Valve is accelerating its jump into the hardware business. That’s a takeaway many readers may get from today’s three-in-one announcement of new Steam-branded hardware: the Steam Controller, the Steam Machine, and the Steam Frame. All three are optimized for Steam and SteamOS, but just like the Steam Deck, Valve promises that players can install whatever software they want on these devices.
The Steam Controller is a standard gamepad with high-end features like built-in trackpads, haptics, and grip-enabled gyro controls. It also comes with what Valve is calling a “Steam Controller Puck” that magnetically charges the controller and quickly syncs it to any PC it connects to.
The Steam Machine is a cube-shaped device running SteamOS that can pull double duty as a console or PC depending on the player’s needs. It uses a “semi-custom AMD desktop class CPU and GPU” to deliver 4K resolution, and will possess either 512GB or 2TB of storage depending on which version the player purchases. It will have one USB-C input and four USB-A inputs.
Finally the Steam Frame shows Valve isn’t backing away from the virtual reality market, even if competitors like Meta appear to be pulling back. The device is a “lightweight and compact” headset with a Snapdragon 8 Series Processor and 16GB of RAM, and comes with two controllers. It can either stream VR gameplay from a PC via a USB wireless adapter or run games natively using Steam OS. Developers can request a development kit in their Steam Partner dashboard.
Valve is reviving dormant hardware dreams
This isn’t Valve’s first bite at the hardware apple. Today’s announcement comes over a decade after the company showed off the original Steam Machine and Steam Controller, which both struggled to get off the ground. It rolled out the Valve Index in 2019, a VR device that popularized hand-based controllers. The Index was the most successful of these devices. Steam Controllers were discontinued in 2019 and the original Steam Machines struggled to bridge the PC and console market.
Not only does Valve have the benefit of having sold millions of Steam Decks, it can use the Steam Machine as an anchor device for the Steam Controller and Steam Frame. Though each device can play nice with third-party hardware and software, the native integration creates a console-like experience for players less interested in customizing a Linux-based machine.
Valve is also expanding its “Verified” program to indicate when games on Steam will be optimized for Steam Machine, adding another marketing touchpoint for developers on the PC marketplace.