Our Damned Machine

The Steam Machine is Valve's new piece of hardware entering the scene as a mini PC built for living room gaming. I love a lot about it, had some issues with it, but overall came away from my time with it feeling very positive. The big question mark has been around the Steam Machine price. After the Steam Deck had a jump in price, we knew that would be a major factor in who to recommend this to for PC gaming. The Steam Machine specs in coordination with how well it works with the Steam Controller being still make this an appealing PC rig to consider.

A wonderful design can't beat the ugly realities of pricing, performance, and consumer value.

Valve opened Steam Machine pre-orders, giving you a chance to get your name down early for a reservation, though it may be a while until you get it .

Valve continues to be mum on pricing or release date for the 2026 Steam Machine, but leaks from a data mine reveal new details.

The specs and pricing for Steam Machine have been revealed, and the preorders are opening soon. But if you'd rather sidestep that headache and build your own Steam Machine, Valve is officially making it easier for players to do so. While speaking with The Verge, Valve's Pierre-Loup Griffais confirmed that the recently launched SteamOS 3.8.10 is part of the company's ongoing attempts to make the Steam operating system "more compatible with desktop hardware." That includes "improved compatibility" with the most recent Intel and AMD platforms. "If you have something that is similar to the use cas