run.

The fact that this is a 1080p device for playing circa 2020 AAA games but won't even be as powerful as a base PS5 and won't be upgradeable like a real PC makes this dead on arrival. Only fools will purchase this obsolete-on-debut device.

uh, wrong.
That list is actually garbage.
GTA 5 still works on steamdeck. Just the online half doesn't.

I am suspecting that this list is wildly out of date.

For example:
https://gg.deals/games/steam-deck-unsupported/?page=2
page 2 states no more hero's doesn't play
Yet-
https://www.protondb.com/app/1420290?device=steamDeck
Platinum rating, works just fine on steamdeck.
Valve has put it in unsupported category. But from personal experience there is a bunch of games that have to be rechecked.
(For example. Sonic Generations was listed as unsupported. Even for a good while after the SMT fix)

Post automatically merged: Nov 13, 2025

Black Myth: Wukong,

https://www.protondb.com/app/2358720
Also, this games does infact run on the steamdeck, based on what I am seeing, people can get up to 45 frames per second. (so not super well. But for a handheld, not terrible.)

 

[lightwo]

For any OG Steam Controller users reading this, how did the touchpad-D-pad work for 2D games?

Out of the box, don't even bother

While I have a Steam Controller (OG) myself, it truly feels like an early prototype compared to controls on the Steam Deck. As a PC gamer who plays on mouse and keyboard, I found its utility to be very limited given that I wasn't interested in using it for the kind of games it was designed for. It really wasn't versatile at all, but it has a cult following by people who invested some time into learning how to truly benefit from it.

I am really looking forward to the successor, because I absolutely love Steam Deck's controls. The touchpads are amazing for camera controls compared to thumbsticks, but at the same time, I get the tactile D-pad and everything else I need for other types of games.

 

[lordelan]

How on earth is there no front page news about this yet? The whole internet goes crazy about it and gbatemp sleeps? ^^

@ShadowOne333 @Chary

 

[Robert Newbie]

Out of the box, don't even bother

While I have a Steam Controller (OG) myself, it truly feels like an early prototype compared to controls on the Steam Deck. As a PC gamer who plays on mouse and keyboard, I found its utility to be very limited given that I wasn't interested in using it for the kind of games it was designed for. It really wasn't versatile at all, but it has a cult following by people who invested some time into learning how to truly benefit from it.

I am really looking forward to the successor, because I absolutely love Steam Deck's controls. The touchpads are amazing for camera controls compared to thumbsticks, but at the same time, I get the tactile D-pad and everything else I need for other types of games.

Thanks for the rundown. I figured it wouldn't be ideal for 2D games, but I like feedback from actual users to confirm. You never know.

It sounds like Valve got things right for the Steam Deck, so I'm interested to see how it all translates to a standalone controller. I appreciate that you can use the new Steam Controller wired, since I even use my Xbox One controller with the USB cable in.

Just so we're all clear, I am all in on calling the Steam Machine the "GabeCube."

 

[The Catboy]

I really hope this pushes more people into Linux. People need to drop their abusive relationship with Windows

 

[ShadowOne333]

How on earth is there no front page news about this yet? The whole internet goes crazy about it and gbatemp sleeps? ^^

@ShadowOne333 @Chary

I'm on it right now, both this one and the Galaxy trailer

 

[Taleweaver]

. (For any OG Steam Controller users reading this, how did the touchpad-D-pad work for 2D games?)

It was bad. Not unplayable, but the lack of tactile respons never felt right. I remember switching to the joystick for that, but that was just "less bad".

It was(and still is, on the deck) great for mouse games.

 

[Robert Newbie]

It was bad. Not unplayable, but the lack of tactile respons never felt right. I remember switching to the joystick for that, but that was just "less bad".

It was(and still is, on the deck) great for mouse games.

That makes sense. Is the touchpad setup better for point-and-click, FPS? How about 3D platformers?

 

[Reualed]

Deleted since I realized it was a steam controller question specifically.
Edit: since someone did respond to this I am adding what I said back.
Original message:


For fps and point and click. The steam deck's touchpads are amazing.

There is really good haptic feedback, they are also pressure sensitive and you can map to corresponding pressures.

Putting the triggers as left and right click feels pretty solid, though if your tight on space or triggers need to be something else, you can just get away with pushing the touchpads in, I don't personally prefer it that way. But it's still vastly more comfortable than trying to use a analog stick.

 

[SeventhSon7]

 

[Robert Newbie]

For fps and point and click. The steam deck's touchpads are amazing.

There is really good haptic feedback, they are also pressure sensitive and you can map to corresponding pressures.

Putting the triggers as left and right click feels pretty solid, though if your tight on space or triggers need to be something else, you can just get away with pushing the touchpads in, I don't personally prefer it that way. But it's still vastly more comfortable than trying to use a analog stick.

That is interesting. It makes me wonder if I can be sold on touchpads in place of traditional analog sticks. All the more reason to wait and see what the pricepoint is on the new Steam Controller.