The American publisher Valve, behind the online video game store Steam, has announced the arrival next year of a new type of device, the Steam Machine, a computer designed to be placed on a desk in a bedroom as well as next to the television in the living room. For Valve, this launch is the culmination of a process started more than 10 years ago.
Here’s what the Steam Machine is, and why it has the potential to transform the world of video games.
A computer, with an interface adapted to a TV screen
The Steam Machine is a small computer in the shape of a 16 cm cube. This is a full-fledged PC, running a modified version of the Linux operating system, that can be placed on a desk and used to browse the Internet or access word processing software, for example.
The device is, however, presented primarily as a video game console. By default, when you turn it on, the Steam video game store appears, and its interface has been designed to be displayed on a large television, and to be controlled with a controller rather than with a keyboard and mouse – although it is also possible to plug these peripherals into it.
The final specifications of the device have not all been revealed, but according to Valve, it should be powerful enough to play the heaviest games on the market, with good quality.
Players will have access to a lot of games
Typically, a console only works with games designed or optimized for it. A PS5 game cannot be installed on a computer, for example, and vice versa. In some cases, consoles are released with only a handful of compatible games. The PS3 was launched in 2006 with 16 games in North America, and the PS4 with 24 games (the PS5 was compatible with games from the previous generation).
The Steam Machine will have access to all the games designed for PC offered in the Steam store, i.e. more than 100,000 titles. Its catalog will therefore be better stocked than that of any console, and many buyers will already have dozens of games that they can install on the device.
Note that it will also be possible to install another operating system on the Steam Machine, such as Windows 11, and then have access to other competing game stores, such as the Epic Games Store.
Valve has been laying the groundwork for 10 years
This is not the first time that Valve has launched a device like this. The company did it 10 years ago, but the experiment, ahead of its time, was short-lived. The problems of the first Steam Machines were numerous: incompatible with Windows games, it had a controller poorly suited to games designed to be used with a keyboard and mouse, and the power was not there.
Since then, a lot has changed. Valve has improved its operating system, SteamOS, notably for the Steam Deck handheld console, launched in 2022. The vast majority of PC games on Steam are now compatible with SteamOS, and the games have almost all been optimized so that they can be played with a normal controller. Valve has also designed a new controller, the Steam Controller, which is inspired by the controls of the Steam Deck console and which should be better suited to different types of video games.
In short, it’s a new type of device, but whose main building blocks — software and hardware — come mainly from products already on the market.
Xbox also wants to mix genres for its next console
Valve is not going it alone in its ambition to bring the world of PC and consoles together. Microsoft – which currently has a separate store for Windows computers and Xbox consoles, but whose certain games are suitable for both types of devices – has also suggested several times that its intention is to marry the two ecosystems.
Although the information has not been explicitly confirmed, Xbox executives have stressed that the next console should be in the spirit of the new ROG Xbox Ally, a portable console launched last month and equipped with Windows 11, but with an interface optimized for video games.
The Steam Machine may be cheaper than a PC
Valve hasn’t announced the price of the Steam Machine, but — and this is where those shopping for a new gaming PC or console should pay attention — the device could be significantly less expensive than a similarly powerful PC.
The reason is simple: for each game sold on Steam, Valve keeps 20% to 30% of the revenue. The company therefore not only makes money on the devices it sells, but also on the games afterwards. The more Steam Machines replace PS5s in living rooms, the more money Valve will make over time. The company will therefore be able to afford to sell its equipment with slim profit margins. This is not the case for computer manufacturers, who must make a profit on each device sold.
The strategy is not new — console manufacturers often sell their devices at a loss, especially at launch (this was also the case with Sony PS5 and Microsoft Xbox Series), with the aim of selling games afterwards.
However, this is the first time that consumers will be able to take advantage of this business model with a device that allows them to play PC games. And since these games are generally less expensive than their console equivalent, especially if we exclude the new releases, players who usually turn to the PlayStation and Xbox ecosystems could also find what they are looking for.
However, they will have to be patient for their Christmas gifts, because the device will not be launched until the beginning of 2026.
