Katarzyna Petru
Valve is returning to the world of computers… and doing so in truly great style. Following the success of the Steam Deck, the company has decided to take it a step further, presenting the Steam Machine – a compact PC built for one purpose: gaming in the Steam library without compromises. This is not a classic PC, nor is it just another console. It is a clever hybrid that takes advantage of the benefits of Linux-based SteamOS, while also possessing a power that we haven't seen in this class for a long time.
6× more powerful than Steam Deck. AMD under the hood does the job
Valve does not beat about the bush – Steam Machine is supposed to be six times stronger than the Steam Deck, aiming at gamers wanting to play at 1080p or 1440p with high settings, rather than the compromises of handhelds.
Inside, we will find a 6-core AMD Zen 4 processor (6C/12T) with a clock speed of up to 4.8 GHz and an extremely efficient TDP of 30 W. The graphics are handled by a Radeon RDNA 3 chip from a "miniaturised" version of 28 CU blocks (1792 SP) – meaning a design similar to the mobile RX 7600M, but overclocked to 110 W. This is a significant leap compared to the Steam Deck and an enormous power reserve, even for newer titles. The graphics are paired with 8 GB GDDR6, clocked up to 2450 MHz, so we are talking about a full-fledged mobile GPU, not an integrated unit from handhelds.
Steam Machine – full specification
Category | Parameters |
|---|---|
Processor | AMD Zen 4 (6C/12T) T clocked up to 4.8 GHz TDP 30 W |
Graphics Card | AMD Radeon RDNA 3 28 CU (1792 SP) 8 GB GDDR6 clocked up to 2450 MHz TDP 110 W |
RAM | 16 GB DDR5 |
Data Storage | SSD PCIe 4.0 NVMe: 512 GB or 2 TB |
Wired Connectivity | Ethernet RJ-45 1 Gbit |
Wireless Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.3 |
Ports | 1× USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 2× USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 2× USB-A 2.0 1× HDMI (4K 120 Hz, likely 2.1) 1× DisplayPort 1.4 microSD card reader |
Dimensions | 162.4 × 156 × 152 mm |
Weight | 2.6 kg |
Other | Dedicated new Steam Controller SteamOS 3 (Linux) |
Small box, big power. And full compatibility with SteamOS
Valve plans to treat the Steam Machine like the Deck – with game compatibility certification, which will allow players to know immediately whether a given production runs smoothly and without any fuss. This is great news, as SteamOS version 3 handles most of the library, and the added power of the Steam Machine should make gaming even easier without emulated “patches” and workarounds.
The hardware is genuinely compact – smaller than most mini-PCs. It's something you can fit under the television, toss into a backpack, or place on your desk without a tangle of cables.
HDMI 4K 120 Hz – yes, this is clearly HDMI 2.1
Valve mentions HDMI 2.0 in their materials, but simultaneously declares support for 4K 120 Hz, which is simply not possible with 2.0. Everything indicates that we have an HDMI 2.1 port here – great news for those who want to play on a large television.
Debut in 2026. Price yet to be confirmed
The equipment will hit the market in 2026. Valve is expected to confirm prices closer to the launch, but one can expect something in the range of:
the price of a console,
and a small gaming mini-PC.
So probably not cheap, but also not excessive – especially considering the performance.
