Valve has officially confirmed that the Steam Machine and Steam Frame will arrive this summer. The announcement came inside an update to the Verified program for games compatible with the new devices, published on Steam’s community channel.

After months of rumors and delays, Valve’s console is finally ready to hit the market. It is really a compact PC built for the living room. It runs the SteamOS operating system and is designed to behave like a traditional console: you just turn it on, pick up the controller, and launch whatever game you want.

But how does it actually work? And, more to the point, how much does it cost? Here is everything we know about the new Steam Machine and the role it could play in the global video game market.

What the Steam Machine is

The Steam Machine is a gaming mini-PC designed by Valve to connect to a TV over HDMI, paired with the new Steam Controller. Unlike the Steam Deck, this is a stationary device, more powerful and built for home use.

The core idea is to deliver all the freedom of a gaming PC in the form of a console. There are no drivers to configure, no settings to optimize, no compatibility headaches. Thanks to the Verified program, games are certified by Valve to run perfectly on the console right from the first boot.

The operating system is SteamOS 3, based on Arch Linux, which boots straight into gaming mode. It has an interface optimized for the controller and also includes a full desktop layout for anyone who wants to use the machine as a traditional PC.

How the Steam Machine works

Measuring 156 x 162 x 152mm, the Steam Machine has a spec sheet that, according to Valve, competes directly with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Under the hood there is a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 processor with 6 cores and 12 threads, a maximum clock of 4.8 GHz, and a 30W TDP.

For graphics, there is a semi-custom AMD RDNA 3 GPU with 28 compute units, a maximum clock of 2.45 GHz, and a 110W TDP. Video memory is 8 GB of GDDR6, paired with 16 GB of DDR5 RAM shared by the system.

On storage, two versions are available: 512 GB NVMe SSD or 2 TB NVMe SSD. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth, USB-A and USB-C ports, an HDMI output, and an Ethernet port.

Valve promises performance up to 6 times higher than the Steam Deck, with the ability to reach 4K at 60 fps thanks to AMD FSR3 upscaling. That means demanding titles run at 1440p with upscaling, while lighter games hit native 4K.

Game compatibility is guaranteed by SteamOS and the Proton layer, which makes it possible to run Windows games on Linux.

How much the Steam Machine costs

Valve has not announced an official price yet, but the company has already said the Steam Machine will be in line with PCs of comparable power already on the market.

Estimates therefore point to the 512 GB model landing somewhere between €799 and €899 (roughly $863 to $971), while the 2 TB version would run from €1,099 to €1,199 (roughly $1,187 to $1,295). The cost of components, which has risen significantly over the past year, is a particular factor to keep in mind.

That factor could have a major impact on the final price compared with early projections, which had pointed to $700 for the base model.

Compared with traditional consoles, the price ends up looking reasonable. The Steam Machine does not require any mandatory subscription for online multiplayer, and games on Steam have historically been cheaper than console titles, with frequent sales and lower list prices.

That means that within 18 months of purchase, the platform’s total cost can come out lower than that of a traditional console. The Steam Controller, meanwhile, is priced at €99 (about $107) and is compatible with PC, Steam Deck, Steam Frame, and of course the Steam Machine.

When the Steam Machine comes out

Valve has officially confirmed that the Steam Machine and Steam Frame will launch in summer 2026. No exact date has been given yet, but the release is expected by September of this year.

Signs of an imminent launch had been multiplying in the weeks before the announcement, first with the Steam Machine introductory tutorial that appeared in the Steam backend, and then with the Verified program being extended to include the new devices.

Distribution will follow the model already used for the Steam Deck: direct sales through the Steam Store and through authorized partners. Valve has said it has improved its supply chain compared with the Steam Deck launch, which back in 2022 saw long wait times and limited availability.

What is new about the Steam Machine

The Steam Machine differs from traditional consoles for several reasons. First, platform freedom. Unlike the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, the Steam Machine lets you install from alternative stores, mod your games, use the console as a PC, and is not tied to a closed ecosystem.

Then there are no mandatory subscriptions: online multiplayer is free. On the PS5 and Xbox Series X, by contrast, you need PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass plans. Full backward compatibility is another popular point: the entire Steam library is accessible, including games bought over the past twenty years.

Finally, there is upgradability, since with the Steam Machine it will be possible to swap out certain components or move to a new model without losing anything from your library.

What Steam Frame is

A final word on the Steam Frame, another Valve device arriving alongside the Steam Machine this summer. It is a wireless VR headset designed to work both as a standalone unit and connected wirelessly to a PC, a laptop, or a Steam Deck.

The displays are two LCD panels of 2160x2160 pixels per eye, with a variable refresh rate between 72 and 144 Hz. Tracking is handled by 4 external and 2 internal cameras, all powered by Valve’s proprietary Foveated Streaming system. The Steam Frame also lets you play both native VR titles and any game in the Steam library in an immersive virtual-screen mode.

Editor’s note

This article was originally published in Italian on money.it by Pasquale Conte on June 07, 2026 as «Addio PlayStation e Xbox? Steam Machine è la nuova console PC pronta a dominare». It has been translated and adapted for an international audience by the Money.it International desk.