Valve is doubling, or rather tripling, down on hardware after the success of the Steam Deck as they have announced three new Steam hardware.
The new Steam Controller has a more standardised layout with all the buttons from the Steam Deck. So there are two analog sticks located in their expected positions (symmetrically and on the lower side of the controller, PlayStation-style), face buttons, bumpers, triggers and d-pad plus back buttons and two touch pads. The latter is placed much further down the elongated controller. The Steam Controller naturally uses Steam Input. While the Steam Controller can be connected wireless via Bluetooth or plugged via USB, it can also be paired to what Valve calls a puck. It’s a wireless transmitter which can be connected to a Steam Controller to double as a charging station. Neat for those who prefer not fumbling with plugging cables.
The coolest thing about the new Steam Controller is the “next-generation magnetic thumbsticks” which are based on TMR. None of that cheap potentiometer-based sticks most controllers have, which are prone to stick drift. These should be a bit better on paper compared to the much-lauded Hall Effect-based sticks. They also has capacitive touch which allows for motion controls. The Steam Controller also includes gyro controls, enabled by simply gripping the controller a little tighter. Controls can be mapped, including the extra four back buttons, to whatever you like.
The new Steam Controller is can be connected to a Steam Deck, the new Steam Machine or any PC that runs Windows, Mac and Linux as well as mobile devices.
Meanwhile, the new Steam Machine is now just one cube (6-inch on all sides) made by Valve themselves, rather than an ecosystem. With six times more power than a Steam Deck, the new Steam Machine is best used to play AAA games you have on Steam.
Interestingly, the new Steam Machine isn’t just a regular modular desktop PC. It uses a “discrete semi-custom AMD desktop class CPU and GPU” so they’re not off-the -shelf parts. But it can play games at 4K resolution (though it needs the help of AMD’s FSR upscaler to get there). The new Steam Machine comes in 512GB and 2TB storage sizes, with a, curiously, microSD slot for expandable storage options. At least it’s not a proprietary memory card.
Obviously, the new Steam Machine can be used with the new Steam Controller, but not just via Bluetooth or USB. The Steam Machine includes an adapter that can pair with four Steam Controllers to work wireless without the puck.
With the new Steam Machine, games on Steam can now be “Steam Machine Verified” similar to how games have had Steam Deck Verified certifications.
Lastly, we have the Steam Frame, a “streaming-first, wireless VR headset” that comes with its own set of controllers (with all the same buttons from the Steam Deck and new Steam Controller). The Steam Frame is lightweight that it doesn’t need an additional strap that goes on top of the head, only needs to a wireless adapter to plug to a PC, built-in speakers, and can work on its own. The Steam Frame is itself a SteamOS PC running on a Snapdragon 8 Series processor with 16GB of RAM. That’s enough to run games natively, even non-VR games can be played. As such, Steam will also start labelling “Steam Frame Verified” on games that can be played natively on the Steam Frame.
Previously, there was a Steam Controller (a quirky controller with only one analog stick and two big circular touchpads) and Steam Machines were a thing (where OEMs create custom PC made to run SteamOS). Both has been discontinued. Valve also made a VR headset previously, the Steam Index.
Valve is looking more confident in making hardware after their big break with the Steam Deck. And maybe the world is ready this time for a Steam Controller and a Steam Machine.
The Steam Controller, Steam Machine and Steam Frame will begin shipping in 2026. Valve doesn’t sell their hardware officially in Malaysia, but if the Steam Deck is of any indication, expect to see imports of these hardware appearing here next year.