It has been over three years since the Steam Deck debuted. Since 2022, Valve has successfully rekindled the handheld PC market. Other PC developers, such as the Republic of Gamers (ROG) and Lenovo, followed to create the best portable gaming device. Later, on November 13, 2025, Valve announced three new members of the Steam Hardware Family: the Steam Controller, the Steam Machine, and the Steam Frame.
The Steam Controller
The Steam Controller combines the Nintendo Switch 2 and the PS5 functions in a single device. There’s the standard ABXY button pad, the Left and Right joysticks, bumpers, and triggers. Valve also included the option for gyro motion for VR and PC games that require aiming precision. The function can be activated at will using Grip Sense by holding and releasing the arms’ back.
Instead of a single mouse trackpad, there are two separate pads designed for each thumb. This will allow users to switch between analog and mouse input with ease. At the controller’s grip, Valve dedicated grip buttons for gamers with disabled thumbs and those with smaller hands. Like its competitors, the Steam Controller has a dedicated Home button to access their game library.
One of its best-mentioned features is Steam’s plug-and-play puck. The device acts as a Bluetooth transmitter, allowing the controller to be played wirelessly. And when your controller’s on low battery, it can plug in to charge while acting as a USB cable connector. Valve’s innovation helps reduce the waste of cables needed to play on your PC. The Steam Controller will work with any device that supports its operating system, including tablets and mobile phones.
The Steam Controller
The Steam Machine is a compact mini PC that specializes in running SteamOS 3. It functions like its handheld counterpart with more processing power to handle various computer programs. According to Valve, it’s 152 mm tall and 158 mm wide. That’s a quarter larger than the Nintendo Gamecube, standing at 110 mm tall and 150 mm wide.
Not only is the Steam Machine built for gamers, it’s also for people who need a strong PC for the workspace. Its infrastructure is composed of AMD Zen 4, the current strongest CPU. It offers RDNA3, dual-compatible VRAM (16 GB DDR5 + 8GB DDR6), 2.5 TB micro-SD storage (512 GB + 2 TB NVME), and 6E Wi-Fi. Previews have shown that the Steam Machine can handle large CSS and Blender cache loads simultaneously without lag.
A 5.3 Bluetooth antenna is installed to connect to any compatible device. For the Steam Controller, the mini PC has an integrated wireless adapter. The Steam Machine currently supports HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 for 4K daisy-chaining. Luckily, for those who love custom designs, the front plate can change from the classic black color.
The Steam Frame
The Steam Frame is Valve’s new wireless VR device that carries the same features as the Steam Deck. Believe it or not, this ordinary-looking headset is a PC. What makes it different from the Steam Machine and other gaming headsets is its microarchitecture. Valve collaborated with gaming laptop manufacturer Qualcomm to use their Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. This enabled the Steam Frame to use foveated streaming, allowing gamers to see visuals clearly through low-latency eye tracking.
Valve even installed a dual-radio wireless adapter. It prevents audio and video feeds from interfering with Wi-Fi bandwidth, ensuring a smooth gaming experience. The Steam Frame is paired with its own controllers that can be used for both VR and non-VR games. They can run up to 40 hours of playtime and can be swapped with the Steam Controller. Movement tracking is stable thanks to the integrated cameras in both headset and VR controllers.
One major issue for VR headsets is their heavy design, which makes them uncomfortable to wear for long periods. Valve took notes and designed lightweight goggles. The strap balances both front and rear, while the lenses are swapped to be pancake thin. As for the speakers, they are paired on each side, facing opposite directions. This cancels the vibrations in the headset and protects the tracking system.
Thoughts on Valve’s Leap for PC Innovation
As the gaming industry adapts to new technologies like AI integration, Valve’s Steam Hardware Family may blow the competition out of the water in the gaming PC market. The Steam Machine is the strongest of the three members that could appeal to growing game developers and remote workers. The Steam Frame comes in second for providing versatility without sacrificing comfort.
The Steam Controller is somewhat worrisome based on the features it provides for keyboard/mouse gamers. Its unorthodox structure will take traditional gamers some time to adapt, as the joysticks are located above the dual trackpads. Only time will tell as people wait for their 2026 release.
