On 12th November, in true “we don’t give a f” mentality, Valve dropped some of the biggest gaming news of 2025. Three new pieces of hardware and they are due for release sooner than expected.
Perhaps the least exciting of the new hardware for many is the Steam controller. Let me say, so we may move on quickly, this thing is ugly. However ,while it looks wide this reminds me very much of the Xbox 360 remote with the added keyboard.
The controller boasts two touchpads allowing for mouse like movement. It also features gyros which can allow for alternative ways of movement in supported games. Valve makes regular reference to the high-end thumbsticks, which I do look forward too. While it looks ugly it does look comfortable, but I usually prefer the left thumbstick higher. The controller also boasts seamless connectivity and perhaps the most interesting for likes of me is the charging. They say it holds 30 hours of charge and appears to charge via a detachable battery pack.
Next the Steam Frame (headset). This got my attention as Meta, with their Quest headsets, has dominated the gaming scene. My boy has one and is a lot of fun.
Its no understatement that the VR headset scene has exploded recently with the likes of Apple, Meta, Samsung and Google all having products in the scene. Now Valve has thrown their hat in the ring, and I am excited. This thing look sleek and smaller than some of the others on the market. It reminds me of the Ready Player One headset. While this can connect to other devices for use, it is being sold as a standalone system. It streams games via a wireless adapter that should provide a stable connection. Perhaps the most exciting bit of information is that it will use foveated streaming. This will use the eye trackers to focus performance on what the player is looking at directly and anything outside that area will be of lower quality, increasing performance, at least that is the expectation.
Now the big boy, the Steam Machine. Now this is a sleek looking bit of kit and has some what of a retro vibe. Valve stated this has similar performance to 6 Steam decks. Make of that what you will, but it seems vague to me.
It is clear this is meant to be aimed at the console gaming crowd but bringing PC superiority. While this clearly can used as a PC, I anticipate that this will be more of an entry level PC system and will likely be a player in the console market but more of a fun toy for the PC market. The specs are definitely mid-tier for PCs but should be able to provide ample gaming experience. It will of course run Steam OS but will allow for the use of an alternative OS if wished.
The specs can be found here. While connectivity appears decent I am saddened there are no Thundbolt ports and no audio jack pork. While the Thunderbolt I can do without, but I expect in modern hardware, the audio is a big issue for me. I know what your thinking “but you can use the USB-C ports”, yes I can. But some of my favourite audio hardware uses audio jack and this is unlikely to change soon.
Admittedly I more than likely won’t get the Steam Machine for myself as I prefer a traditional PC setup at the moment, I am interested in getting one for my son as a console replacement. I think its a great step in the right direction to making PC gaming less cumbersome.
The Steam Controller I almost definitely will get as the seamless connectivity I like the and I need a better controller for my PC gaming. This thing looks comfy and I am excited to get one.
The Steam Frame I will watch closely as I am currently weighing my options for a headset and feel this is what I am looking for, but want to wait and see what the flaws are.
Overall, Valve has dropped a huge bomb and they are not holding back a s they wish to have a stake in the console market by taking an extremely aggressive move. No date is set yet but they advise early 2026. I expect sometime late Feb to early March.
