Valve announced Steam Frame, Machine, and Controller

Valve announced Steam Frame, Machine, and Controller
Steam. Source: Valve
Listen to this article
11:05

Key points

  1. Valve announced three new hardware products. 
  2. The Steam Frame is Valve’s new VR headset, while the Steam Machine is a compact living room gaming setup. 
  3. The Steam Controller is marketed to replace the mouse.

Valve announced three new hardware products: Steam Frame, Steam Machine, and Steam Controller. The Steam Frame is Valve’s newest VR headset, while the Steam Machine is essentially a PC gaming setup for the living room. As for the Steam Controller, it is marketed to replace the user’s mouse. The PC home console is specifically designed with the Steam Controller in mind. 

Steam Hardware Announcement

Here are the tech specs for the Steam Machine, Valve’s take on a home console, according to the official posting

General

  • CPU
    • Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 6C / 12T
    • up to 4.8 GHz, 30W TDP
  • GPU
    • Semi-Custom AMD RDNA3 28CUs
    • 2.45GHz max sustained clock, 110W TDP
  • RAM
    • 16GB DDR5 + 8GB GDDR6 VRAM1
  • Power
    • Internal power supply, AC power 110-240V2
  • Storage
    • Two Steam Machine models
      • 512GB NVMe SSD3
      • 2TB NVMe SSD
    • Both models include a high-speed microSD card slot

Connectivity

  • Wi-Fi
    • 2×2 Wi-Fi 6E
  • Bluetooth
    • Bluetooth 5.3 dedicated antenna
  • Steam Controller
    • Integrated 2.4 GHz Steam Controller wireless adapter

I/O

  • Displays
    • DisplayPort 1.44
      • Up to 4K @ 240Hz or 8K@60Hz5
      • Supports HDR, FreeSync, and daisy-chaining
    • HDMI 2.0
      • Up to 4K @ 120Hz
      • Supports HDR, FreeSync, and CEC
  • USB
    • Two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports in the front
    • Two USB-A 2.0 High speed ports in the back
    • One USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port in the back6
  • Networking
    • Gigabit ethernet7
  • LED Strip
    • 17 individually addressable RGB LEDs for system status and customizability

Size and Weight

  • Size
    • 152 mm tall (148 mm without feet), 162.4 mm deep, 156 mm wide8
  • Weight
    • 2.6 kg

Software

  • Operating System
    • SteamOS 3 (Arch-based)
  • Desktop
    • KDE Plasma

Here are the tech specs for the controller, according to Valve’s official posting

Controls and Input

  • Gamepad controls
    • A B X Y buttons
    • D-pad1
    • L & R analog triggers
    • L & R bumpers
    • View & Menu buttons
    • Steam & QAM buttons
    • 4x assignable grip buttons2
  • Thumbsticks
    • 2x full-size magnetic thumbsticks (TMR) with capacitive touch3
  • Haptics
    • 4x haptic motors4
    • 2x LRA haptic motors in trackpads for HD tactile feedback5
    • 2x High output LRA haptic motors in grips for HD game haptics including rumble6
  • Trackpads
    • 2x 34.5mm square trackpads with haptic feedback
    • Pressure-sensitive for configurable click strength7
  • Gyro
    • 6-axis IMU8
  • Grip Sense
    • 2x capacitive areas along back of Steam Controller handles

Connectivity

  • Steam Controller Puck
    • 2.4GHz Wireless connection
    • ~8ms full end-to-end, 4ms polling rate (measured at 5m)9
    • Up to 4 Steam Controllers per Steam Controller Puck10
    • Steam Controller Puck connects to PC via USB-C
  • Bluetooth
    • Bluetooth 4.2 minimum, 5.0 or higher recommended
  • USB
    • USB-C tethered play11

Power

  • Charging
    • Steam Controller Puck charging interface
    • USB-C connector
  • Battery
    • 8.39 Wh Li-ion battery
    • 35+ hours of gameplay*12
    • Battery life for tracked gameplay with Steam Frame is reduced

Size and Weight

  • Size
    • Steam Controller: 111mm x 159mm x 57mm
    • Steam Controller Puck: 50mm x 28mm x 9mm
  • Weight
    • Steam Controller: 292 g
    • Steam Controller Puck: 16 g

As for Steam Frame, the VR headset is marketed as a VR and non-VR headset. It is “designed for comfort” and ease of use; the headset comes with a separate set of controllers. The hardware’s production was leaked earlier, having been codenamed “Deckard.” 

Here are the Steam Frame tech specs, according to the official marketing post: 

General

  • Processor
    • 4 nm Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3
    • Architecture: ARM64
  • RAM
    • 16GB Unified LPDDR5X RAM
  • Storage
    • 256GB / 1TB UFS storage options
    • microSD card slot for expanded storage
  • Power
    • Rechargeable 21.6 Wh Li-ion battery
    • One USB-C 2.0 port in the rear, for charging and data
    • Charge with USB-C, 45W
  • Modular Headstrap
    • Headstrap includes integrated dual audio drivers and and rechargeable battery on rear.
    • Headstrap weight: 245g
    • Core module can be separated from headstrap, for other headstrap solutions.

Display and Optics

  • Display
    • 2160 x 2170 LCD (per eye)
    • 72-144Hz refresh rate (144Hz experimental)
  • Optics
    • Custom pancake lenses
    • Glass and non-glass optical elements
    • Large FOV (up to 110 degrees)
    • IPD target range
      • 60mm – 70mm
    • Eye glasses max width
      • 140mm

Cameras and Tracking

  • Tracking
    • Inside-out camera based tracking
  • Cameras
    • 4x outward facing monochrome cameras for controller and headset tracking
    • 2x interior cameras for eye tracking and foveated streaming
  • Passthrough
    • Monochrome passthrough via outward facing cameras
  • Low-light support
    • IR illuminators for tracking and passthrough in dark environments
  • Expansion
    • User accessible front expansion port
    • Dual high speed camera interface (8 lanes @ 2.5Gbps MIPI) / PCIe Gen 4 interface (1-lane)

Connectivity

  • Wi-Fi
    • Wi-Fi 7, 2×2
    • Dual radios enable concurrent 5Ghz Wi-Fi and 6Ghz VR streaming
  • Wireless Adapter
    • Wireless adapter included in the box
    • Wi-Fi 6E (6GHz)
    • Provides direct, low-latency link between headset and PC
  • Bluetooth
    • Bluetooth 5.3

Audio

  • Speakers
    • Dual speaker drivers per ear, integrated into headstrap1
  • Microphone
    • Dual microphone array

Size and Weight

  • Size
    • 175mm x 95mm x 110mm (core module + facial interface)
  • Weight
    • 440 g – core module + headstrap
    • 185 g – core module

Software

  • Operating System
    • SteamOS 3 (Arch-based)
  • Desktop
    • KDE Plasma

Here are the controller tech specs, which come with the headset:

Controller Tech Specs

Controls and Input

  • Motion controls
    • Full 6-DOF tracking and IMU support
  • Gamepad controls
    • A B X Y buttons (right controller)
    • D-pad (left controller)
    • Full-size magnetic thumbsticks (TMR) with capacitive touch
    • L & R analog triggers
    • L & R bumpers
    • View / Menu / Steam buttons
    • Dual stage grip buttons
  • Haptics
    • Haptic motor in each controller
  • Finger tracking
    • Capacitive sensing for all input surfaces
    • Capacitive finger tracking

General

  • Connectivity
    • 2.4ghz link to dedicated headset radio
  • Size
    • 126mm x 73mm x 87mm per controller
  • Weight
    • With battery 130 g per controller
    • Without battery 107 g per controller
  • Power
    • One replaceable AA battery per controller1
    • 40hr battery life

As of writing, the release date of the upcoming hardware is not known. Valve stated that they are trying to begin shipping them in the beginning of 2026.

Previous article
PlayStation 5 becomes one of 10 best-selling game consoles ever, overtakes Xbox 360

Related articles

  • ARC Raiders The North Line update to debut Breaking New Ground event
    PC
    ARC Raiders The North Line update to debut Breaking New Ground event
    • By Terry Oh
    • 2 hours ago
    • 2 min
  • The Game Awards will stream live on Prime Video globally
    Gaming Industry
    The Game Awards will stream live on Prime Video globally
    • By Mik Dzisko
    • 3 hours ago
    • 2 min
  • Valve launches fourth annual Halloween-themed sale: Steam Scream IV
    PC
    Valve launches fourth annual Halloween-themed sale: Steam Scream IV
    • By Mik Dzisko
    • October 28, 2025
    • 3 min
  • Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson to receive over $100M following company’s buy-out
    Gaming Industry
    Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson to receive over $100M following company’s buy-out
    • By Mik Dzisko
    • 7 hours ago
    • 3 min

Today’s top stories