Valve Announces a New Steam Controller, Steam Machine, and VR Headset

We're got huge news out of Valve and Steam today - new hardware!

It's been rumored for a while now but we have an official announcement showcasing three new pieces of hardware being released by Valve and they are all upgrades over previous iterations of hardware that we've seen. There's a new console, the Steam Machine, a new controller that makes use of the same touch pads that we have on the Steam Deck, and a brand new Virtual Reality Headset, Steam Frame.

Let's dive into each of the announcements. Please note that pricing has not yet been made available and that all the new hardware launches in 2026.

The Steam Frame - New VR Headset

The new headset from Valve is the Steam Frame. It runs SteamOS, the same OS that powers the Steam Deck, which means it can games independent of a PC - just like the Meta Quest. This is running on a Snapdragon 8 Series Processor with 16 GB of RAM and not all games are supported by it, but Valve says a "growing number" of VR and Non-VR games are. This means the best way of using the Frame will be through wireless streaming.

• You can stream from your PC, Laptop, Steam Deck, or Steam Machine.
• The Frame comes with a 6GHz wireless adapter for streaming games from your computer.
  • Two radios exist, one for audio and visuals, the second for your WiFi connection.
  • Up to WiFi 7 is supported with 2x2 support.
• Foveated Streaming optimizes the quality where your eyes are looking to preserve bandwidth.
• 2160x2160 LCD panels power each lens which 72-144hz refresh rates supported.
• 110 FOV, which is 7 degrees more than the Meta Quest 3 and a very small 2 Horizontal and 6 Vertical bump up from the Index.
• Dual-stereo speakers on each side of the headset.
• Four high-res monochrome cameras provide tracking for the controllers and headset.

You can play VR and Non-VR titles, and the Frame also supports taking your SD Card from your Steam Deck and just dropping it in with your games already downloaded which is cool.

Now, the new controllers!

• The new hand controllers feature the same magnetic-driven thumbsticks the Steam Deck has for no drifting.
• Controllers are tracked in-space by the headset, no need for base stations on your walls.
• Full backwards compatibility with the Valve Index's controllers, so they still have that excellent capacitive touch.
• The buttons you need from a regular controller to play games are all present - a step up from the Index.

Being a SteamOS-powered piece of hardware, you can still install your own apps, open a web browser, and do whatever you want to do because its your PC.

Norm from tested did a 1-hour hands-on video experience with the Steam Frame.

Steam Machine - Made for the Living Room

The Steam Machine returns! It has been 10 years since the original Steam Machines released on November 10, 2015 and Valve is coming back big to the living room. The first iteration of the Steam Machine involved several hardware manufacturers, each designing their own unit to be badged as a Steam Machine and this time around, Valve is taking control and making a singular piece of hardware.

• Games on the bigscreen. Take your Steam Library to your TV.
• The Steam Machine is 6x more powerful than the Steam Deck.
• Runs SteamOS so everything you love about the customization it offers, it's here too. You could even install another OS.
• The size of the machine is a cube that is 6 inches cubed. Gabecube anyone?
• You can get it in 512 GB and 2 TB storage varieties, and you can expand via MicroSD.
• WiFi 6E 2x2 is supported with Bluetooth 5.3.
• The LED strip on the front can be customized with different colors and animations - or turn it off.

But what about the processor and graphics card? Valve has partnered up with AMD to create a "semi-custom" AMD Desktop-grade CPU and GPU.

• Zen 4 Architecture
• 6 Cores, 12 Threads
• Runs up to 4.8 GHz
• 30 Watt TDP
• GPU is RDNA 3 28 Compute Units at 2.45 GHz
• VRAM is 8GB of GDDR6
• RAM is 16GB DDR5

Looking for IO? Of course you are, this is a PC!

• 1x Gigabit Ethernet
• 1x Display Port 1.4
  • Up to 4K @ 240Hz or 8K@60Hz
  • Supports HDR, FreeSync, and daisy-chaining
• 1x HDMI 2.0
  • Up to 4K @ 120Hz
  • Supports HDR, FreeSync, and CEC
• 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port in the back
• 4x USB-A
  • 2x 3.2 Gen 1 ports in the front 
  • 2x 2.0 High speed ports in the back
• 1x Steam Controller Adapter for pairing up to 4x Steam Controllers

Steam Controller v2

It's about time Valve brought us a new controller... but oh my, this looks like an abomination. While I personally may not be a huge fan of the look of this peripheral, it does excite me to see the Steam Deck's touch pads make an appearance on a controller.

The new controller also features the Steam Deck's magnetic thumbsticks, which also support capacitive touch to support "motion controls". Speaking of motion, you can use the built-in "Grip Sense" that enables gyro aiming by default in games that support it, much like we see on the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5. This Grip Sense, which uses capacitive touch on the rear of the handles, can also be mapped like any other button.

Rumble motors are also present for feedback, there's a new Controller Puck that charges your controller and acts as the wireless communicator for the controller, and infrared LEDs allow the controller to be tracked by the Steam Frame. This is a long-awaited huge update to the Steam Controller and I'm all for it.