After much anticipation and endless leaks, Valve has finally come forward with what it’s been cooking all this time: a trio (shocker!) of new devices, including Steam Machine (form-factor PC), Steam Frame (a new VR set), and the infamous Steam Controller, now improved and actually (seemingly) quite good.
The Steam Store pages have not yet been updated at the time opf writing, but Valve’s own sites are already up and running for each of the devices, which also do not feature any prices as of this article.
The Steam Machine is a successor to Valve’s previous device of the same name, and is now a portable, powerful, small, and quiet mini-PC that can be used on the go and placed literally anywhere. It runs on the SteamOS and is, as Valve argues, six times more powerful than the Steam Deck. Much like the latter, the Steam Machine will have its own set of “Steam Machine Verified” games on the company’s storefront, ensuring you get the most out of it in anything you fire up.
Meanwhile, the Steam Frame is a new pair of VR goggles that aims to revolutionize the technology by turning the set into an actual PC that can be used, as is the Valve philosophy lately it seems, on the go. It is a lightweight VR system that Valve outfitted with the SteamOS and, like the above, is going to verify individual titles as “Steam Frame Verified.”
It’s integrated with Steam and can be used in both VR and non-VR scenarios, and I can’t wait to see how the latter plays out, as it might very well be a necessary first step toward total VR integration in everyday use.
Lastly, Valve is offering a new, improved, and reformed Steam Controller that is much like the previous one but with a more traditional design. It’s similar in most aspects to the DualSense controller by Sony, but has two trackpads that can act as mice for particular PC-specific scenarios. Everything about the controller can be edited and attuned to yourself via Steam Input, and since it’s integrated with Steam itself, running it on any device with Steam installed is going to be a breeze.
It also supports both Bluetooth and USB connections, but can also be paired with your PC via Steam’s own “Steam Controller Pluck,” if that’s your prerogative.
Valve typically follows up these hardware announcements with some big video game news, whether they’re just small-time projects to promote the devices themselves or actual, full-blown games like Half-Life: Alyx, after Valve Index was shown to the world.
Many leakers and hopium addicts like myself believe Half-Life X could be the game announced this time around, but that could be just hope and cope. At any rate, it’s good to see Valve actually doing things and pushing the boundaries in the industry, which is sort of its thing.
