Valve Unveils Brand New Steam Machine

Curious on what Valve, the gaming company, is currently planning? Could it be the long awaited Half-Life 3, Portal 3, or Left 4 Dead 3?

No! The second generation Steam Machine has been in the works for all of this time.

Ten years after the conception of the original Steam Machine (which was never sold) on November 12, 2025, Valve announced the Steam Machine’s actual release. It will run on the Arch Linux-based SteamOS, an operating system that runs Windows games on console systems, allowing users to access the Steam storefront, game library, and Proton software.

“If it works well with everything they say it can do, I think it will be right there in the mix with your top-of-the-line Xbox and PlayStation consoles,” computer science and statistics teacher Mathew Farr said.

What is currently known about the Steam Machine is that it will be significantly more powerful than the Steam Deck, which was developed on the technology from the experiences in the making of the first generation Steam Machine. Both 512GB and 2TB storage options may be available and expandable via the microSD slot. It is expected to be released during the first quarter of 2026.

The console will have a small form-factor, with the cube being around 6 inches. Semi-custom AMD GPUs and CPUs will be utilized. Due to its similar cube design to the Nintendo Game Cube, fans jokingly nicknamed it the “Gabe-Cube”, after Valve’s co-founder Gabe Newell.

As mentioned, the Steam Machine will run on the SteamOS, allowing a similar user experience to the Steam Deck. Like the Steam Deck, a verification program for the Steam Machine will allow users to see how their games will run.

“It’s connected to your Steam account, so you’ll still have access to all your PC games. But it also gives that console feel of being able to just set it next to your TV and play or hook it up to monitors and play or take it with you on vacation,” Farr said.

Recent confirmation from Valve says the Steam Machine will not be subsidized as consoles are, meaning sold at a loss, which would suggest pricing similar to PCs on the market. The recent RAM shortage from companies such as Google, and the fact that Micron is no longer selling memory commercially, may inflate Steam Machine prices even further.