The popular gaming platform Steam announced Steam Hardware, its very own gaming console in tandem with its host corporation, Valve. Having already released its Steam Deck, its handheld portable gaming PC, it is adding three new devices to its officially launched Steam Hardware brand.
This first of the newly announced devices is the Steam controller. Steam, as a gaming archive, lets players have a more hands-on experience anywhere, without having to travel with a full-sized console.
The device also comes with many features meant to help enhance gameplay, including magnetic thumbsticks designed for “improved feel, responsiveness and long-term reliability” while also supporting “capacitive touch to enable motion controls.”
The controller comes with high-definition rumble, which can handle high-frequency waveforms for immersive physical responses. Gyro aiming is the ability to aim in shooting scenes or games using the remote. The controller allows players to do this through grip pads on the back.
The controller has numerous other features and perks, including trackpads that allow users to play their favorite desktop games with more precision than a mouse and keyboard.
Made to make gameplay easier, the controller can be used both wirelessly and with a wire. The Steam controller has a battery life of 35 hours for continuous gameplay, and contains a rechargeable battery with a charging adapter that comes with every controller,.
The second device to be announced by the gaming platform was the Steam Machine, a new gaming PC. The six-inch cube is designed to be customized by players. Although the device is 6 times more powerful than the Steam Deck, it is designed to be quiet with cooling features to avoid overheating.
The device provides a 4k gaming experience, no matter the station. Adaptable for TV or monitors, the device supports all screen types, including a desktop mode. The device includes fast “suspend and resume,” seamless updates, notifications, cloud saves, friends list, Steam chat and remote play.
The device comes in two storage options, which are 512 GB and 2 TB, and both come with expandable storage via SD card slots. It also comes with a customizable LED strip that can display different system functionalities, such as download progress even when your screen is off, and can be customized by the player to include various colors and animations, creating a light show.
Designed to work hand and hand with the Steam controller, the PC is compatible with all desktop and gaming accessories, along with running whatever software the player chooses. It can stream games to players’ phone, tablet, laptop, desktop or any partnered Steam Hardware device.
Steam Frame was the third and final device announced to be added to the Steam Hardware lineup. With the ability to stream virtual reality and non-VR games, the Steam Frame is the next generation of VR headgear from Valve.
The wireless headset uses camera-based tracking to make it easier to log in to games. The dual controllers come with a split gameplay layout to adapt to all players’ gameplay needs, including motion controls and capacitive tracking for all fingers.
The controllers feature a D-pad, ABXY buttons, thumbsticks, triggers and bumpers, all designed for non-VR games gameplay.
A USB wireless adaptor comes with the Steam Frame, which, once plugged into a device, allows people to stream games from their PC to their headset, allowing for a fast and seamless connection.
Games streamed to the headset are enhanced for VR, with new technology that delivers the highest possible resolution in the area the eyes are focused on. Not only do Stream Frames act as an accessory to PCs, but they are a PC themselves.
Also running Steam OS, people can install VR and non-VR games straight to the headset without a host device. The Stream Frame also comes with expandable storage, including an SD Card slot.
Steam Hardware devices start shipping out in early 2026, with much anticipation from the gaming world, as these are the first PC and console hybrids. This launch has garnered attention due to the possibility of revolutionizing gaming and the future of PC and console hybrid programming.
Some are already considering this a step toward the future and away from PlayStation and Xbox, while others see this as the downfall of the gaming conglomerates. Due to its ability to run like a normal PC, the ability to run both Xbox and PlayStation games through the device is possible.
Steam might have just created a device that ends the console wars that have ran gaming for decades now.
