The Valve Corporation has reaffirmed its commitment to the hardware space by unveiling a comprehensive new product family branded as Steam Hardware. The three forthcoming devices are slated for release in 2026, though specific retail pricing remains undisclosed. Leading the presentation is the Steam Frame, an advanced, autonomous VR headset. Its high-performance specifications include a 4-nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, paired with 16 GB of LPDDR5X unified memory and a 21.6 Wh battery, enabling it to natively run games without requiring a tether to an external PC. Furthermore, Valve introduced the Steam Machine, a compact, yet powerful mini-PC running the proprietary SteamOS. Its internal architecture features a 6-core AMD Zen 4 CPU (with 12 threads), an AMD RDNA 3 GPU (with 28 Compute Units), and a split memory configuration: 16 GB DDR5 system RAM and a dedicated 8 GB GDDR6 video memory, with storage options up to a 2 TB SSD. Completing the trio is a redesigned Steam Controller, which now boasts innovative magnetic sticks featuring capacitive touch sensors, two square touchpads with haptic feedback, and four haptic motors for vibration response, reported by The WP Times
This announcement underscores Valve's strategic goal of diversifying how users access and experience Steam content. While the Steam Frame pushes the boundaries of self-contained Virtual Reality, the Steam Machine offers a powerful and miniaturized solution for living-room gaming, leveraging the robust capabilities of its AMD Zen 4 and RDNA 3 components. All components within the new Steam Hardware line emphasize high-end technical specifications to ensure a premium gaming experience. Full details regarding costs are expected to be revealed closer to the anticipated 2026 launch date.
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