After much anticipation and endless leaks, Valve has finally revealed what it's been cooking up all along: a trio of (shock!) new devices, including the Steam Machine (a PC form factor), the Steam Frame (a new virtual reality suite), and the infamous Steam Controller, now improved and actually (seemingly) pretty good.
At the time of writing, the Steam store pages have not yet been updated, but Valve's own sites are already live for each of the devices, which also do not list prices as of this writing.
Steam engine is the successor to Valve's previous device of the same name and is now a portable, powerful, small and quiet mini PC that can be used on the go and placed literally anywhere. It runs on SteamOS and, according to Valve, is six times more powerful than Steam Deck. As with the latter, Steam Machine will have its own selection of Steam Machine-verified games on the company's storefront, ensuring you get the most out of whatever you launch.
Meanwhile, Steam frame is a new pair of virtual reality glasses that aims to revolutionize the technology by turning the set into a real PC that can be used, as Valve's philosophy seems to be lately, on the go. This is a lightweight virtual reality system that Valve has equipped with SteamOS and, as above, will validate individual games as “Verified by Steam Frame”.
It's integrated with Steam and can be used in both VR and non-VR scenarios, and I can't wait to see how the latter develops as it may well be a necessary first step towards fully integrating VR into everyday use.
Finally, Valve offers a new, improved and reformed version. Steam controller it is very similar to the previous one, but has a more traditional design. It's similar in many ways to Sony's DualSense controller, but has two trackpads that can act as mice for certain PC-specific scenarios. Everything about the controller can be edited and customized via Steam Input, and since it's integrated with Steam, running it on any device with Steam installed will be a breeze.
It also supports Bluetooth and USB connections, but can also be paired with your PC via Steam's own “Steam Controller Pluck” if that's your prerogative.
The valve usually followsFollow up these hardware announcements with some major video game news, be it small projects to promote the devices themselves or actual full-fledged games like Half-Life: Alyx after the Valve Index was revealed to the world.
Many liars and hopium lovers like me believe Half-life X it may be the game being announced this time, but it could just be hope and overcoming adversity. Either way, it's nice to see Valve actually doing something and pushing the boundaries of the industry, which is kind of its thing.
