Valve is accelerating its penetration into the hardware business. This is the conclusion that many readers can draw from today's three in one ad new Steam brands hardware: Steam Controller, Steam Machine and Steam Frame. All three are optimized for Steam and SteamOS, but like Steam Deck, Valve promises that players will be able to install whatever software they want on these devices.
Steam controller is a standard gamepad with high-end features like built-in trackpads, haptics, and gyroscopic stick control. It also comes with what Valve calls a “steam controller puck” that magnetically charges the controller and quickly syncs it with any PC it connects to.
Steam engine is a cube-shaped device running SteamOS that can serve double duty as a console or PC depending on the player's needs. It uses a “semi-custom AMD desktop processor and GPU” to deliver 4K resolution and will have either 512GB or 2TB of onboard storage depending on which version the player purchases. It will have one USB-C input and four USB-A inputs.
Finally Steam frame shows that Valve is not backing down from the virtual reality market, even if competitors like Meta seems to be retreating. The device is a “light and compact” headset with a Snapdragon 8-series processor and 16GB of RAM, and also comes with two controllers. It can either stream VR gameplay from a PC via a wireless USB adapter or run games using Steam OS. Developers can request a development kit from their Steam Partner Panel.
Valve revives dormant hardware dreams
This isn't Valve's first foray into hardware. Today's announcement comes more than a decade after the company showed off the original. Steam engine And Steam controllerwho both struggled to get off the ground. This introduced Valve Index in 2019a virtual reality device that popularized hand-held controllers. The Index was the most successful of these devices. Steam controllers were discontinued in 2019, and the original Steam Machines struggled to bridge the PC and console markets.
Valve not only benefited from the sale millions of Steam decksit can use the Steam Machine as an anchor device for the Steam Controller and Steam Frame. While each device can work well with third-party hardware and software, the native integration creates a console-like experience for gamers less interested in setting up a Linux-based machine.
Valve is also expanding its “Verified” program to indicate when games on Steam will be optimized for the Steam Machine, adding another marketing point for developers in the PC market.
