Valve has announced three new hardware devices coming in 2026: the Steam Controller, the Steam Frame (a wireless virtual reality headset), and, first on the list, the Steam Machine, a compact PC running SteamOS, allowing users to play games on a big-screen TV.
If this sounds familiar, it's because Valve announced the same thing a decade ago, but the Steam Machine was reliant on third-party developers and one of the first SteamOS to have issues with game support.
Valve believes the time is right to try again, as SteamOS has matured into a much stronger platform.
The new Steam Machine uses a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 processor with an RDNA3 graphics setup. Valve says the device is designed for 4K60 playback with the help of FSR and includes 16GB DDR5 and 8GB GDDR6.
The system supports DisplayPort and HDMI and includes Wi Fi 6E, Bluetooth, and an activity-reflective LED light bar.
The cooling design is unusually large for a system of this size. A 120mm fan sits in the center of the airflow path and the chassis draws air from the sides and base to keep performance stable even when placed in closed TV units.
Although the Steam Machine is aimed at gamers who want a simple setup for their living room, it probably won't be cheap (the exact price is currently unknown) and it doesn't include dedicated entertainment apps.
There are many affordable mini PCs that can run SteamOS with little work and also perform other tasks, such as streaming. Here are five of our favorites to consider (with a bonus option at the end), and some are currently discounted for Black Friday.
The best alternatives to the steam engine
Consider a laptop
