November 14, 2025, 6:23 am | Read time: 2 minutes
Valve is planning a return to the console market with a new stationary console that appears more ambitious than the failed Steam Machine from 2015. The project back then mainly failed due to inconsistent hardware. Now, the new console aims to impress with improved technology and a well-thought-out concept.
Modern Hardware in a Compact Design
On Wednesday, Valve introduced three new devices. Besides the VR headset Frame and a new controller, the new Steam Machine is particularly interesting for the console market. The console is equipped with a customized AMD chip based on Zen 4 with 6 cores and 12 threads. The clock speed reaches up to 4.8 gigahertz. Graphics are powered by an RDNA 3 unit, also from AMD, with 28 compute units operating at up to 2.45 GHz.
The RAM includes 16 gigabytes of DDR5, along with 8 GB of GDDR6 graphics memory. The internal storage is available in two variants: 512 GB or 2 terabytes, expandable via a MicroSD slot.
Extensive Connectivity Options
The console supports Wi-Fi 6E, Gigabit Ethernet, and Bluetooth with its own antenna. There is also a 2.4 GHz receiver for the new Steam Controller. On the front, there are two USB-A ports (USB 3.2 Gen 1), and on the back, two USB-A 2.0 and one USB-C port (USB 3.2 Gen 2).
For video output, DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 are available. DisplayPort supports up to 8K at 60 Hz or 4K at 240 Hz. HDMI 2.0 allows for 4K at 120 Hz.
Valve Steam Deck — Functions, Advantages, and Evaluation
Microsoft and Asus Introduce Two New Xbox Handhelds
SteamOS with Proven Big Picture Mode
The console uses SteamOS, which is already employed in the Steam Deck. Upon startup, users are taken directly to the Big Picture view, allowing access to the entire Steam library. A pause function lets players interrupt and later resume games.
Games without a native Linux version run through Proton, ensuring compatibility with most Windows games.
Also of interest: Sony Introduces Its First Official Playstation Monitor
New VR Headset Announced
In addition to the console, Valve has introduced a VR headset called Steam Frame. It supports both virtual reality and traditional PC games and uses a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip with 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM.
The headset’s storage ranges from 256 GB to 1 TB UFS, expandable via MicroSD. The exact launch date and prices for the new hardware are currently unknown.