Valve revives Steam Machine and redesigns controller
The following report was written by Gemini AI and reviewed by an editor at Sypnotix.
BELLEVUE, WA – November 12, 2025 – Valve Corporation today announced three major additions to its hardware lineup: the Steam Machine compact gaming PC, the Steam Frame wireless VR headset, and a completely redesigned Steam Controller. This trio of devices, built on the success of the Steam Deck, aims to make the full Steam library playable everywhere—from the couch and desktop to the completely immersive virtual space.
“We’ve been incredibly happy with the success of Steam Deck, and our community has continued to ask for even more ways to play their libraries,” said Gabe Newell, President of Valve. “Our work on SteamOS has matured to the point where the Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller can deliver highly optimized, open-platform gaming experiences that truly leverage the depth of the Steam catalog.”
Steam Machine: Big Power in a Small Box
The new Steam Machine marks Valve’s second foray into the living room console space, but this time with the proven foundation of SteamOS.
Console-Sized Power: Designed to be six times more powerful than the Steam Deck, the Steam Machine targets 4K resolution at 60 FPS with FSR upscaling, powered by a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 CPU and RDNA 3 GPU (110W TDP).
Compact Design: The device is a sleek, roughly 6-inch (160mm) cube, small and quiet enough to fit unobtrusively under a TV or on a desk.
Connectivity: Features include Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, multiple USB ports, DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, and an integrated power supply. It will be available in 512GB and 2TB NVMe SSD configurations.
Verified Program: Valve is extending its popular “Verified” program to include a Steam Machine Verified rating, ensuring players know which games are optimized for the device.
Steam Frame: Wireless, Streaming-First VR
The Steam Frame is a new standalone VR headset designed to make high-fidelity VR accessible and convenient, while also supporting the entire non-VR Steam library.
Standalone Power & Streaming: Powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and running SteamOS, the Steam Frame operates wirelessly and supports both standalone VR play and PC streaming via a dedicated 6GHz adapter.
Foveated Streaming: Utilizes integrated eye-tracking to enable Foveated Streaming, a technique that optimizes bandwidth and performance by focusing resolution only where the user is looking.
Display: Features dual 2160x2160 pancake displays with a 144 Hz refresh rate and a 110-degree field of view.
Lightweight Design: Weighing approximately 440 grams with the included head strap, it’s designed for comfort during extended use.
Steam Controller: The Versatile Input Solution
The successor to the original 2015 Steam Controller brings a complete redesign, incorporating the best features of the Steam Deck’s input while adding conventional elements.
Dual Input Design: Features standard analog thumbsticks alongside the signature dual haptic trackpads, allowing it to function as both a modern gamepad and a mouse replacement.
TMR Technology: Magnetic Tunnel Magnetoresistance (TMR) technology is used for the thumbsticks, ensuring higher precision, responsiveness, and long-term reliability against drift.
Ergonomics: Includes high-definition rumble, grip-enabled gyro controls, and physical buttons on the back grips.
Wireless Charging Puck: Comes with the Steam Controller Puck, which acts as both a low-latency 2.4 GHz wireless transmitter and a magnetic charging dock.
Availability
All three new devices—the Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller—are scheduled to begin shipping in early 2026. Pricing and precise release dates will be finalized and announced in the new year.
