Valve broadcasts a brand new Steam ‘console’, controller and VR headset

Valve has introduced three new merchandise – a brand new VR headset known as the Steam Body, a brand new controller known as the Steam Controller and a console-like unit known as the Steam Machine.

Valve says it plans to ship all three merchandise in the identical areas they at present ship Steam Deck. They may begin transport in early 2026, with particular launch timing and pricing to be confirmed later.

“We’ve been tremendous proud of the success of Steam Deck,” mentioned Gabe Newell, President of Valve, “and PC avid gamers have continued asking for much more methods to play all the nice titles of their Steam libraries. Our work through the years on different {hardware} and much more importantly on SteamOS has enabled Steam Managementler, Steam Machine, and Steam Body to just do that.”

The Steam Machine is a six-inch console-like dice with “over six occasions the horsepower of Steam Deck”, which is designed to permit PC video games to be performed on the TV.

The machine has 1 Gigabit ethernet, DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0, in addition to one USB-C port and 4 USB-A ports. It would additionally are available in 512GB and 2TB storage choices. Its energy provide shall be built-in, that means it received’t have an influence brick.

The Steam Machine additionally has a built-in wi-fi adapter designed to connect with the Steam Controller, that means gamers don’t should plug in its USB ‘Puck’ receiver.

Valve guarantees it is going to provide “4K gaming at 60 fps with FSR, because of a discrete semi-custom AMD desktop class CPU and GPU”. It additionally claims the Steam Machine “retains cool and runs whisper-quiet, even whereas operating essentially the most demanding video games”.

Valve additionally says the Steam Machine shall be highly effective sufficient to stream video games to different gadgets, together with the Steam Deck, Steam Body or another machine operating Steam or Steam Hyperlink.

Steam may also add a Steam Machine Verified program, just like that for the Steam Deck, which lets Steam Machine homeowners see at a look how properly every recreation will run on the machine.

Steam Machine Options and Specs

The brand new Steam Controller appears like a hybrid of an Xbox controller and a PlayStation controller. It options the identical View and Menu buttons (the equivalents of Choose and Begin) seen on an Xbox Collection X/S controller, however has the analogue sticks on the underside like a PlayStation DualSense controller.

It additionally options two massive trackpads on the backside, which can enable gamers to regulate the mouse cursor in PC video games that make use of mouse controls. It additionally consists of ‘grip-enabled gyro’, which it calls Grip Sense, the place holding the controller’s grips can allow and disable gyro aiming.

The controller comes with the Steam Controller Puck, a wired dongle which serves two functions – a wi-fi transmitter to “present a quick, secure connection” , and a charging station with a magnetic connection to cost the controller.

Valve says the controller will characteristic “next-generation magnetic thumbsticks” utilizing TMR know-how, which it says are “designed for improved really feel, responsiveness and long-term reliability”. Additionally they assist capacitive contact for movement controls.

It additionally options 4 programmable grip buttons on the underside of the controller, and incorporates infrared LEDs which makes it simpler for the Steam Body to trace it, which Valve says is “good for enjoying all your non-VR video games on a large digital display screen”.

Lastly, the Steam Body is a “streaming first” digital actuality headset which could be performed wirelessly, just like the Meta Quest headsets. It additionally comes with two handheld controllers which additionally look just like these for the Quest.

The headset comes with a USB plug-and-play 6GHz wi-fi adapter, which Valve says “supplies a devoted hyperlink for each VR and non-VR streaming”. The adapter incorporates twin radios – one for audio and visuals, and one for connecting to Wi-Fi – which Valve says makes the connection extra secure.

Valve says the machine makes use of ‘foveated streaming’, which implies it makes use of eye monitoring to optimise element the place the participant is trying, resulting in what it claims is “over a 10x enchancment in picture high quality and efficient bandwidth”.

Though it’s primarily designed for streaming VR and non-VR video games from a Steam PC or Steam Machine, Valve says the Steam Body “is a PC” operating SteamOS on a Snapdragon 8 Collection Processor with 16GB of RAM, and may due to this fact deal with some much less image-intensive video games on a standalone foundation.

As with Steam Deck and the Steam Machine, a Steam Body Verified program shall be launched, which lets gamers see which video games of their Steam library will work standalone with out the necessity to stream.

Valve beforehand launched its personal VR headset, the Valve Index, again in 2019. It was bundled with Half-Life: Alyx. Not like the Steam Body, nonetheless, it required a wired connection.

Steam Body Options and Specs

The Steam Machine isn’t Valve’s first try at bringing PC video games to the sofa. Again in 2015 it additionally introduced a sequence of gadgets, additionally known as Steam Machines, which have been small type issue PCs designed to play SteamOS on the TV to offer a console-like expertise. These have been introduced alongside the unique Steam Controller, which supplied a touchpad with haptic suggestions as a substitute of an analogue stick.

Steam Machines didn’t have a particular {hardware} configuration, however as a substitute had a set of minimal specs which PC producers might use to make and launch their very own Steam Machines. At the very least 14 completely different corporations confirmed off their very own Steam Machine prototypes on the 2014 CES present, with costs starting from $499 to $6,000.

Finally, the Steam Machine venture didn’t actually take off and it was estimated that, of the merchandise that did really make it to market, fewer than half one million models had been offered after seven months.

Valve additionally launched the Steam Hyperlink in 2015. This {hardware} machine plugged right into a tv and allowed the participant to stream their Steam video games from a PC to the machine, permitting them to play them on TV. This clearly required the participant to have already got a gaming PC, nonetheless.