Valve Says Steam Machine Has "Overlap" With Traditional Consoles, But It's Not One

GAMING NEWS

Valve surprised the industry this week with the reveal of its upcoming six-inch Steam Machine, a compact living-room PC designed to bring Steam gaming to TVs when it launches in 2026. While many saw this as an attempt to compete directly with Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, Valve says the device wasn’t built with consoles in mind at all.

Valve’s newest hardware aims to extend PC gaming beyond the desk.

Speaking to IGN, software engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais explained that the Steam Machine concept emerged entirely from trends on the PC side of the market. “We’re not looking at consoles or other products in that direction. Everything we do is informed by what’s happening on the PC gaming side of things,” he said.

Even so, he acknowledged that there’s “quite a bit of overlap,” simply because the system is designed to function naturally in a living room—territory historically defined by traditional consoles.

“People are recognizing the value of a more PC-like experience, with customizability and all that. We’re happy to see more of these elements embraced by platforms in general.” — Pierre-Loup Griffais

Rumors continue to circulate about Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox leaning toward a more PC-like format, but Valve insists the Steam Machine isn’t meant to compete. Hardware engineer Yazan Aldehayyat reinforced this position, stating that the device is still fundamentally a PC and not a console.

“The Steam Machine is just one option in the ecosystem of gaming PCs out there. If you're already happy with your PC gaming experience, great—we love that. We’re just trying to give you more options,” Aldehayyat said.

The Steam Machine will launch in 2026 alongside Valve’s new Steam Frame VR headset and a next-generation Steam controller. Pricing remains unannounced, though Valve says it intends to keep the system “affordable.” Analysts suggest a $400 target could be the sweet spot.

Like the Steam Deck, the Steam Machine will run the Linux-based SteamOS, making it essentially a console-shaped extension of Valve’s growing hardware ecosystem.

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