Steam has officially announced their upcoming console, known as the Steam Machine. On Steam’s website, the company advertised the console as “Powerful PC gaming made easy, in a small and mighty package.” The console is expected in early 2026. You can wishlist it now on the Steam app, but as of writing, there’s no official retail price listed for the console.
Specifications
The page for the Steam Machine says, “With over six times the horsepower of Steam Deck, Steam Machine has the power to play your whole Steam library, including your favorite AAA titles. Just sign in with your Steam account and your entire library is there.”
The console will run on SteamOS. It will have an ethernet port, an HDMI port, a USB-C port and four USB-A ports. It will also support 4k gaming at 60 FPS, “thanks to a discrete semi-custom AMD desktop class CPU and GPU.”
The Steam Machine’s storage will come in two sizes: 512 GB and 2TB. Both will have expandable storage via microSD. Players can use Wi-Fi, and the console will have Bluetooth via a dedicated antenna. Players can also connect their Steam Controller wirelessly to the console. The console also has a built-in power supply. Most importantly, the console is technically a PC, so players can install other apps or another operating system.
Pricing
Video of Steam Machine, Courtesy of the Valve channel
Right now, Steam hasn’t listed a price for their console. Yazan Aldehayyat, a hardware engineer at Valve, said to GameSpot, that Valve aims to make the console “affordable.” According to Kotaku, early reports indicate that the console might cost approximately $800, currently more than the price of a PS5 Pro. According to The Verge, a compact gaming system with similar parts- without storage, a gamepad, operating system or memory – would cost about $1,000.
My Opinion
In 2026, we are most likely getting a Steam console before Grand Theft Auto VI and Half Life 3. I’ve already wishlisted the console on Steam, and hopefully this doesn’t go the way of the Ouya. If the official retail price is $800, then taxes and shipping will make it close to $900 or $1,000.
