What does it look like?
The Steam Machine is a black cube that is around 6 inches on each side, almost like a Nintendo GameCube. Valve states that it is so small that you can ‘hide it under a banana’. Perfect for those who want to be able to play games that previously would have required a gaming PC, with no need to find the space for a huge tower, screen and keyboard.
The front panel of the Steam Machine is magnetic, which means you can swap the front of your Steam Machine with a front that coordinates with the rest of the room.
What about the stats?
The Steam Machine will be offering a frame rate of 60 FPS (frames per second) which, compared to the current generation of games consoles, is low. The Xbox Series X/S can get up to 120 FPS, as can the Playstation 5 and even the Nintendo Switch 2, which is a handheld.
For bigger titles, a higher frame rate is always a plus, particularly when you’re investing in a console. However, the frame rate you get will depend on the games that you’re playing. As a point of reference, Game of the Year Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s performance mode is 60 FPS.
The Steam Machine boasts a 6-core Zen 4 CPU, which will be great for performance; however, the RDNA 3 GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and 16GB DDR5 + 8GB GDDR6 VRAM (Video Ram) could be a step down for those who have invested in a gaming PC. It should run most modern games smoothly, but it might struggle with newer releases in a couple of years.
There will be two models, a 512GB and a 2TB version, both of which will include a high speed microSD card slot.
How much will it cost?
At time of writing, we haven’t heard the price point of the Steam Machine, but it’s rumoured to be sitting somewhere between £500 and £600. We do know that it will be priced more like a gaming PC than a console, which might mean that the cost is even higher.
However, being able to access the Steam library, and the lower prices of PC games is likely to save you some money in the long run, particularly if you’re feeling nostalgic for some classics.
Who is the Steam Machine for?
From the stats and the estimated price point, we’re guessing that the Steam Machine is going to be particularly popular with those who are looking for a more accessible and cost effective way into PC gaming.
Between the size of the Steam Machine and the ease at which you’ll be able to play, this console could be perfect for gamers who want the range of the Steam library at their fingertips without investing the money and space into a gaming PC.
Valve states that the Steam Machine will be released in early 2026, but we’re likely to get a few more announcements before now and then.
