Valve takes on Xbox and PlayStation with its own game console

13 Nov 2025 | Rasmus Larsen |

The company behind Steam, Valve, has found success with its handheld game console, Steam Deck, and soon a living room console capable of running existing PC games will follow.

The rumor was true.

10 years after a failed attempt to launch game consoles with partners, Valve is now going solo with its own console. The name remains unchanged: Steam Machine.

- "We've been super happy with the success of Steam Deck, and PC gamers have continued asking for even more ways to play all the great titles in their Steam libraries. Our work over the years on other hardware and even more importantly on SteamOS has enabled Steam Controller, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame to do just that," said Valve President Gabe Newell.

Steam Machine. Photo: Valve
Moderate hardwareThe new Steam Machine is a compact gaming PC built on AMD chips, its own operating system (SteamOS), and an integrated power supply. The box measures about 16 cm on each side and connects to the TV or monitor via HDMI or DisplayPort.

The console arrives 5 years after the launch of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X but does not quite match those consoles in power. Valve claims that Steam Machine is over six times faster than Steam Deck, which would be around 9 Tflops (PS5 has 10.3 Tflops, Xbox Series X has 12 Tflops). The GPU is roughly equivalent to AMD's Radeon RX 7600M.

Valve highlighted games such as Cyberpunk 2077, Portal 2, Black Myth: Wukong, Stardew Valley and Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Steam Machine does not have HDMI 2.1. Its HDMI 2.0 port is therefore limited to 4K60 HDR or 4K120 without HDR – HDR is not well supported in the PC ecosystem. DisplayPort 1.4 can reach up to 4K240, according to Valve, but the hardware cannot run games at that level.

Steam Machine is compatible with select games from the Steam store
The Steam game libraryThe console's main strength lies in its connection to the Steam game store, meaning buyers can play many of the PC games they already own.

Games verified for Steam Deck will automatically work on Steam Machine, according to Valve. That means not all Steam games can run without developer modifications – many are designed for mouse and keyboard.

The new Steam Controller. Photo: Valve
Games can be controlled using Valve's new controller, Steam Controller, which requires a small external USB dongle to connect via a proprietary wireless connection. Steam Machine also supports other game controllers via Bluetooth.

How strong the Steam integration will prove remains to be seen. The console will launch in USA, Europe and more regions in "early 2026". Pricing has not yet been announced.

Steam Machine – specifications
General
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

RAM
16GB DDR5 + 8GB GDDR6 VRAM

Power
Internal power supply, AC power 110-240V

Storage
Two Steam Machine models
512GB NVMe SSD
2TB NVMe SSD
Both models include a high-speed microSD card slot

Connectivity
Wi-Fi
2x2 Wi-Fi 6E

Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.3 dedicated antenna

Steam Controller
Integrated 2.4 GHz Steam Controller wireless adapter

I/O
DisplayPort 1.4
Up to 4K @ 240Hz or 8K@60Hz
Supports HDR, FreeSync, and daisy-chaining

HDMI 2.0
Up to 4K @ 120Hz
Supports HDR, FreeSync, and CEC

USB
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

Networking
Gigabit ethernet