Left 4 Dead writer Chet Faliszek hears you crying about PlayStation's decision to end physical game discs in 2028, and he's shoving your own fist in your mouth to make you stop. You caused your own suffering, he wants players to know.

"You, the consumer, have made a choice, and your choice is for digital," Faliszek says plainly in a new YouTube video on the subject. "I keep seeing this, like, 'Oh, they should do memory cards. They should do…' Right now, today – the games we are talking about are available at retail today. The used games are available at retail today, and you aren't going into retail and buying them."

Unfortunately for the thousands of commenters spamming Sony's last trailer for Marvel's Wolverine with emoji pitchfork and torches, he's right. Circana industry analyst Mat Piscatella just revealed only seven PlayStation games managed to crack 100,000 physical sales in the US this year.

Even worse, "Anybody who's reporting software sales right now, and they're doing digital and retail, they're all under reporting," Faliszek says, "because they're not reporting Steam. Let's not even get into mobile. And what was Game Pass? Game Pass was digital only. You as the consumer have forced the large corporations hand, and you've told them 'Stop with retail.'"

Once you, apparently, regretted your decision to invest almost entirely in digital, you didn't start buying Crimson Desert discs while you could, nor did you abstain from making digital purchases altogether. Now it's too late, says Faliszek.

"You should have started protesting Game Pass, and stop buying Xbox games, and stop buying digital," says the frustrated writer. "But you didn't, because it's easier."

The Steam Machine isn't doing exclusives because Valve thinks "restricting where people can play" doesn't work.

Valve's $1,049 starting price means trying to build a Steam Machine is all the rage. Many of you will end up with a standard budget gaming PC instead, since you can't achieve the same compact build and thermals using off-the-shelf parts, but one of my favorite modders is turning old laptops into something close for less than a 32GB kit of RAM.

Over at DIYPerks, Matthew Perks has you covered on how to turn an old laptop into either a snazzy all-in-one gaming PC or an ultra-thin alternative to the Steam Machine. The idea is that by recycling spare parts, motherboards, or parts from systems with busted screens, you can put RTX 5060 machines back into action for "three times cheaper than a system out of standard components."

In the tutorial, Perks explains that unlike the parts in a Steam Machine or even a regular desktop build, laptop motherboards are considered "exclusively only useful to people who need them as a spare part." Effectively, the only users really reaching for these components are people who have a specific damaged device, meaning only a "limited pool of people" has eyes on existing stock.

Perks adds that these motherboards have been "insulated from the insane cost of hardware we've seen lately," describing the phenomenon as like a "time glitch where you can buy high-powered parts at yesterday's prices." Keep in mind you're not just getting a motherboard here; you're also getting a discrete RTX 4060 GPU, AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and a full cooling solution included for under $400.

The price paid for this project specifically was $380, and given that you'll pay $420 today for a 32GB RAM kit. Naturally, the catch is that you'll have to take the motherboard and adapt it slightly to be a standalone gaming PC. That's way simpler to do than you'd think, though, and while DIYPerks is known for making more elaborate pieces of tech art, you could just borrow some basic tips for your own.

Some of the challenges of this project are exclusive to the choice of motherboard, as DIYPerks first has to whip up a power-on button. Many laptops include a standalone button, but this one opts for a more modern power key on the keyboard that corresponds to a specific ribbon cable connector pin. Luckily, the same rules as testing a full desktop PSU apply; if you can locate the responsible pin, you'll be able to send the right signal by shorting it to ground.

Doing that means you can hook up a button of your choosing for mounting to whatever case you end up opting for. In typical DIYPerks fashion, Matthew goes the extra mile and restores a smashed iMac Retina screen by removing its laminated glass, framing it with wood, then making a custom backplate out of aluminium before mounting the laptop motherboard to the back along with a display driver and a TV subwoofer.

The end result is a gorgeous tripod all-in-one RTX 4060 PC with front speakers and full access to ports. You don't have to go that far if you're just looking for a Steam Machine alternative, though, as DIYPerks reveals an ultra slimline portable rig with a yellow housing using the same technique of sandwiching the motherboard between standoffs and aluminium, resulting in something that almost looks like an extra large graphics card for just $300 all in.

I've already touched on why you can't build your own Steam Machine, but DIYPerks has illustrated how to make a close alternative. Creating a custom version of the GabeCube wasn't the main focus of this DIYPerks project, but if you're more fussed about cost than obtaining a mini PC with the exact same thermals, power efficiency, and SteamOS already included, reviving an old laptop could be the right call.

Take a peek at the best Steam Deck docks if you'd rather use Valve's portable as a console.

Palworld recently got its long-awaited 1.0 update, with patch notes so big they can only be described as monstrous – and boy, has it brought in a lot of players.

In fact, the survival gem saw its new full release spur enormous player numbers – and loads of positive reviews on Steam to boot. In fact, Pocketpair's game has even managed to overtake Valve's own Counter-Strike 2 in terms of its concurrent players a couple of times on roundups of Steam's most-played games.

Fans have caught sight of Palworld doing so over on Reddit and the like… but they're not alone. The developers have evidently noticed its climb up the Steam charts, too.

We officially have reached #1 on Steam!!!! from r/Palworld

Head of Pocketpair publishing and communications John "Bucky" Buckley acknowledges the feat over on Twitter, showcasing a screenshot of Steam's most-played charts – and Palworld's spot right at the top, with Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 following right behind it.

"Pause," writes the lead. "Let me enjoy this moment for just a little longer." A well-deserved moment, too, if I do say so myself, considering the sheer amount of content 1.0 boasts.

Fellow industry heads are chiming in as well, with Pearl Abyss (the studio behind Crimson Desert and Black Desert Online) PR and marketing director Will Powers commenting, "It's a good feeling. Well deserved." In response, Bucky says, "Thank you, gamer."

In a separate post, Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe celebrates the game's achievement, sharing his thanks with fans and expressing how glad he is that players are enjoying it.

It's wholesome, and it's nice to see a team that started as an indie group now thriving. Pocketpair's not done with Palworld yet, either, with more for the game and beyond up its sleeve.

There's still the Stardew Valley-esque farming sim Palfarm to look forward to, which will be a nice cozy counterpart to Pocketpair's flagship title, and the admittedly cursed Palworld dating sim that's also underway at the company.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a base to go build, and Pals to command – those trees aren't going to chop themselves, after all, and I'm in dire need of more wood to use on my virtual home.

Palworld would collab with Ark, No Man's Sky, and Enshrouded "tomorrow" if "we could make it make sense," says publishing chief.

Hi, have you had your fill of bad video game news this week? I hope not, because I just picked up a plate of fresh, sizzling garbage: a study by former Habbo Hotel developer Sulka Haro suggests half of the games available on Steam by 2028 will incorporate AI-generated content.

Haro analyzed approximately 53,600 Steam games launched across a three-year period, from July, 2023 to July, 2026, he shares in the study posted on his Substack. According to the developer, once Steam introduced the AI-disclosure feature in 2024, a steady increase of games on Steam began admitting to AI-generated content. "If the current trajectory holds," Haro writes gravely, "AI-disclosed games cross ~50% of all Steam releases somewhere in 2027–2028."

Haro says that nearly 31% of Steam games currently share their AI usage – that's "roughly one in three new Steam games," he remarks. "A real adoption ramp built on top of a baseline that started at literal zero," since there was no Steam page field for developers to punch in details of their AI usage before 2024.

It seems that part of Haro's anticipation of more, so many more AI-assisted games on Steam comes from his discovery that the people he calls first-time, "AI developers" usually squeeze out crud like a frog giving birth. "AI lowers the barrier not just to make a game but to make several," says Haro, "which also feeds the shovelware tail (the 5+ bar is 3× higher for AI devs)."

At the same time, Haro clarifies that "80% of the 37,000 distinct publishers [on Steam] have never shipped a single AI game, and of those that have, 89% shipped exactly one." So the slop factory is operating at a modest, rather than exponential, pace.

Though, anecdotally, I can see that its wheels are quickly churning. Earlier this week, Circana industry analyst Mat Piscatella predicted that game discovery will only get worse on storefronts like Steam as AI vibe coding makes it easy for people to clone legitimate games, including indie hits like Peak. So as we walk faster toward Haro's prediction of 50% AI-made games on Steam by 2028, I bet we can expect to get hit with more scams and lazy ripoffs, too. Oh, well. I hope all that slop tastes good.

P.S. It doesn't. Earlier this summer, we found out why so many game developers don't want to use generative AI.

Valve's Steam Deck LCD partnership with iFixit was a big moment for handheld repairability, but it looks like parts are now being discontinued. While it's currently unknown whether every component will become unavailable, the repair site says it's looking "less likely" that it will continue to stock OEM batteries.

The Steam Deck LCD part revelation was originally unearthed by Zok-Felswyn on Reddit, with a post revealing correspondence from iFixit. According to the shared email enquiry response regarding gaming handheld batteries, the stockist says "we do not have immediate plans to stock this product."

It was originally unclear from the reply why iFixit was no longer stocking batteries, but a member of the team has since clarified, "It’s not that we’re choosing to not stock these anymore. Unfortunately, Valve is just starting to sunset these parts. We’re looking at alternatives!"

iFixit Customer Support response for LCD Steam Deck batteries from r/SteamDeck

As someone who fixes, repairs, and mods both old and new gadgets, I am pretty bummed out. I appreciate Valve's efforts to make Steam Deck LCD components readily available, but it appears to be winding down access just when people will need components most. I know from decades of dealing with battery tech that after four years, you'll want to start thinking about a replacement depending on usage, and a lot of players in need of a reliable replacement will be out of luck.

It's worth noting I've reached out to Valve for comment on whether it is officially discontinuing Steam Deck LCD replacement parts. The company hasn't made any announcements regarding the decision, so finding out whether the handheld maker is actually ending part support, or if there's a change internally with iFixit, is important.

Before you also get any bright ideas, just know you can't use a Steam Deck OLED battery in the LCD model. The two portables may look similar, but there are subtle design changes and specs under the hood, including capacity. That said, I do wonder if Valve is actually working on supplying a different battery than the one it supplies currently, which may have led to the supply hiccup.

If Valve is actively discontinuing Steam Deck LCD parts, though, it'll leave players at the mercy of the hard-to-navigate third-party market. It can be a nightmare narrowing down which alternatives are reliable and of acceptable quality, and that's something iFixit will also have to do to fill its stock gap.

Check out the best Steam Deck docks if you're planning to make a low-spec Steam Machine alternative.

Valve's new Steam Controller is unsurprisingly a PC gamepad, but not if you swap out its puck. Yes, the dongle included in the box is designed to pair the pad specifically to ordinary rigs or the Steam Machine, but OpenPuck project aims to break down platform walls and enable compatibility with the PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

Serving as a bridge between Valve's Steam Controller and other platforms, the OpenPuck uses a Pro Micro NRF52840 board to emulate the default receiver's abilities. (cheers, Hackaday!) Custom firmware by Safijari then enables the PC controller to connect just like it would with the included dongle, only this accessory can also then mimic other gamepads and pretend to be an official wired set of buttons.

In a short clip, the puck's creator demonstrates how to install the Openpuck microcontroller and get it working with the Steam Controller. The process comes down to getting the board into DFU mode (Device Firmware Update), allowing it to show as a flash drive so you can upload the software. That should be the case for fresh boards, but the modder includes instructions on which pins to bridge if not.

I am blown away by how easy the process of making your own Steam Controller puck appears to be. Even if you're not looking to turn Valve's accessory into a makeshift PS5 or Switch pad, the fact that the microcontroller is available for $8 should save you some pennies should you lose the real deal. You won't even need to mess around with anything complicated should you make use of the Openpuck's abilities, as there's a web interface for switching USB mode or customizing inputs. Not to mention there's a 3D printable shell just to help it feel a bit more like a real accessory.

The retro console collecting goblin is now curious whether there's a way to get the puck working with old systems. Naturally, you'd need specific gameport connectors to turn it into a best retro controller contender, but perhaps there is a way to make a dongle with even wider compatibility.

If I can perhaps persuade someone to let me kindly borrow their Steam Controller, I'll maybe grab one of these boards and try making an OpenPuck. If you beat me to it, feel free to let me know how you get on and whether Valve's buttons make for a great PS5 or Switch pad.

Check out the best gaming handhelds if you're looking to take your backlog with you.

The Steam Machine isn't shy with its red LED error codes, but it's apparently jumping the gun in terms of temperature warnings. Luckily, Valve is already working on a BIOS fix that will tweak the thresholds to 100°C for both the CPU and GPU, which should prevent any scary false alarms from disrupting your couch PC sessions.

Originally flagged by Reddit user Pure-Outcome-5977, the Steam Machine temperature warning can currently kick in at way below 100°C. Performance overlay stats shared by the cube's owner show the full red LED bar showing with the CPU at just 81°C, with the GPU and VRAM sitting at an even cooler 75°C and 81°C, respectively.

If you're not used to dealing with gaming PC temperatures, the red warning light might have you believe the cube's about to explode. However, Steam Support has confirmed that the error codes are indeed in need of calibration, and Valve is reportedly already on the case.

Update Regarding Red Light During Gameplay from r/steammachine

"After discussing with our engineers, there is a known issue with the current BIOS that results in the red LED lights displaying much earlier than they should." Valve confesses. "The issue is just with when the lights are set to come on."

That's Valve's way of immediately signalling that there are no major faults at play here, especially since this isn't the first time error codes have caused a ruckus (looking at you, GPU Red Line of Dead). Instead, the mini PC maker explains that the "Steam Machine itself is within normal operating temperatures, which they confirmed from your screenshot."

"Steam Machine will start throttling performance at 100 C for the CPU/GPU and will shut down to protect itself if temperatures rise past that." Valve guidance is honestly in line with every other GPU I've encountered, and in reality, chipsets won't immediately die even if it's running at those temps for some time. Emergency shutdowns are more a protective measure to ensure chips can live a long and happy life and flag absurd temps ASAP to protect the rest of your rig.

If your Steam Machine is currently shouting at you for temperatures nowhere near 100 C, Valve has your back. Steam Support confirms that "a BIOS update is being worked on to be released soon that will fix the red LED light behavior to be at 100/100 C for the CPU/GPU instead of 95/90 for the CPU/GPU that is currently happening."

I do find this specific instance a little curious, seeing as plenty of enthusiasts are currently pushing the Steam Machine to its limits for reviews and benchmarks without any red LED issues. I suspect that the lightbar is simply a little twitchy right now and more likely to sound false alarms, something that might not happen with every unit. Still, it's both nice to hear Valve is already on it, and I'd probably rather be safe than sorry with my $1,049 cube had I nabbed one at launch.

If you've got a Steam Machine sitting pretty on your desk or TV bench, it's probably worth checking out Valve's reference error codes. If you do end up with an aggressive red HAL light trying to get your attention, it might indicate a serious fault, but you'll at least have a rough idea of what's going on from the pattern displayed.

Swing by the best Steam Deck docks to turn Valve's portable into a budget Steam Machine stand-in.

Steam has reportedly already brought Valve $11.1 billion in revenue in 2026 so far, and I bet that makes you feel even better about that Steam Machine price point.

Alinea Analytics has released its mid-year analysis of Valve's platform, saying, "In the first half of 2026, we estimate that games on Steam generated $11.1B in gross revenue, the platform’s highest-ever half-year."

The firm adds, "That’s up 14.5% on H1 2025, and up 8% even on the holiday-heavy H2 2025, which is the more remarkable comparison given the back half of the year usually wins on seasonal sales and holiday buys."

As for why Steam did especially well this year, Alinea notes a "surge in Asian players (China especially), higher prices on releases, viral co-op hits, smarter back-catalogue strategies from the big publishers" and "third-party publishers quietly returning to Steam after their own-launcher experiments, tails between legs."

The report notes that the first half of 2026 was roughly four times as big as the first half of 2017. However, a more shocking metric is that Steam has reportedly generated more in the first half of 2026 than in the entirety of 2020 – a year when everyone was inside playing games and dodging COVID.

While massive AAA games like Resident Evil Requiem, Crimson Desert, and 007 First Light – as well as indie hits like Mewgenics and Mina the Hollower – have blown up this year, the percentage of Steam revenue coming from new games actually appears smaller than in the past as backlog sales grow.

Alinea notes that 29% of game sales in the first half of 2024 came from games released that year, while 27% of H1 2025 sales were from new releases. Of course, 2025's first half had Monster Hunter Wilds, which sold 11 million copies in 2025, with 8 million of those selling in the first three days. The first few months of 2024 were also stacked with anticipated games that undoubtedly bumped those numbers up. So far, Alinea is tracking 2026 Steam sales at just 21% from new releases.

This success is maybe a bit harder to swallow given that the 1TB Steam Deck OLED just got a price hike to be almost a grand, while Steam Machine pricing starts at $1,049. RAM shortages and US tariffs are obviously major weights, but when a company is printing money like this, you might expect it to eat some costs. However, Valve made it perfectly clear that subsidizing hardware "doesn't align with our beliefs."

I can't afford $1,049 for a Steam Machine, but Valve has already graced your PC with the ability to be a high-spec living room rig from afar.

Just in case you had any doubts, Jsaux is still making a Steam Machine e-ink faceplate, and its panel plans don't stop there. The front screen, inspired by Valve's own DIY display, will be accompanied by a pixel-clad dot-matrix version alongside a plate that honestly looks like the oddball 2000s Hi-Fi PC currently on my desk.

It's safe to say Jsuax got ahead of the curve with its Steam Machine faceplate plans. It first teased its e-ink display back in January, but the landing page still hasn't got a listing. Admittedly, I was beginning to wonder whether the accessory maker would beat Valve at its own game again, as while it previously started creating Steam Deck docks before the real deal arrived, the landing page still says "notify me".

However, Jsuax has updated its page with reassurance that the Steam Machine e-ink screen is still on the way. The site is still very much in "teaser mode", but the text now replaces the previous "E-Ink? It's happening." message and adds "We said it's happening. We meant it." That should be reassuring for anyone who doesn't want to create their own using Valve's DIY instructions, but I'm now more interested in the other two bonus panels.

"Three front plates for your Steam Machine. Color E-Ink, Mono E-Ink, Color Dot Matrix," says Jsaux while adding three new renders of the lineup. The original black-and-white design still uses a similar 5.83-inch e-ink display to Valve's custom version, whereas the dot-matrix version replaces the whole face with a piercing LED grid.

That color E-ink display, though, is the real talking point here, and Jsaux's description is a bit vague compared to the render. It features a display that's vertically half the size of the monochrome version and uses the space for what appears to be a rotary knob. The dial is accompanied by three oval buttons that make it look more like a music system, and it almost feels like Jsuax has been spying on me using MSI's MEGA Hi-Fi PC at my desk.

Released way back in 2003, the MSI MEGA 651 is a bare-bones Pentium 4 gaming PC that looks like an old-school Hi-Fi. The design isn't just for show, though, as when powered off, the system uses a front LED panel, buttons, and a volume knob to retain control over the CD drive, allowing it to play discs and radio without booting the machine.

I really love the idea of having something that can play my old pop-punk CDs while also doubling as a Windows XP machine for classics like Half Life 2 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Plus, I just really like volume dials. They're neat, and while adding one to the Steam Machine doesn't give it the same physical disc abilities, it feels like Jsaux is going for the exact same vibe as this weird MSI box.

Not that I want to be giving Jsaux ideas for free, but while I sadly don't have a Steam Machine, I've been pondering whether I could add a disc drive using a face plate. This new e-ink and dial combo has reignited those plans, as you could include some sort of mount for a slimline USB Blu-Ray drive that loads from the side. That would hilariously help Valve's box serve as a way to watch movies or even attempt to install older physical games, whereas the PS5 and PS6 are destined for an all-digital future.

Of course, I'm getting ahead of myself, as we should really wait for Jsaux's Steam Machine faceplates to see if they enhance the cube. If the first three prove to be a success, then I'd encourage the accessory maker to steal my ideas, even if no one else is into turning their $1,049 mini PC into a janky 2000s Hi-Fi.

Check out the best gaming handhelds if you'd rather head outside with your backlog.

Before taking on the role of level designer at Valve, game developer Chuck Wilson toyed with recreating Half-Life 2 levels in Source 2.

In case you're out of the loop, Source 2 is Valve's most recent iteration of its in-house engine, powering games like Counter-Strike 2, Deadlock, and Half-Life: Alyx. Older titles from the studio, like the ever-beloved Half-Life 2, used Source – and before that, the GoldSrc engine.

As for Wilson himself, his portfolio includes stints at Sucker Punch Productions, Respawn Entertainment, and now, of course, Valve.

Prior to joining Valve as a level designer in 2022, however, Wilson experimented with Source 2 – perhaps to try and learn the engine before joining the company, or as a test project for the team.

An eagle-eyed fan on Reddit has spotted as much, linking to the dev's website, where he recalls recreating Half-Life 2's spooky ghost town, Ravenholm, in Source 2. Wilson first describes his goal with the recreation.

Chuck Wilson’s (Valve Level Designer) Ravenholm Source 2 project [2022] from r/HalfLife

​"Learn how the editor works by looking over the example content Valve provided, and dive into the levels they shipped to better understand their construction," he writes. "Then build something with what I learned."

Attached are screenshots of his Ravenholm recreation – and, yep, it looks pretty dang great. Much smoother textures than we saw as kids, with improved lighting… but the same eerie vibe from 2004.

Wilson explains why he chose Ravenholm, then goes on to describe his process. "The opening to Ravenholm seemed like it would be an appropriately scaled project to tackle. I started by loading up Ravenholm and taking tons of pictures of the opening area and reacquainting myself with the look, feel, and scale of the space. From the ref, I was able to deduce the scale and re-block it out with Hammer 2's modeling tools."

He's likely referencing Hammer, known by some as Hammer 5 or Hammer 2, which serves as Valve's in-house level editor for games in the Source 2 engine.

"After I got the whole space blocked in, I decided to make some compositional changes to the space to better guide players to the zombie and to the eerily lit sawblade shack," continues Wilson.

Once he was done with the composition, he explored "some of the new features Hammer 2 had to offer." It sounds as though he was a big fan of his time in Source 2 recreating Ravenholm, too – even if there was much to learn.

"Throughout the project, I was able to learn and make use of Hammer 2's modeling tools for geometry, physics sims for cloth, cables, and the hanging zombie ragdoll, tilesets (3d meshes placed off of a single face), hotspot materials (insanely fast UVing of faces), volumetric fog, cubemaps, compile processes, and more."

The level designer concludes: "A small space proved to be a fantastic way to learn a wide variety of tools and prepare me for future projects. I walked away being blown away at how powerful these tools are for Level Designers, and even more so if you are a Level Designer with some environment art background. These are easily my favorite tools I have worked with to date." That's quite the compliment.

Unsurprisingly, Wilson's portfolio share here has sparked new hope in fans' hearts for a Half-Life 2 remake in Source 2. As one commenter exclaims, "This genuinely makes me excited for a Half-Life 2 Source 2 remake in vein of Black Mesa."

Others aren't convinced this means anything at all, though. As somebody else says, "There’s nothing to be read into here." Hey, a girl can dream… right?

Sadly, I doubt we'll see a Half-Life 2 remake from Valve anytime soon, however. Heck, we're still playing the waiting game for Half-Life 3.

Steam is more than 50% larger than PlayStation according to expert's estimate, which puts Valve's store around 200 million monthly active users

The internet at large seems to think you can build your own Steam Machine. I hate to burst your budget PC bubble, but that's not actually true, and any attempts to do so will simply result in you assembling a rig that's substantially larger, not quite as sleek, and more like a traditional desktop than a console rival.

All the build-your-own Steam Machine conversations are part of an annoying tradition within the gaming PC scene. The arrival of a new console normally kicks off a ritual that prompts anyone who writes about hardware online to lure you in with supposed DIY alternatives. It's really no different from when the PS5 launched and a sea of voices washed in with advice on how to make a PC with equivalent specs, but the situation that Valve's cube has sparked is slightly different.

Don't get me wrong, I'm more than up for finding alternatives to the $1,044 Steam Machine. At the same time, the fact that Valve's cube is technically a gaming PC will sow confusion around what's going on inside the box and whether you can replicate that using stock parts. Again, you can't, and I reckon it's helpful to set expectations before things get out of hand.

The Steam Machine is smaller than you'd think

The single most important detail PC enthusiasts claiming you can build your own Steam Machine is size. Valve's box is small, and it's hard to grasp just how tiny the cube actually is from marketing images and on-paper dimensions alone.

Now that Steam Machine reviews are alive, and early adopters are pitching up the cube next to real life setups, its footprint is being accurately portrayed. Even early hands-on features and articles didn't quite capture Valve's dimensions for me, though, as I'm the type of weirdo who was itching to sit the box next to everything I can get my hands on.

Thankfully, Giant Bomb understands the assignment and quickly shared a Steam Machine size comparison video post-launch. Keep in mind I'm also the editor responsible for talking about the best retro consoles, so I was extremely pleased to see Dan Ryckert hold Valve's cube next to the only other cube that matters: the GameCube.

Alright, some of Dan's points of comparison are less useful than others, as the Tetris McNugget handheld probably didn't need to meet the Steam Machine. However, seeing the 3.5-litre cube next to the Steam Deck OLED, Xbox Series X, and yes, even a loaf of sliced wholewheat bread, drives home this system's commendable compactness.

Valve's Steam Machine dimensions are kudos-worthy for sure, but it's the type of feat that can only be achieved by the same custom engineering traditionally reserved for the console scene. Aside from the RAM and storage, Valve's mini PC is a compacted lump of unupgradium, and that's exactly what's supposedly 4K 60fps capable parts fit into a six-inch cube.

More like a console than a traditional mini PC

Yes, the Steam Machine is adorably small, but it ain't the smallest "mini PC" in town. There's a sea of tiny systems out there that will technically run your Steam library, and I've tested remarkably tiny boxes like the Ayaneo Mini PC AM02. The issue is that these gadgets have more in common with a gaming handheld than Valve's new hardware, and the closest comparison point to what's going on inside the box really is a modern-day console.

The difference in my eyes boils down to the Steam Machine's custom AMD chipsets. Most mini PCs, consoles, and handhelds use an APU, or "Accelerated Processing Unit" that combines the CPU and GPU into one package. That may have you thinking the PS5 and something like the Steam Deck have more in common than the Machine since they both use an APU, but in reality, it comes down to performance class.

The Steam Machine features two semi-custom AMD chips for graphics and processing, whereas most "mini PCs" out there either opt for a mobile-class APU or try to somehow squeeze in a full-size GPU. The latter is the domain of systems like the AtomMan G1 Pro, which stows away a desktop RTX 5060 GPU, but that means it takes up a much wider footprint than something like the Steam Machine.

The common alternative is the AMD Ryzen APUs used in systems like that aforementioned Ayaneo mini PC. That chip can live in something significantly smaller than the Steam Machine, but you're then getting performance that feels more like a screenless handheld with an HDMI port and access to full power supply wattage. I'm sure that said chipsets will eventually reach new performance heights, but honestly? Even 1080p can make this genre of devices sweat in recent games.

It's for that reason that, despite using a single high-powered APU rather than two chips, the PS5 is the closest setup to the Steam Machine. There are absolutely differences, as Valve's custom GPU has separate 8GB GDDR6 VRAM and 16GB system memory, whereas Sony uses a unified 16GB. However, the approach to adding custom chips to a proprietary motherboard designed to suit a specific console-friendly shell while hitting up to 4K 60fps is the same.

That's not to say the Steam Machine and PS5 are an absolute match performance-wise, as there are holes to be picked via comparative benchmarks. It's more that they share an end goal of making something that'll fit neatly in your TV bench while hitting the current-gen frame rate and resolution bar, and that matters when it comes to making your own or picking up an alternative mini PC.

Close, but no Steam Machine cigar

Just to recap, the reason you can't just "build your own Steam Machine" comes down to size and custom components. When you spell that out, it's hardly a shocker, as there'd be little point in spending $1,049 on Valve's box if it was using an off-the-shelf case and parts. But, saying it out loud matters when there's a lot of noise about making your own version, especially when many builders are just throwing standard parts at you.

Prior to Valve's launch, I went on a personal mission to find the closest custom build. That left me wondering if I should build a modern Shuttle XPC that looks like my compact 2000s rig instead, as the long-standing compact rig builder still sells a bare-bones kit to this day for $699.99. I've been reflecting on whether, despite being 3.5 times the size of the Steam Machine, the custom template is closer to the intended experience than anything else, and it's almost a yes.

I think the part we need to get comfortable with is the idea of making a living room gaming PC rather than a DIY Steam Machine. The latter isn't any different from trying to make a PS5, and you've got even less chance of making the same kind of 4K gaming machine that fits into a 3.8-litre cube.

If you instead aim for something that can sit next to your TV or on a cabinet shelf without looking that an intrusive obelisk, you'll have a much better time. What I will say, though, is that it'll be up to you to manage thermals and resulting cooling noise, and it's entirely likely that smaller systems like the Shuttle XPC bear bones kit will be far more audible under load. Valve's custom design really makes an impression with its whisper quiet setup, and if even the PS5's fans upset your ears, you're in for a rude awakening once you park a small rig in your space.

The above isn't going to stop me sharing ideas for Steam Machine alternatives, especially when it comes to embracing the console-inspired benefits of SteamOS. There are ways to use Valve's controller-friendly operating system on a bunch of devices, and that will give you a taste for the software side of things.

When it comes to the idea of actually building your own Steam Machine, though, I'm going to make sure everyone knows it's not something you can really do. I'm willing for someone who throw a 6-inch cube in my face with the same capabilities, thermals, and footprint, but I can almost guarantee you won't be making that yourself at home.

Check out the best Steam Deck docks for ways to turn Valve's handheld into a console.

Valve hasn't released a few official Steam figures in several years, but reasonable math from a reputable source reckons the biggest store in PC gaming is hovering around 200 million monthly active users, which would make it more than 50% larger than the entire PlayStation platform.

This soft figure comes from Simon Carless' GameDiscoverCo newsletter. Carless used some pretty basic math and alternate data sources to estimate Steam's growth over the past few years, and we can check it ourselves with some equally simple arithmetic based on Valve's 2025 Steam report.

Carless notes that Steam's Digital Services Act notice affirms that the store had "an average of 31.1 million monthly active recipients" in the EU as of the second half of 2025 (this has been cited elsewhere as well). He used this figure as a base to compare the EU's Steam audience to the store's entire demographic, and for that he consulted Steam's public bandwidth chart, which tracks how much data is used where.

Already, caveats come into play. We don't know exactly how much activity makes someone a monthly active user (MAU) under these terms – for example, playing a game versus viewing the homepage or one Steam sale link – nor will bandwidth usage perfectly correlate with user distribution.

However, the math, with non-EU countries removed from Europe's stats, does roughly line up. Carless notes that this approach puts Steam at around 198 million MAU for the second half of 2025, meaning it may have crossed 200 million by now.

Now for official stats. In 2021, Valve said Steam had 132 million MAU. This year, the company said Steam had been gaining about 3.4 million concurrent users each year ever since hitting 25 million for the first time five years ago.

Again, we have to make an assumption: that Steam's concurrent users and MAU grew at exactly the same rate, which they surely did not. But they probably weren't massively detached, either, so we can approximate MAU using that rate (3.4 being 13.6% of 25) to plot five years of growth.

The most generous version of this estimation gives us around 213 to 221 million MAU. We see this range because using 2021's peak of 27.4 million concurrent users as a base reduces the growth rate to 12.4%. Either way, this isn't far off Carless' result. He used a similar formula to gauge his findings and got 210 million; I just plugged in a slightly different number based on Valve's blogs.

This method would also give us roughly 44 million concurrent Steam users, which is only about 9% ahead of the actual 41.2 million users that Valve reports in Steam's charts hub. We assuredly don't have the street address right, but we're probably in the right zip code, or at least the right county.

This is an exercise more than anything, and I wouldn't use this kind of soft math if I were building a space shuttle. But, especially given the larger growth in PC gaming versus console gaming, it does seem fair to assume that Steam is around 50% larger than PlayStation.

A recently translated report from Sony confirms PlayStation had 125 million monthly active users in March 2026, which, as a reminder, is below what Steam had five years ago. If we remove a chunk from the most conservative Steam estimate we have, we'd be right in line with the 187 million monthly users we'd need to hit that 50% mark.

Instead of putting its games on PC, Sony apparently wants to escape the reputation that "PlayStation equals the living room" by selling monitors and speakers.

Valve just dropped Windows 11 Steam Machine drivers, and while I firmly believe stripping the cube of SteamOS is blasphemous, you can now do so with full hardware support. Dual-booting isn't a thing yet, so you will need to wipe your drive to turn the box into something closer to Xbox Project Helix.

Over at Valve's Windows Resources page, you'll now find Steam Machine drivers alongside existing Steam Deck OLED and LCD device controllers. Effectively, you've got downloads for graphics, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and the SD card slot to enable full functionality on Microsoft's operating system, which in theory should help it run like any other gaming PC.

In theory, everything else within Valve's cube should already play nicely with Windows 11 without additional drivers. That includes motherboard elements like USB ports, but there's no guarantee you'll get the same level of optimized performance in games. This is something I've witnessed as players try to swap out SteamOS on everything from the Steam Deck to the Lenovo Legion Go S, but it will grant you wider compatibility with PC storefronts.

Yes, there are workarounds to get the Epic Game Store and GOG working in SteamOS. If you do swap things out for Windows, though, you'll be able to easily download games using your Xbox Game Pass subscription, and you won't run into anti-cheat issues when playing competitive romps. As impressive as Valve's Proton compatibility layer is, many of those tools work at a Windows kernel level, and the ones that don't, like Easy Anti-cheat and BattleEye, often block Linux.

I can't see many players permanently swapping out SteamOS for Windows 11 on the Steam Machine right now. In my eyes, this driver drop is in prep for dual-booting, which could honestly make Xbox Project Helix look a little silly if it arrives with just some sort of consolized Windows OS.

Yes, the "Full Screen Experience" has helped handhelds like the ROG Xbox Ally X feel a bit more couch-friendly, but it doesn't remotely hit the same comprehensive console notes as SteamOS. If the Steam Machine gains the required Wizard for dual-booting before the next-gen Xbox arrives, though, it could be pulling all the same tricks while retaining direct access to Valve's PC console hybrid vision.

Valve is already off to a flying start with Steam Machine support, having just also implemented VRAM enhancements via improved memory management. Even that recent scare with one system showing "Red Line of Death" symptoms is now resolved, as leaving it off for 24 hours cleared the GPU bug in question.

Simply put, the Steam Machine is thriving despite its $1,049 price tag, and it's got something of a head start against any other console PC hybrids that plan on showing up. The next Xbox will almost certainly be that, and releasing Windows 11 drivers ASAP means it'll be more than ready to play Project Helix at its own game.

If you completely swap out SteamOS for Windows 11 right now, though, I will brand you a sicko.

Swing by the best gaming handhelds for portable PCs with a punch.

One of the first Steam Machine "Red Line of Death" victims has made a miraculous recovery, and Valve didn't even have to step in. While the specific visual error code displayed originally signalled GPU failure, the early adopter says leaving it unplugged overnight has cleared the issue, and from my experience, that smells like a firmware glitch.

In an "anticlimactic and somewhat embarrassing" faulty Steam Machine update, Reddit user me_hill says they tried various power cycle lengths following suggestions. "I left it unplugged for about half an hour last night and then tried plugging it back in... and it didn't work." laments the mini PC's owner. "So I left it unplugged for a couple of hours and then tried it again before bed... and it didn't work. Same error light despite multiple power-cycling attempts."

In a last-ditch effort to revive the Steam Machine, me_hill says they then "left it unplugged overnight" before attempting to boot up the next day to experiment with BIOS shortcut keys. You could say the user was third time lucky, as after 24 hours, the box apparently "booted up immediately without issue."

Comment from r/steammachine

As someone who's been fixing, building, and writing about gaming PCs for decades, I want to assume me_hill that they shouldn't feel silly. The user admits, "I feel stupid about even posting this now, especially since it blew up a bit, but I was tired and irritable after a long day of work, and an ominous GPU error code wasn't exactly the seamless plug-and-play experience I had hoped for."

I'd feel the exact same if my $1,049 cube started making Xbox 360 red error codes at me, especially given Valve's guidance online. That said, this isn't remotely the first time I've encountered a device that ends up with nonsense floating around memory that prevents a boot, and I've previously had to power-cycle the Steam Deck OLED to get it working after a failed firmware update.

The now-happy Steam Machine user rounds off their update with the exact same advice I'd give: "If anyone encounters the same error, don't panic like I did, just let it sit for a few hours and it will somehow sort itself out." While I'm still seeing some comments suggesting they should contact Valve anyway, I suspect the mini PC maker is already on the case and will address it with its next SteamOS firmware update, and I'll be reaching out to my contacts to see if there's an official response to the error.

For now, at least, it looks like we don't have any serious Steam Machine "Red Line of Death" fiascos unfolding before us. It'd be naive to think this will be the last quirk with the box that makes its way online, but there's nothing to suggest there are any real hardware faults at hand, even if the cube does display a dreaded error code.

Check out the best Steam Deck docks if you're using the handheld as a Steam Machine alternative.

There's a relatively high chance Valve co-founder Gabe Newell and Hollywood director James Cameron are at least friendly. How do I know? They both partake in the hilariously ridiculous rich person hobby of investing in submarines.

One of the central figures behind Half-Life and Steam, Newell is already a relatively big player in ocean exploration, since he owns Inkfish, a research firm dedicated to learning about the ocean depths. He footed the bill on a new vessel known as RV6000, a 100-meter-sized project that recently started construction at a shipyard in Romania, and now he's taking his investment even further

Per Boat International, RV6000 is being put together by Vard, a Norwegian company, and once the outer hull is finished in Romania, it'll be sent to another shipyard in Norway to be finished. It's a state-of-the-art undertaking, described as "one of the most modern research vessels the world has seen" by Vard.

Here's the kicker: it's being handled by Oceanco, a manufacturer of high-end boats and the like Newell actually acquired himself last year. Let it never be said he does anything in half measures. He's following in the footsteps of James Cameron, who famously became infatuated by oceanic research while making 1997's Titanic, and is now a bona fide and highly qualified expert in the area.

The RV6000 costs €200 million (around $228 million) and now Newell's greenlit a second wave of investment, to the sum of €700,000,000 – or just shy of $800,000,000 – for the RV11000. This hulking mass comes to a total size of 162-meters, and it's expressly designed to go farther than most other deep sea vessels ever could.

The RV11000 will be able to hold 130 crew, and it's expected to follow the same pipeline as the RV6000. The latter should be finished in 2028, whereas the former is projected to be operational in 2030. Think of them when you're convincing your friend to buy a Half-Life bundle for $1 in the next Steam sale.

Uh-oh, the Steam Machine is having its own Xbox 360 "Red Ring of Death" moment, and Valve's lightbar codes point towards GPU failure.

Consoles are running on adrenaline. Serious damage has been dealt but the pain hasn't fully set in yet, so like an MMA fighter blissfully unaware that their forearm has gained a cool new elbow, manufacturers are staggering through the same old motions. And in today's AI-driven component drought, consoles are hurting. Gaming has never been less affordable. But what actually scares me is the apathy I feel at the thought of another console generation.

We're coming up on the seventh year of the PS5 and Xbox Series X. The same old motions demand a new box be enshrined in the hallowed media center, but many of the factors hurting current-gen consoles will only get worse with a new generation. This leaves me wondering: does anyone actually want new consoles any time soon?

The next generation

The Nintendo Switch 2 just barely made it. Even Nintendo, whose strategy of staying well behind the cutting edge of processors is really paying off today, has marked up prices in response to ballooning production costs (and US tariffs). And Nintendo got lucky, launching its latest handheld just before the landscape soured.

Valve, the latest living room contender, got unlucky, and its Steam Machine's dizzying price offers a glimpse of what is staring down the PS6 and Xbox Project Helix. Nobody is happy with the Steam Machine, least of all Valve. The company wanted, and planned, to price its box significantly lower. Even if you like the Steam Machine – and it has some genuinely solid features and upsides, including a great OS – there's no denying that it costs too much for what it can do. Because of course it does. Everything costs too much right now! And in a world where Valve is selling a weaker PS5 for $1,050 at base, I don't see the PS6 or Xbox Project Helix getting over the price hurdle.

Console gaming faces mounting challenges. First of all, if you hike the price of consoles too high, you risk pricing them out of relevancy altogether. Microsoft just went through this with Xbox Game Pass. It got so expensive that it lost its use case for millions of people. Everything has a price threshold where people stop caring, and that's especially relevant here because affordability and convenience are core selling points for console gaming. You pay $500 for a box that plays games. Oh, how good we had it.

This is an essential part of the console bargain. It's the fast food problem – worse, really, because games aren't a need. But I get fast food because it's cheap. If fast food and sit-down food are the same price, I'm not going to Taco Bell. In this analogy, console platform holders can thank their lucky stars that PC gaming hardware is also on fire and everyone is pawing their way through the smoke.

But games exist elsewhere, too. Free games that run on phones and potatoes alike are already eating a huge chunk of the rapidly aging gaming market, to say nothing of other media in the attention market. Never mind bringing new or younger players into the next generation; an intimidating price could also block existing console gamers from trading up, and consoles have survived this long by remonetizing the same people in a matured market. Underpinning this is the existential threat of a vanishing audience, which is worthy of its own screed.

Your money's worth

Now put two more bricks on the scale. New consoles have to justify themselves with software and hardware. Does this have enough awesome new games to warrant a purchase? Does it run or display my games appreciably better?

Performance gains have gotten smaller and smaller with each passing console generation. Now more than ever, Sony and Microsoft have to deliver big enough upgrades to distinguish new systems without pushing the price so high that people tune out, and I don't know if any architect can do that with the AI monkey on their back. Godspeed, Mark Cerny.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to buy a new console right now anyway, not just because life has gotten more expensive, but also because my PS5 and Xbox Series X still work fine and, frankly, feel untapped. This has not been a great generation for exclusive games, and for many reasons.

A lot of the bids on live service games and studio acquisitions amounted to nothing at best and disaster at worst. Remakes have been injected into release schedules like liquid bandages. As much as a third of developers have been laid off in the past few years. Loads of studios have canceled exciting projects or closed their doors entirely. And bloated production cycles have given us between zero and maybe two games from almost all of the big first-party hitters in the past seven years.

I do not want to minimize the far more important human toll of the games industry's contraction. I just want to also point out that there ain't many system sellers 'round here. (Again, I think Nintendo's strategy of not firing its best people is pulling ahead.) The list of PS5 exclusives could fit on a napkin, or a gum wrapper if you trim it to console exclusives. Xbox is in even worse shape because Microsoft's primary export is layoffs. Sony and Microsoft haven't done a great job securing games for the newest consoles I already have. How are they going to sell me on an even more expensive version?

PlayStation, for one, is transparently charging more for less. In January 2028, PlayStation will end production of all new physical games. The future of the brand is digital-only, and if you think the new consoles won't follow suit, I've got a bridge to sell you. Maybe programs like Microsoft's rumored disc-to-digital library can take the sting off backwards compatibility, and maybe we get another add-on disc drive to bring PS5 games forward. But physical copies are also a major selling point for consoles. Losing discs hurts, and it hurts everyone.

I'm not predicting the end of console gaming, but year after year of unprecedented times has upended the industry's established cycles. Now does not feel like a good time for new consoles. Few seem ready or willing to buy one, and platform holders appear equally incapable of delivering a product people will or should accept. Frankly, as soon as we got consoles with NVMe SSDs, I was basically comfortable for life. I'd be happy to hunker down for several more years, enjoy the consoles I have, let the AI monkey jump into a woodchipper that it hallucinated was a pile of money, and talk about a new console generation when we aren't living through a particularly heavy chapter of future history books. I would like my times to be a little more precedented. And at this point, I'd be happy if the next few years somehow go that smoothly.

On the topic of using what we already have, check out the best PS2 games that made Sony's second-gen console such an icon.

The Steam Machine is supposed to feel like a console, but I didn't think it'd get Xbox 360 "Red Ring of Death" symptoms like one. Yes, ten years on from the catastrophe that bricked millions of Microsoft's sixth-gen systems, a user has encountered a similar error code after using Valve's mini PC for just 20 minutes, and official error codes suggest the worst.

In a Reddit post titled "Well, the Steam Machine was pretty cool for the 20 minutes that it worked," user me_hill shares a photo of the mini gaming PC with a specific red lightbar pattern. According to Valve's own error code guidance, if the LEDs are "red, right half breathing", it means that the "system detects GPU failure", which adds up since the user says they're getting no video output.

Prior to the fault code, the unlucky Steam Machine owner says, "got five minutes of No Man's Sky in, then I installed the update the machine had available, and it bricked itself." As someone who has experienced similar "bricked" symptoms after updating the Steam Deck OLED, I'm wondering whether the issue is actually tied to BIOS or software shenanigans that can be fixed using recovery mode, rather than a physical GPU chip fault.

Well, the Steam Machine was pretty cool for the 20 minutes that it worked from r/steammachine

Rather than tinkering, me_say has shrugged off suggestions for DIY fixes, and rightfully exclaims, "Holy shit this thing is a week old, best send it to Steam Support." I'm certainly the type that would tirelessly try to get it working myself before conceding and reaching out to Valve, but the user has a point when they say it "does seem to kind of defeat the purpose of plug and play."

Honestly? I'm right there with this unlucky Steam Machine user. When you spend $1,049 on a console rival, you shouldn't have to fiddle with reflashing firmware, and while PC players might be up for troubleshooting, players that'd normally reach for a PS5 or Xbox Series X may feel a bit lost trying to implement fixes.

The sort of good news here is that while Valve's codes suggest GPU failure, there's a good chance a firmware update has failed and borked the startup process. In theory, that would make the graphics side of things unreachable, resulting in an error code and no idea output.

I don't blame the user for not messing around and waiting for Valve's support to get back. At the same time, I'm itching to troubleshoot the box and find a quick solution, as it could help the many new players receiving their Steam Machines right now from day-one hiccups. I have no doubt that if there are any serious software quirks, an update will swiftly sort them out (we've already just had a SteamOS patch that enhances VRAM management, after all), and I do doubt that this is a physical chip fault.

If Valve's box is suffering from a PS3 YLOD (Yellow Light of Death) Xbox 360 RROD scenario, it could be catastrophic for the Steam Machine. Pricing is already causing upset, with even former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida criticising the MSRP in a mini review, so the PC giant ends up needing to RMA units due to physical faults or even classic soldering issues, which could simply lead to even higher prices or stock scarcity.

Again, I would be surprised if GPU board connection issues are an issue with the Steam Machine. Not least because I can't see No Man's Sky ramping up thermals to a degree that'd crack faulty solder joints like with the Xbox 360, but I'll be patiently waiting for the support verdict. In brighter news, Valve has just shared how to make your own Steam Machine e-ink faceplate, so if you're already up and running without any ominous red HAL lights, you could jazz your box up with an Inkterface.

Swing by the best Steam Deck docks if you're looking to use the portable as a makeshift machine.

Valve just dropped everything new Steam Machine owners need to make their own e-ink faceplate, and the timing is impeccable. Right now, the cube is landing on the doorsteps of early adopters around the world, and I've no doubts that some of them were originally lured by the "inkterface" and its papery stat screen abilities.

The freshly uploaded Steam Machine Inkerface kit includes 3D print files, a complete bill of materials, and instructions to guide you through making the e-ink panel (thanks, Brad Lynch). There's even a video detailing the process step by step, providing invaluable steps that should help make some of the steps, like soldering wires to its Adafruit brains, a little less intimidating.

I know not every new Steam Machine parent will have a 3D printer to hand or the confidence to solder. The nice thing is that since the 5.83-inch Adafruit e-Ink panel actually connects via Bluetooth, there's less chance of you doing something that'll blow up your beloved new cube. That said, it would be nice if Valve would just make one of these screens, but thankfully, renowned Steam Deck dock maker Jsaux is ready to step in (again).

Yes, just like when it beat Valve to releasing its docking station, Jsaux is already planning its own Steam Machine e-ink faceplate. At the moment, the landing page still says "coming 2026", but I suspect plans will be moving forward now that the mini is actually a thing.

At the moment, renders depict an entirely white Steam Machine shell with an e-ink panel similar to the one used by Valve. That could mean we'll get an entire kit that lets you swap out the case, which would make sense, given that it's sitting next to an additional transparent box on the site. In any case, if it actually arrives (and is a reasonable price), it will save you from resorting to DIY methods, even if the project sounds pretty fun.

If I manage to get hold of Valve's console rival in the future, I'll no doubt end up making my own Inkterface for the box. So far, we've only really witnessed it displaying performance stats, but I reckon someone will eventually add an LCD to the front and make it look like a faux Sony PVM CRT monitor. Even if that's not possible, if Shuhei Yoshida's mixed Steam Machine review is anything to go by, the former PlayStation boss will be delighted at the e-ink panel after praising Valve's face plates.

Swing by the best gaming handhelds if you'd rather take your backlog outside.

It might sound like a betrayal, but PlayStation legend Shuhei Yoshida has a Steam Machine perched next to their TV. The former president even took time to share a bullet-point review covering their thoughts after a few hours of play, and oh boy, does he have mixed feelings about the new PS5 rival, its $1,049 price tag, and PC gaming capabilities.

In an X post appropriately titled "Thoughts after a few hours of playing with Steam Machine," Yoshida rhymes off a pretty long list of testing takes. I'm not sure how I'd feel if I were Valve, sifting through some of these for some industry veteran insight, as he kicks things off with "3D performance is just…meh." Yikes.

If I'm being real, that first bullet sounds like the sort of critique you'd see tied to the Sega Saturn or a cheaper graphics adapter back in the day versus the PS1. That said, seeing as Yoshida's final role at PlayStation was heading up Sony's Indie developer initiative, I imagine he means that smaller, non-AAA outings naturally run better on Valve's mini PC.

However, Yoshida's hit list does feature both positives and negatives. Yes, exclaiming, "Am I going back to the PS4 days?" regarding the Steam Machine apparently recommending 1080p is firmly still a burn, and the ex-PlayStation head also says, "Some games take a looooooong time to boot, what is it doing?" Yet, there's praise in there, as he calls being able to boot up with a controller button press a "killer feature" and describes the system UI as "easy to use."

From where I'm sitting, Yoshida's Steam Machine review captures the typical reactions I'm seeing from gaming PC and console players alike. Yes, it can serve as a solid alternative to the PS5 or Xbox Series X, but it's certainly not a console killer, and it has landed on planet earth with a very specific objective.

"It allows me to play Steam games on my living room TV, which is a reason enough to keep it", is a closing line on the list that perfectly explains what the box is all about, and I'm pretty sure Valve would agree. The mini PC can serve as a lower-end desktop rig should you so desire, but breaking through to couch players and offering up access to a vast ecosystem with newfound controller-friendly access is the reason the system now exists, even if that $1,049 price tag is hampering the mission.

Naturally, the big "but" in Yoshida's Steam Machine assessment is Valve's unfortunate MSRP. "But the price was very unfriendly. Hard to recommend to people unless for research," is the closing line on this mixed bag of punches and praise, and it's exactly how I feel as a hardware reviewer discussing the mini PC. The $1,049 barrier makes the box feel like it's almost in early access, and only those privileged enough to have over a grand for a console rival will be experiencing what could be the future of mainstream gaming.

That said, Valve is already working on improving its newly released box, as the Steam Machine has already received updates that improve its VRAM abilities. I can certainly see a future where prices start to fall, and performance hits consistently harder than a base PS5, but by the time AI datacentres stop gobbling vital components, we might be looking at a sequel.

If you've got Valve's handheld, it's maybe time to grab a Steam Deck dock and use the portable as a low-spec Machine.

No one is happy with the Steam Machine costing over a grand, and that includes Valve. But, the storefront giant isn't holding back on trying to make the mini PC a success, and I'm thrilled to see what looks like a previously pitched Linux VRAM management fix put into action with the latest SteamOS update.

The SteamOS 3.8.20 Beta patch notes allude to the Steam Machine receiving "greatly improved VRAM management, improving performance and stability in cases where VRAM is limited." That sounds a lot like a Linux Kernel patch proposed by a savvy Valve engineer back in April, and if it is indeed that same fix, it'll help the box use "every last byte" of its 8GB GPU memory for gaming.

I know, the idea of a gaming box not doing that by default sounds a little silly, but SteamOS still has some janky old Linux elements under the hood. That's not to say Windows 11 suffers from fewer quirks, as that's not remotely true, but in the case of devices like the Steam Machine and Steam Deck OLED, crucial data for games in memory was at risk of being "evicted" by other processes.

By adding "Device Memory Control Groups", or "Cgroups" for short, to the Linux Kernel, Valve developer Natalie Vock was able to prevent games from being sent to a slower GTT (Graphics Translation Table) fallback memory reserve, which would lead to big performance woes. While SteamOS 3.8.20 Beta doesn't explicitly mention using this exact approach, the description featured in the general updates section does sound exactly like this previously proposed Kernel tweak.

Simply put, running beefy games on the Steam Machine like Cyberpunk 2077 on 8GB VRAM should be far more stable. That's not going to help its $1,409 price tag hold up against custom PC builds or consoles, but it will demonstrate that it can provide OS-level optimization more like the latter.

The way I see it, the Steam Machine is setting the stage for Valve's console-PC hybrid platform, rather than stealing the show right away. Had the box arrived for the same price as a Steam Deck like originally planned, it'd perhaps be more of an immediate threat to the PS5 and Xbox Series X, especially with the latter set to get even more expensive.

For now, though, the Steam Machine is a premium platform that has some growing to do. The latest SteamOS Beta is also bringing an updated Mesa graphics driver to the cube "containing many ray-tracing performance improvements, as well as other performance and functionality improvements." I'd say that's an excellent start for a mini PC that's been on the scene for a week, and the updates will also benefit custom builds, gaming handhelds, and anything else using Valve's Linux-based Windows rival.

Side note, but if you've already spotted cheaper Chinese Steam Machine clones making the rounds, you may want to tread carefully.

You'll want to peek at the best Steam Deck docks if you're sticking with Valve's gaming handheld for now.

PC and mobile accessory and case maker dbrand was forced to cancel and refund all sales of its Steam Machine Companion Cube case after realizing and publicly admitting that it never got permission from Valve to make the dang thing.

In a Reddit post you'll be redirected to from the Companion Cube case's now-defunct listing page, dbrand confirms the product "was eviscerated from our website" and won't be coming back.

The Portal-inspired case began as a joke posted on the heels of the Steam Machine reveal, dbrand says, but a wave of real consumer interest sparked some hasty development and, "in the months that followed, we built the idea into something real without ever asking Valve if we could."

"We're going to regret that decision for a very long time," dbrand says.

Across seven months, dbrand says "more than a thousand hours went into engineering" the case, with 44 sets of injection molding tools created. "By the end, we were losing money on every $99 Poverty Cube sold, but it didn't matter," the company says. "This had turned into a passion project for the entire organization. Unfortunately, being proud of the thing we made did not give us the right to make it."

Dbrand even took pre-orders for the case beginning June 22. It became "the second-fastest selling product in our 15-year history," but those pre-orders will be refunded today, as this was what finally triggered alarms and action at Valve.

"Shortly after, Valve's legal team reached out," dbrand adds. "They stated that the Companion Cube is Valve intellectual property, for which dbrand does not have a license. They requested we take down the product and launch film immediately. This was entirely within their rights, and they were direct, fair, and respectful throughout."

Dbrand did try to salvage the work put into all this by finally asking Valve for permission, but the company "said no." Dbrand admits that, "given our backwards approach of building first and asking permission later, it was a fair answer." It also stresses that "Valve didn't do anything wrong here," and concludes by saying, "We should've asked first."

Rarely do companies publicly take eggs to the face so willingly, especially companies this established. But I suppose it is also rare for experienced manufacturers to forget about licensing for seven months.

Journalists often have to dig to get even modest acknowledgements of blame from large companies. In this case, a Reddit user responded to dbrand's statement and said, "You guys are fucking stupid, you know that?" The company replied, "Yes."

On Steam Machine, Valve engineers say "the cheaper the better," but a price drop is unlikely "any time soon."

There's customer service, and then there's customer blessing, and indie game creator Luka Hizo Algo is now adept at the latter. The benevolent horror dev recently released an update for liminal space horror game Buenos Aires Mirror Line just because one guy wanted him to.

Earlier this month, Algo and co-developer Rafael Di Carlo shared a minor fix for Buenos Aires Mirror Line, an hour-long horror experience about being trapped in a time loop in a grungy edition of Argentina. But Steam user MadMcMan didn't care. MadMcMan needed to invert their mouse, and so Buenos Aires Mirror Line devs fell to the floor and obliged.

"An update with no invert mouse, literally the worst," scoffed Steam user MadMcMan on June 18, reacting to Algo and Di Carlo's small update. By June 21, Algo got to say, "You're welcome." He had – as he put it in a Steam announcement post – "added Invert Y option specifically for MadMcMan."

"You could say I'm a people pleaser," Algo continues in the post.

MadMcMan eventually admitted the new feature was "nice" in the comments of Algo's announcement, and they completed a Buenos Aires Mirror Line playthrough on June 27. This all culminated in the Steam user's glowing review of the horror game: "Its good."

I can't think of a better ending for a heartwarming tale about inverting the Y-axis in a game, which I didn't realize anyone actually did. According to visual science research (thanks, The Guardian), people who invert their controls may have developed a preference for it by playing games like Microsoft Flight Simulator through the '80s, though they aren't necessarily predisposed to it. So MadMcMan likely would have thought "its good" about Buenos Aires Mirror Line had they given its default controls a chance, but it's important to be adamant about what you want.

I've been playing Steam Next Fest demos for over 5 years, and here are the 12 demos you shouldn't miss during the June event.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, who recently criticized Valve's use of mandatory Steam disclosures for games with AI-generated content, will surely not be using a new browser plugin which makes those disclosures significantly more noticeable and even hides AI-aided games in Steam search results.

Self-described Linux gamer and coder seeeeew shared the "AI warning for Steam" plugin on Bluesky earlier this month, shortly before Sweeney made the case that Steam's disclosures make it "much, much, much harder for a game developer to have a chance of success".

The plugin is available for Firefox and Google Chrome directly, and is also listed on Github. I've seen reports of workarounds that can get it running in the Steam client itself, but I haven't been able to confirm this functionality.

I have tested the Chrome version myself, and it works as described. When you open the Steam store page of a game with any sort of AI content disclosure, that disclosure will appear as a pop-up when you first load that page, making it utterly unmissable.

Additionally, in Steam search results, any AI-aided games are blurred out by default, covered with a label reading, "AI Generated Content Disclosure found." If you consider any gen AI use to be a deal-breaker, or if you're just a stickler for the tech, this plugin could save you some time filtering or checking games on Steam.

Many people discovered this plugin during the latest Steam Next Fest, a week-long showcase of Steam demos for upcoming games. As Palworld lead John Buckley lamented, more and more Steam Next Fest entries use AI-generated images or assets, reflecting a broader rise in the use of the technology.

Sweeney has repeatedly pushed Steam to drop AI content disclosures, which are not used on the Epic Games Store. His latest argument is that they attach a "Scarlet Letter" to games which use AI and can invite a "hater community trying to kill the game".

Sweeney says devs "have to choose from either not using tools that can make you way more productive, and probably failing due to competition that does," reiterating his stance that AI will be central to game development going forward, and suggesting that devs who don't use AI tools will fall hopelessly behind.

In a report featuring over 30 game developers from across the industry and around the world, GamesRadar+ repeatedly heard that many game devs do not want to use generative AI for myriad reasons.

Joint The Witcher 4 and CD Projekt Red CEO says fully AI-generated games are coming, but he has "some doubts whether this is really the path to follow."

Three things are guaranteed in life: death, taxes, and scalping. Valve's Steam Machine pre-orders have started shipping, and given the much higher demand than supply, the vultures are straight in on the new console. Listings show resales are already happening, up to double the regular price of the box.

Yes, double. Valve is currently selling Steam Machines based on a lottery system, since there's so much interest. People who signed up started being filtered into either the queue to buy this week, with some going there while others were told they're still on the waitlist.

There are four options for the system, each providing different hardware and memory for your buck. The cheapest is the 512GB model, which comes without a Steam controller and costs $1049. The most expensive, then, is the 2TB version, which will run you $1428 with Valve's official joypad. Regardless of the price, these have been unilaterally swept up already, and are going for even more exorbitant amounts on eBay.

One sold listing on the user-based marketplace had the 512GB Steam Machine going for $1,500. A strong markup – the seller made a pretty penny, for sure – but not egregious when you see how high others have gone for.

In one instance, the 2TB option without a controller went for $2,899. That is more than double Valve's asking price for that package. And that's without factoring in shipping, which is a separate amount added afterward for the buyer.

At time of writing, the highest listing I've found is a nice, round $3,200, for the 2TB model with the Steam controller. We're heading toward three-times the money on the second hand market, and this is just the first wave.

The hardware is shipping out as of today, June 29, and presumably these listings will be heading to their original owners first, before then being shifted toward their actual forever homes. The waiting list is back open for sign-ups, but I wouldn't hold my breath for an opportunity to buy for some time given the state of manufacturing right now. Just don't blow your savings on one of the inflated reseller listings in the meantime, your chance to buy will come around – eventually.

As the Steam Machine, Xbox, and PS5 consoles reach eye-watering prices, Lenovo says we're in a new normal for RAM costs.

Looking for something excellent to read this weekend? We published over 400 articles on GamesRadar+ this week, but here's our pick of the five stories that you absolutely need to read.

1. A match made in heaven: Star Wars, racing, and roguelikes combine in Galactic Racer

Star Wars has been in desperate need of something a little different ever since the Skywalker Saga collapsed. Perhaps it'll be Galactic Racer that reignites some energy into the franchise, a fast-paced racing game while blurs a development studio's expertise with Burnout and Need for Speed with the sort of lush, cinematic storytelling that Star Wars is known for delivering. We played the game ahead of its October 6, 2026, release date and the early signs are exceptionally promising.

2. Epic Games' CEO has a lot of opinions on Steam AI disclosures. None of them are good.

The use of generative artificial intelligence in video games continues to be exceptionally divisive, if not actively volatile. Recent comments from Epic Games' longtime CEO Tim Sweeney have only inflamed the conversation, as he simultaneously comes to the defense of Gen AI in certain cases and attacks Valve over its requirement that developers publicly flag when the tech has been used on Steam. This story has sparked a lot of discussion, so don't be afraid of adding your voice to the conversation.

3. "It's huge for us": Why Obsidian is finally ready to take Grounded 2 to PlayStation 5

If there's one thing that's clear from Xbox's somewhat messy approach to console exclusivity, it's that live service games will continue to be widely available – all in an effort to help build better, larger communities of players. Grounded 2 is a perfect example of this strategy in action. Obsidian legend Chris Parker walks you through all of it, the promise of the new Into the Abyss update coming this August, and the potential for the studio's survival game to grow to new heights on PS5.

4. What did we learn from the Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-order campaign starting? Rockstar is ready to change open-world games forever

The silence surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6 has been deafening. It's been over a year since the last trailer released, leaving nothing but space for rampant speculation. That's why it was so damn refreshing to see Rockstar come out this week ready to celebrate GTA 6 pre-orders going live. We got some controversial launch details, we got over 60 new screenshots, and even a bunch of new gameplay details. If anything, this is a time to remember that GTA 6 is not only real, but that it's actually coming November 19, 2026.

5. "Destiny 2 fell short of expectations": Understanding the crisis enveloping Bungie

It's been a difficult year for Bungie. The studio has enjoyed the highs of bringing Marathon online and the lows of having to abandon Destiny 2. This week, the crisis at the famed studio behind the creation of Halo hit another bump in the road, as PlayStation CEO Herman Hulst announced a restructure of the organization that has caused widespread layoffs and a massive shift in priorities. It's been disappointing to see the studio (responsible for revolutionizing the FPS genre twice over) impacted in this way, and it's difficult to see where it will go from here.

6. Shigeru Miyamoto created The Legend of Zelda. He has some things to say about the quality of its dungeon design

Shigeru Miyamoto is responsible for bringing some of the most iconic characters and worlds in the video game industry to life. It's rare for him to do interviews, which is why GR+ staff writer Dustin Bailey had to go all the way back to 1999 to find the legend commenting on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Miyamoto had a revelation during the development of this iconic adventure game, and it's one that clearly reshaped all of the games that followed.

The big news this week in PC gaming was the reveal that Valve's Steam Machine PC-console hybrid costs $1049 for the cheapest model, a figure that sent shockwaves through the gaming community despite the fact that component and thus hardware prices have been historically high for quite some time.

The rapid proliferation of AI data centers has driven the cost of memory through the roof, and when you couple that with global economic instability and high inflation, well, you have both video game consoles and gaming PCs with exorbitant price tags both on store shelves and on the second-hand market. Still, $1049 for the entry level model in a lineup of PC-only gaming consoles is a tough pill to swallow no matter how much we've all got used to everything being ridiculously expensive, but don't expect Steam Machines to drop in price any time soon.

Talking to Digital Foundry, Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais is asked if there's any chance Steam Machine costs will drop when the current RAM shortages are resolved, and he dodges the question but argues that from a business perspective, the current price doesn't make sense.

"There's no point for us to keep hardware at a high price," he says. "It's meant to be an enabler of a stronger connection between people and their games, and not something that we're trying to sell to people for other reasons... [For us], the cheaper the better."

Meanwhile, another Valve engineer on the Steam Machine's hardware team, Yazan Aldehayyat, straight-up downplays the idea of a price drop any time in the near future.

"It's obviously hard for us to predict the future, but we're not optimistic it's going to happen any time soon. Other people in the industry have said as much.

"Obviously, we would love to be able to make the Steam Machine more affordable and reach more people, but I don't want to promise to people that it's coming soon," adds Aldehayyat. "I wouldn't say that this is something that's going to resolve very soon."

If you want something slightly more concrete, or at the very least specific, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra recently estimated that the ongoing RAM shortage will likely continue through 2027 before "gradually" improving in 2028. That doesn't help much if you're looking to lock in a Steam Machine pre-order soon, but it's good to have some idea of when things might start to normalize... well, in terms of the cost of gaming hardware anyway.

$1,049 Steam Machine is still a "good value," Valve engineer says, even though it was supposed to be $789 like the Steam Deck

The dusty, wet, and unfriendly grime of a survival game doesn't seem like the perfect place to meet a nice acquaintance, but Pocketpair head of publishing and communications John "Bucky" Buckley suggests it might be. Survival games aren't nearly as unwelcoming behind-the-scenes.

Buckley writes on Twitter, "So many people view survival games as competition to each other, and think there is bad blood." But he says that "actually, we all get along really well because we all have something in common! We love survival games!"

It seems Pocketpair developers particularly get along with the teams behind renowned survival games like Rust, Valheim, and Ark: Survival – 10 of these types of popular titles make up the Super Survival Summer bundle available now on Steam. The entire package costs $148.40 in total, which is a 25% discount from the $197.90 these 10 games would have originally cost together.

Still, the Super Survival Summer bundle isn't the most dramatic discount available during the Steam Summer Sale running now through July 9. After all, you can purchase the originally $50.96 Binding of Isaac: Rebirth Complete Bundle for $5.06, a price that should turn your eyeballs into a pair of lucky dice. But about $150 is nevertheless a sweet price to pay for 10 big deal games. In addition to the titles mentioned earlier, and others, the Super Survival Summer bundle contains Palworld, V Rising, and Windrose, and it seems like an ideal opportunity for survival game professionals to grab those games for an easy $15 each.

The Bundle is also the fruit of Buckley's own love for survival games, as he shares on Twitter, "This has been a personal side project of mine since the start of 2026." When a valiant survival game soldier then tells the developer that they already own every game found in the Bundle (it's understandable if this happens to you, too; most of the Bundle's games were cataclysmic internet phenomena at some point), Buckley advises them to "buy it again and gift it to the person you want to punish most in life."

Brutal, but good advice. It comes when we could use it. time. Between rampant layoffs and serious price increases in the video game industry, it's nice to remember our ability to survive.

I've spent 5 hours diving into the Steam Summer Sale with our features editor, and these are the 11 best games on discount I'd recommend.

Valve's big seasonals sales event is coming to a close, but it certainly brought us some excellent Steam Summer Sale games for 2026. With big discounts dropping that took down some best Steam games to historically low prices, we even saw some old favorites go for an absolute steal.

Yes, since going live on June 25, there have been some great bargains, and I brought together the best Steam Summer Sale games we saw this year, which you see below. From some of the best RPGs that you could snap up for less than $5 / £5, to some of the best horror games getting sizeable discounts, we even saw some the most recent new games fall in price.

Yes, the Steam sales date didn't disappoint. And with just a little time left, you can find a roundup of the Steam Summer Sales 206 highlights below in case you want to snap some up while they're still around, or, if you're curious to see what got reduced to ready yourself for the next sales event, you can find our best Steam Summer sales picks right here.

The best Steam Summer Sale games 2026

Resident Evil Requiem

If you've been holding out on playing the latest Resident Evil entry, then now's a great time to consider meeting with Leon and Grace in Racoon City. Having only just been released back in February of this year, the 20% discount it now has in the Steam Summer sale is the lowest price we've seen Resident Evil Requiem's fall so far on Valve's storefront. As we explored in our Resident Evil Requiem review, it's worth having in your library if you're a Resi fan; it dials up the terror, delivers the action, and excellently explores the iconic character that is Leon Kennedy in more depth.

With two protagonists leading the charge who both offer distinctly different perspectives and experiences on its blend of survival horror, Resident Evil Requiem easily earns its place as one of the best Resident Evil games going. And with the recent addition of a roguelike mode, and yet more goodness to come from Capcom with the Resident Evil Veronica remake in 2027, the timing of this discount couldn't be better.

Get Resident Evil Requiem here.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition

As someone who's spent over 1000 hours playing CD Projekt Red's dystopian, futuristic RPG, I can't recommend Cyberpunk 2077 enough if you've yet to try it. From shaping your own customizable protagonist in V, to deciding how you want to navigate the many dangers and temptations of the neon-tined streets of Night City, it's a memorable ride from start to finish. I love the way it explores an action-packed story that examines what it means to survive and try to retain your identity in a world where cybernetic technology has taken over, and it's as easy to erase your personality as it is to shove a chip in your head.

V's fight to save themself is well worth your time, and now's a great opportunity to experience it thanks to the hefty discounted price of the Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition. You can snag yourself the base game and one of the best DLCs in the excellent Phantom Liberty expansion for its lowest price yet. The base game by itself is also discounted at just $17.99 / £14.99 (which is certainly worth the Eddies), but I'd absolutely recommend the Ultimate Edition so you don't miss out on Idris Elba, and the morally grey world of Dogtown.

Get Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition here.

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era

Calling all strategy fans! Right now, you can get your hands on Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era for its lowest ever price on Steam. As a triumphant return of the beloved strategy RPG series that first made a name for itself in the '90s, Olden Era blends together RPG mechanics with real-time strategy and grid-based combat to deliver a satisfying tactical loop you'll want to keep coming back to.

First launching back in April, it's worth noting that Olden Era is still in Early Access, but don't let that stop you. As we said in our Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era Early Access review, "it's already packed with an essentially endless amount of content", with multiplayer, randomized matches, and a nice chunk of the campaign ready and waiting for you.

Get Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era here.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is one of the best first-person RPGs we've seen arrive in recent years, with a richly realized open world that draws you right into medieval Europe. Playing as intrepid adventurer Henry of Skalitz, who gets caught up in all kinds of ye olde shenanigans with companion (and possible love interest) Hans Capon, War Horse not only delivers a host of fantastic side quests, but it also draws you into a memorable main storyline as you set out to avenge your parents.

Staying true to its role-playing DNA, you can choose to shape Henry however you wish, whether you want to build him out to be a smooth talking sneaky so-and-so or a robust sword-fighting machine. Both myself and Andy have had many memorable experiences with this one, and if you're ready to go medieval, this Steam Summer Sale offer is calling your name: Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is going for its lowest ever price right now.

Get Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 here.

Mewgenics

One of the best games of 2026 so far, Mewgenics has been hit with a notable discount which takes it down to the lowest price to date on Steam. From The Binding of Isaac and Super Meat Boy developer Edmund McMillen and The End is Nigh's Tyler Glaiel, Mewgencis brings to life a turn-based tactical adventure that's all about breeding and raising your very own army of cats. With different traits that can be passed down to other cats, you can work to make the ultimate mutant felines and send them off on runs in search of loot.

As we explored in our Mewgenics review, it's a "hugely varied" roguelike that has an imaginative and rewarding gameplay loop. With tons of replayability, and an excellent soundtrack, it's also packed with wonderfully whacky humor, and you can sink so many hours into this one if you're after something hearty to tuck into.

Get Mewgenics here.

Two Point Museum

One of the best simulation games has gotten a big discount right now, with the excellent Two Point Museum now down to its lowest price so far on Steam. As someone who loves history, I adored my time bringing to life my own museums. From sending my employees off on expeditions to find more fossils, to putting them on display just how I want, and creating gift shops to bring in more funds, I also enjoyed mapping out my own museum tours.

With a host of fun updates since it first launched in 2025 (including a fitting summer update), this is well worth getting if you enjoy management sims full of charm, humor, and easy-to-use tools. You can find out more of my thoughts in our Two Point Museum review if you're interested to learn more.

Get Two Point Museum here.

Inkonbini: One Store. Many Stories

First released back in April, this is a great 20% discount off the delightful indie game, Inkonbini: One Store. Many Stories – which is well worth having in your library if you're looking for something laidback to play. Set in the '90s in Japan, you play as college student Makoto Hayakawa, who works at a convenience store over the summer.

From stocking and arranging shelves, to preparing displays, and getting the store ready to open, I love the meditative quality of the organizing. But as I first found out by playing the demo ahead of release, part of its charm also comes from the customers you meet. As you help them find what they're looking for, or give them recommendations, you start to learn more about them and hear the stories of the locals. If I hadn't already snapped this game up, I would do so now at this price.

Get Inkonbini: One Store. Many Stories here.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Hollow Knight: Silksong was years in the making and easily one of the most talked about games in the lead up to its eventual release in 2025. But as Team Cherry's sequel went on to prove, it was well worth the wait. Now considered to be one of the best Metroidvania games of recent years right alongside its predecessor, you can now get 25% shaved off the price tag, taking it down to its lowest price on Steam so far.

As we said in our Hollow Knight: Silksong review, it's a near-perfect follow-up that evolves many of the features of the original to deliver a rewarding world to explore. Playing as Hornet, her various abilities are satisfying to play around with, and there's plenty of challenges to overcome. If you've been holding off or want to give Silksong a try, then this is a good chance to do just that without paying the usual price.

Get Hollow Knight: Silksong here.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade

With the reveal of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation during Summer Game Fest Live 2026, which will conclude Cloud's journey, it feels almost serendipitous that the first part of the RPG series is discounted to its lowest price to date on Steam. Not only that, but the chunky discount is for the Intergrade version, which comes with the additional expansion Episode InterMission starring companion Yuffie. So, if you're looking to catch up before the upcoming RPG arrives in 2027, this could well be your sign to experience the opening of Cloud's adventure in the city of Midgar.

Introducing iconic party members and setting what's to come in the sprawling open world scene of part 2 in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a lovingly reimagined remake of the iconic JRPG on PS1. With an updated and modernized real-time combat system that calls back to the classic turn-based affair through its strategic ATB elements, longtime fans will get a kick out of its recreations of some classic moments, while newcomers get stuck right in with ease.

Get Final Fantasy 7 Intergrade here.

Dead Space Remake

If you've yet to try out Dead Space, or you're on the lookout for a chilling, atmospheric experience, then you can get your hands on the excellent Dead Space Remake for the incredibly low price of just under $6 / £5. As one of the best horror games, the 2023 remake of the classic 2008 survival horror succeeds at being even more unsettling than the original, and that's a huge compliment.

Taking on the role of Issaac Clarke, an engineer who finds himself on a mission to repair the USG Ishimura mining ship, things take a terrifying turn. With the ship's crew brutally killed, and your partner lost onboard, you have to navigate the Ishimura with only your engineering skills at your disposal. But, with horrific creatures known as necromorphs always in pursuit, you can expect plenty of scares in the sci-fi space setting. If you're after some horror goodness, this is worth adding to your library for a lot less.

Get Dead Space here.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has made a name for itself as one of the best open world RPGs of the last decade, and you can now experience Geralt's sprawling adventure for an absolute steal if you've yet to snap up CD Projekt Red's gripping fantasy on Steam. Honestly, it's also the perfect excuse to replay The Witcher 3 on another platform if you've already experienced it elsewhere… because it's just that cheap.

Following Geralt, a mutant monster slayer known as a witcher, you set out across sprawling locations in search of your ward, Ciri, who's being pursued by the Wild Hunt. Delivering some of the most memorable side quests and a story that will keep you gripped, replaying or tucking into it for the first time will no doubt help set up the next game to come with The Witcher 4. And at a historically low price tag, the fact that it's set to get a new expansion next year in the Songs of the Past just gives you more reasons to grab this.

Get the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt here.

Honorable mentions

If you have smashed through all our top picks above, then worry not; here are 10 more deals for you to check out below. For these honorable mentions, I've focused on historically low prices, meaning that the majority of these have never gone for cheaper than they are right now. So, be sure to check them out as well as our best picks above to maximize your bargain hunting.

• Balatro (Get it here)
• The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (Get it here)
• Hotline Miami (Get it here)
• SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS (Get it here)
• Planet Zoo (Get it here)
• A Plague Tale: Innocence (Get it here)
• Resident Evil 2 (Get it here)
• Borderlands 4 (Get it here)
• Persona 3 Reloaded (Get it here)
• Metaphor: ReFantazio (Get it here)

Keep track of future demo events with our Steam Next Fest guide. Or find some more recommendations with our pick of the best PC games.

Much as Steam may be the dominant marketplace on PC, it's far from a one-stop shop for all the most popular games available. Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, believes Valve is consistently shooting itself in the foot in ways Epic Games has managed to avoid - so far, at least.

According to him, a noted Steam disliker for reasons I'm sure are obvious, the fact that Steam isn't a more collaborative entity shuts out large swaths of PC gamers. "They have a nice thing going on on PC, but they reach what percentage of the PC audience?" he told PCGamer, when asked about Valve's place in the hierarchy.

"You know, they don't reach any of the Fortnite [audience], they don't have Fortnite and Riot's games and Genshin Impact, and many of the top games in the industry on Steam," he adds.

This much is true: there are massive communities Valve is actively closed off from. In the case of Riot Games, it's due to being active competitors, both in general and because League of Legends was started as a spiritual successor to the original DotA, and since Steam hosts Dota 2, they were never going to sit side-by-side.

Fortnite came out only a year before the Epic Games Store took off, making it unlikely the original version or the battle royale would ever be on Steam. The separation is frequently mutually assured, is what I'm saying here. But Sweeney looks at it differently.

"They're missing out on a lot of opportunity that I think they could have if they took the more forward-looking, open view that Epic has taken, and Microsoft has taken," he says, doubling down on what Microsoft charges devs to list games on its marketplace: "Microsoft Store charges 12% - really good deal. Google's now giving all developers a better deal, and has some really cool things coming for the future."

Valve could bring together "Team Open," Sweeney argues, and help the PC user base flourish. "Steam's got a pretty sweet business - a lot of gamers love Steam - but imagine if you could have Steam on all of the platforms?" he muses. "What if you could have it on iPhone, what if you could have it on Android? What if they carried a lot of games?"

What if, indeed. Valve has faced a lot of pushback over the years due to how it handles its market position. Steam was cited as part of Epic's legal battle against Apple over unfair practices, and more recent legal battles have brought to light reported instances of Valve being unhappy about other publishers selling games cheaper than on Steam as part of sales on their own stores.

Valve billionaire Gabe Newell spends $70 million on a new mansion to go with his $500 million yacht as the house of Steam fights monopoly lawsuits

Fortnite developer and publisher Epic Games has been in the limelight for its creators' stance on generative AI – and it seems it'll continue to be, as CEO Tim Sweeney speaks on the topic once more, specifically in relation to what he calls Valve's "irresponsible" AI disclosures on Steam.

It comes up in a recent interview with PC Gamer, in which Sweeney explains how AI could be a valuable tool for smaller devs.

"If you have a game with a really unique look and feel, you need unique content, and AI is a path to getting that with a degree of economy that makes it competitive with Fab or scanning or other things, but works for a larger category of objects," states the Epic lead.

He refers to an example of making a flower pot model for a game. "The value is not in creating a perfect flower pot. It will be an absolute folly to spend a million dollars creating a flower pot, because the real value is in building the scene and building the game and building the narrative, and the gameplay, and making it awesome, and giving it a unique feel, and making something that appeals to gamers."

Apparently, this process – "giving it a unique feel" – can rely on AI use. And that, according to Sweeney, makes the attitude folks have toward AI "unfortunate" – as well as Valve's insistence that devs disclose whether they've used any AI in games released via Steam.

"If you want to launch a game, and get it as widely publicized as possible, you've got to put it on Steam so people can wish list it, and if you want to play it on Steam, then you have to get this Scarlet Letter of AI attached to your product."

Sweeney says that results in "a hater community trying to kill the game," going on to criticize the AI disclosures on Steam.

"I think it's really irresponsible of Valve. They shouldn't do it because it makes it much, much, much harder for a game developer to have a chance of success. You have to choose from either not using tools that can make you way more productive, and probably failing due to competition that does."

It's important to note that this isn't the first time Sweeney has shared this take. Last year, he said digital storefronts (like Steam) should drop "the AI tag" because "it makes no sense" when "AI will be involved in nearly all future production." He doubled down on this later, saying, "I hate to see Valve confiscate ever more opportunity from small developers." It's not an unpopular opinion among other Epic staff, either.

Stephanie Arnette, who serves as senior external development manager on Fortnite, stated that the goal of AI "is to make us more efficient" and not to "take all our jobs."

Suffice to say, that's not how many other devs (and consumers) feel… hence the so-called "hater community" Sweeney claims is out to get games with an AI disclosure on Steam. It's a hot topic right now, to say the least.

I doubt it'll stop being one, either, as generative AI penetrates more and more aspects of development – and, well, everything. I, for one, am very happy with Valve's system, though. Here's hoping it doesn't change.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney says new multiplayer games flop because everyone's "already formed solid human networks in Fortnite, Call of Duty, Counter-Strike, and Apex Legends."

We are in the unyielding winter of $949 Steam Deck OLEDs, $1,049 Steam Machines, and I'm finding myself missing $1 pizza more than ever. My cat is no doubt devising how to sell my kidneys as he notices the way I scoff at prices on even small amenities like his salmon cans, and all I can do now is pray he fails – especially since MSI product marketing lead Andy Chu predicts this year's price hikes will only get worse.

Speaking to FRVR in time for the release of handheld console MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, a Steam Deck competitor with its own kidney pain-inducing price tag of $1,800, Chu says, "There's much room for another price hike," and that the handheld market in particular "is now entering a time where it's time to take a closer look at what it can offer."

Personally, I'd love it if it could offer something under $1,000. Chu seems mostly concerned with the fact that the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ provides gamers with something new, and he stresses that the console "promises zero compromise between the resolution and graphic settings and also the frames [per second]" to FRVR. These are all beautiful things, sure. However, I think the average US resident's ability to pay rent is nice, too.

So GamesRadar+ hardware editor Phil Hayton argues no one should be paying over a grand for any handheld this Prime Day; Phil says, "I don't like feeding the beast that is tech price inflation, so in an effort to signal to retailers and portable PC makers that today's price tags are not okay, I like to check out open-boxed and refurbished options."

If you prefer your hardware sparkling clean, though, you might want to start hunkering down between pillars of $100 bills to prepare for what Chu predicts will be "a tough year for us and for the gamers."

"All I can say is we have tried every approach to get the memory and also storage at a lower cost," he asserts. $1,800 was simply the best MSI could do to be "as affordable as possible," and I believe that. I'm also horrified.

$1,049 Steam Machine is still a "good value," Valve engineer says, even though it was supposed to be $789 like the Steam Deck.

The Steam Machine costs $1,049, and that's not entirely Valve's fault. The publisher had originally wanted its mini PC-console hybrid to be priced closer to the $789 Steam Deck, but ongoing component shortages swiftly killed that dream. Still, its engineers hope you're happy.

Engineer Yazan Aldehayyat tells Eurogamer in a new interview, "It's hard because I don't think we ever really had an official price or anything like that – I think we had some ideas – but it's really difficult to quantify it." He says the Steam Deck price serves as "a rough estimate" for Valve's original plans, but he nonetheless believes $1,049 is "a good value."

Aldehayyat explains, "It's still competitive with similarly specced machines, especially pre-built machines." That's a fair analysis – GamesRadar+ hardware editor Phil Hayton recently tried estimating a reasonable alternative to the diminutive Steam Machine that you could build yourself, and it still came out to $1,265 for a slightly chunkier, yet more powerful PC. Right now, no one is spared from RAM shortages caused by virulent AI data center development.

Steam Machine user interface designer Lawrence Yang muses, "I'm very curious to see how people react to the price." He, like anyone else who's bought a video game or bottle of Tylenol in the past few months, knows "all the prices are going up, things are going out of stock, something's happening to the point where everyone is impacted by it."

"I'm guessing that people – or hoping that people – will understand," Yang says.

"It is more expensive than we wanted it to be, for sure," he reiterates. "But we think that compared to what you could build with the same price, it is kind of commensurate, and we think that we're bringing something extra with the small form factor and all of the other stuff that we built into it."

I can only speak for myself: I understand why the Steam Machine costs over $1,000, or why rent for a one-bedroom in Brooklyn is more than $2,000, or why a plate of lobster spaghetti at a fancy restaurant is $48 when I'd rather just hunt the lobster myself for that price, but that doesn't mean I like it. Am I supposed to?

Valve says Steam Machine is $1,049 because it "doesn't align with our beliefs" to subsidize the cost.

It's summer sale season, which means that during this awful, RAMpocalypse-ridden year, we finally have the chance to make the most of Prime Day gaming PC deals. Of course, all the retailers are at it, and since Valve has just finally launched its Steam Machine, PC gamers have a big choice ahead of them.

I haven't gone hands-on with the Steam Machine yet, but I've been tracking the prices of proper prebuilt gaming PCs for over three years now, reviewing them, building my own systems, and testing out a slew of components and upgrades. I can see the price of the Steam Machine, assess its specs, and I can comfortably tell you that even during RAMageddon, you can do better. PC gaming isn't the cheapest, but if you're going to spend that sort of money on a PC for your living room, trust me when I say that you might as well invest a little more in something that's upgradeable and has a discrete GPU to enhance your gaming performance.

So that's my mission this Prime Day. I'm going to be sifting through as many deals as humanly possible across all the retailers to secure you the best value. Newegg, Best Buy, Walmart, and of course, Amazon could hold the key to your living room PC gaming dreams, which offer better long-term value, gaming performance, and style than Valve's Steam Machine. I'll be looking for prebuilt systems, smaller upgrades you can make to your existing rig, and even the foundational blocks you need to build your own living room gaming machine.

Quick Links

• Amazon: RTX 5060 rigs for under $1,500
• Newegg: Loads of deals in the FantasTech sale
• Dell: up to $1,330 off Alienware Aurora builds
• Best Buy: up to $300 off MSI, HP, and more
• Walmart: Component and prebuilt deals

UK:

• Amazon: Prime Day deals, component upgrades
• CCL: Save 10% on a build-your-bundle combo
• Overclockers: Component bundle deals with 20% off
• HP: Discounts on HP Omen builds
• Very: Save up to £450 on prebuilt desktops
• Currys: Acer, HP Omen, and MSI discounted here

The best Prime Day gaming PC deals

Live updates

Let's get going (and talk about sizes)

Okay, let's get this show on the road. First up, let's go over some info you might find helpful when reading this live blog.

PC sizes are a bit odd and can be confusing if you're new to talking about them, so let's define some stuff.

Valve's Steam Machine is technically a mini-PC. These often use a mix of mobile/laptop parts, one processor known as an APU that combines central and graphics processing into one. Desktop PCs are a bit different - and they come in the following sizes.

Mini ITX - these still get pretty small, but they do often have a separate GPU that still allows for great gaming performance. They can be a little quirky to build due to compromises on space and cooling, but they still use a full suite of desktop components.

mATX - this is my personal sweet spot. This is what you see in the image above. It takes a slightly smaller motherboard, but is essentially a conventional gaming PC in a smaller package. There can still be compromises when it comes to part sizes and cooling, but mostly you have access to everything larger PCs do.

ATX and EATX - these are larger sizes. These form up the bulk of the prebuilt gaming PC market because they're the most popular sizes. Most are regular ATX motherboards and cases, but more and more of the cases I saw at Computex this year were massive EATX ones.

It's good to know this stuff, because it will help you narrow down and classify the components and size of PC you want to shop for.

Smaller desktops like this could be the answer to the Steam Machine's price-to-performance

The issue with the Steam Machine's price is that without a swappable GPU, it's comparing itself to consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Although all technology has gotten more expensive this year, Valve has been the most honest with how much a gaming PC actually should set you back, which has landed the Steam Machine with a higher price tag.

The issue is that it's the same price as entry-level desktop machines that do have higher performance thanks to dedicated graphics cards, and swappable components on a conventional PC motherboard.

I wouldn't usually recommend you opt for a DDR4 system right now, but if you're looking to get a smaller size of PC that can sit to the side of a living room TV, you don't want to spend more than the cost of a Steam Machine, and you want the kind of gaming frame rates that a full-sized ATX gaming PC can give you, this is the sort of solution you should be looking to.

This Stormcraft Sirius PC at Newegg is packed with great specs and sits inside an m-ATX case. It's discounted down to $900, which is really solid for the parts within.

Specs: Intel Core i5-14400F, RTX 5060, 16GB of DDR4, 1TB SSD, 650W PSU

Stormcraft Sirius: $1,099.99 $899.99 at Newegg

Quick reminder: It's not all Valve's fault

Just in case you're directing your gamer rage at Valve for the high price of the Steam Machine, I just want to point out that the price inflation is AI's fault, and that it's impacting the entire tech sector at the moment.

Case in point, an RTX 5070 gaming PC like this MSI Codex at Amazon would have set you back ~$1450 this time last year. If you want proof, check out this roundup I did last November on RTX 5070 gaming PCs. In a Prime Day deal, this one is currently discounted down from $2,052 to $1,829.99 at Amazon.

If you're going to build your own living room rig, try one of these smaller cases

These cases won't sit on your TV unit in the same way that a Steam Machine will, but for me, an m-ATX case is the sweet spot to allow you to build a gaming PC that will perform brilliantly and allow you to use a wide range of components, while also not stealing up loads of real estate.

Here are a few of my favorites:

NZXT H3 Flow: $69.99 $59.99 at Amazon
Fractal Design Epoch: $129.99 $120 at Amazon
NZXT H2 Flow: $149.99 at Amazon
Cooler Master Q300L: $44.99 $39.99 at Amazon

Living room PC gamers need to know about this couch desk

Couch PC gaming can be tricky to navigate, especially if you want to still play FPS games or aren't a big fan of playing with one of the best PC controllers.

For me, this is the perfect solution. It's a couch desk that assembles over you as you sit. I've used mine for hundreds of hours at this point, and the memory foam cushions still feel as great as they always have, and the desktop surface doubles as a USB hub for whatever accessories you want to plug in.

Admittedly, these are a tad pricey, especially if you go for the gaming-tilted Cyon3. Couchmaster does have smaller options which are more affordable though, so if you aren't too fussed about surface space you can also go for one of those. Annoyingly, none of them are discounted right now, but these are good to know about while we're on the topic of PC gaming from the couch.

Couchmaster Cycon3: $224 at Amazon

Couchmaster CYBOT: $169 at Amazon

Does size really matter?

Get your mind out of the gutter, firstly.

Living room PC gaming would be nice if it were through a machine that was on the smaller side - that's the appeal of the Steam Machine in the first place. But would it be such a problem if your living room rig was full-sized ATX? If you can fit it at the side, or even behind your TV unit, what's the issue?

The ASUS ROG G700 isn't a smaller build, but Best Buy is offering a pretty reasonable price on it at the moment, considering you get an RTX 5060 and a DDR5 configuration.

I'm just saying, if you're deadset on the living room PC idea, does it really have to be a smaller build?

Specs: Intel Core Ultra 5 Series 2, RTX 5060, 16GB of DDR5, 1TB SSD

ASUS ROG G700: $1,499.99 $1,199.99 at Best Buy

Looking for bundle benefits?

Since the Steam Machine is available bundled with its controller, you might be more drawn to a desktop PC if you also get the benefits of some accessories. Brands like CyberPowerPC and iBUYPOWER are great for this, because sometimes if you buy one of their prebuilts, you'll also get a mouse and keyboard in the box.

That's the case with this CyberPowerPC Gamer Master at Walmart, which is pushing for the title of cheapest DDR5 RTX 5060 machine across the board this Prime Day.

Specs: AMD Ryzen 5 8400F, RTX 5060, 16GB DDR5, 1TB SSD, 600W PSU

CyberPowerPC Gamer Master: $1,289.99 $1,099 at Walmart

One benefit of leaving the Steam Machine behind? No 4K60 limitations

If you're looking for a 4K GPU upgrade amidst all of the deals going on right now, the RX 9070 XT might hold the best bang for your buck, and best of all, you're not going to be limited to the 4K60 limitations of the Steam Machine.

US:

PowerColor Reaper AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT: $799.99 $649.99 at Amazon
ASRock Challenger Radeon RX 9070 XT: $741.99 $699.99 at Newegg (with FantasTech promo code offering you an even better price)

UK:

Asus Prime Radeon RX 9070 XT (white): £614.99 £543 at Amazon

Intel's "fastest gaming processor ever" is currently more affordable than its older version

It felt like Intel turned a new page when it launched the Intel Core Ultra Plus processors this year, and its original pricing was pretty good.

In the days after launch, though, the two new CPUs started seeing fluctuating pricing, which may have turned people away. I'm slightly shocked at the price of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus today though, because it's bagged a banger of a Prime Day deal. In fact, it's actually some $10 cheaper than the original Intel Core Ultra 7 265K it replaces.

Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus: $357 $264.99 at Amazon

Here's another smaller build that would sit pretty next to a TV

Again, this is a DDR4 system, so I'm not crazy about it, but it's another smaller PC with solid specs that would beat the Steam Machine and would look a million dollars next to your TV.

Interestingly, this one opts for an Intel CPU as opposed to the RTX 5060 that's been seen in every other entry-level build so far this Prime Day. Newegg does have deals on other configurations of this build as well, so it might be worth checking through to see if your desired specs are there.

Specs: Intel Core 5 120 (slightly boosted 12th gen processor), Intel Arc A750, 16GB DDR4, 1TB SSD

ABS Flux II Aqua: $1,099.99 $849.99 at Newegg

For your consideration, the Zotac Magnus one

This year at Computex, I saw the Magnus One Ultra at the Zotac booth, it's an updated version of a mini ITX build the brand already makes. The idea is similar to the Steam Machine, but it's working with full-sized graphics cards which will give you more of a 4K gaming oomph.

I'm not seeing any discounted ones for Prime Day or rival sales, but it might be worth knowing about if you're turned off by the price-to-performance of the Steam Machine. Zotac also offers a barebone model which comes without the RAM and SSD so you can try and find better deals than it can offer.

Zotac Magnus One at Zotac
Read more: The Zotac Mangus One Ultra at Computex

Want the Steam Controller kick?

I get you; the novelty of buying the Steam Machine also rests with the charm of getting its bundled controller. I also review gamepads, and I can tell you that there's nothing else quite like the Steam Controller. Its trackpads make it fully unique in the market for navigating a PC from the comfort of a couch. But as a gamepad? There are better, and more affordable options out there.

That's especially true during Prime Day, and I can already think of a few off the top of my head that would be worth investing in while you can get them for cheaper. If you want novelty, look at something like the Manba One, which has an interactive screen and lets you control all of its customizable elements without the need for companion software. It's currently going for cheaper than usual:

Manba One: $69.99 $55.99 at Amazon

If you want my personal favorite controller at the moment, look at the Flydigi Apex 5, which isn't seeing a Prime Day deal, but you can save on it thanks to a 20% coupon.

Flydigi Apex 5: $159.99 at Amazon

You can also buy the Steam Controller separately, of course, but a lengthy waiting list might make you want to seek out some budget controllers you can buy instead.

Here's what to be careful of...

...And not for the reasons you think. Shopping for gaming PCs has gotten trickier as RAMflation has become worse because we've started to see more and more that configurations will house older components in them and think they can still charge more.

Example: this rig at Newegg, which is going for $829.99 and apparently saves you... checks notes... $770.

Just take a look at the specs:

Specs: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X, RTX 3050, 16GB of DDR4, 1TB SSD

That's right, this rig (which I do not recommend, by the way) has an RTX 3050 inside it, and an AM4 motherboard, and yet this retail page is still trying to claim it's discounted from $1,599. I don't think so.

If you are shopping for a new gaming PC this Prime Day, be on your toes because there are definitely some bad deals out there.

For the record, these specs aren't bad if you just want a budget-friendly, entry-level, or even spare PC, but this should barely cost $600 with RAMflation taken into account.

Builders, take note: motherboard bundles are the way to go

Buying all your components for a PC build can be a nightmare on your bank balance right now, so if you are going the build-your-own route, work smarter, not harder.

Motherboard bundles are honestly the saviour of the market in my eyes right now. They're not a get out of jail free card, but being able to grab a motherboard with some components (ideally some RAM) will save you money where you need to save it right now.

Annoyingly, the example I'm giving here isn't RAM-inclusive, but there are bundles out there, including this motherboard bundle I covered last week, which could really spare you some memory costs.

For now, this is just a dang good deal over at Newegg. You can get an AMD Ryzen 5 9600X processor, a 1TB Samsung 990 Pro, and a Gigabyte B850 AORUS Elite motherboard for an overall cost of $429 (saving you $249.99).

That's the base of a really great gaming rig, and a great example of why motherboard bundles like this are ones to look out for if you are building this summer.

Gigabyte motherboard bundle: $429 at Newegg

If you're building, one of these could come in handy

A few hours into your first PC build, you'll learn the value of a good quality screwdriver. Preferably, you want a magnetic one. Ideally, you'd like a ratchet one.

Magnetic screwdrivers are massively useful for PC building because you'll need to lower a lot of screws down into your case and onto your motherboard, and if they aren't magnetic, you can assign an extra hour or two to the process just for trying to fish tiny screws out of your WIP computer.

Ratchet ones are safer for PC building because if you overtighten things, you can risk damage to your components and especially your motherboard.

I've used an Amazon Basics one with 12-in-1 head attachments. This is honestly all you're really going to need, but if you want to go heavier duty on it, I'd recommend something like the Yinsan kit in the image above. It has what seems like every screwdriver and allen key attachment you could ever need (120-in-1), as well as some applicator goodies for all sorts of techie DIY jobs.

I'm not seeing the Yinsan kit at Amazon anymore, but similar kits will likely do just as well.

Amazon Basics 12-in-1 Ratcheting Magnetic Screwdriver: $9.44 $8.49 at Amazon
Precision RARTOP screwdriver set: $26.99 $22.94 at Amazon

Shop all screwdrivers at Amazon

Why do I think conventional desktops are better value than the Steam Machine?

If you're going to spend more money on a "normal" gaming PC, why would I argue that's better value for money than buying a more convenient system?

Good question, I'm so glad you asked.

There's a conversation to have around the Steam Machine being a console or a PC, but in my eyes, and in Valve's eyes, it's a PC. It may be the brand's take on a console, but it has a PC operating system in the same way the Steam Deck does; it's just smaller than a regular computer. Certainly, when you look at its price, there's no mistaking it; this thing isn't competing with the Switch 2 or even the PS5.

So when you consider that Valve is charging close to a grand for what is essentially a PC, I'd argue that you're spending almost the same as you would for a decent current-gen desktop system, but getting fewer of the benefits. Funnily enough, it's the same arguments I use to tell you why the PS5 Pro isn't worth your money: just buy a gaming PC instead.

For starters, the Steam machine doesn't have a discrete GPU, which is the thing that's going to allow you to unlock the best frame rates and graphical power in games.

Secondly, you're going to have a lot more trouble upgrading the Steam Machines innards, which is arguably one of the best things about a gaming PC. You can swap out parts and upgrade as needed, you're not locked to just one APU that's running the show.

Thirdly, faceplates are nice, but with a modern-day rig, you'll be able to customize its look through RGB or components you've chosen, or even LCD displays on your case or CPU cooler. There are loads of ways to personalize with gaming PCs, even if they don't have the cutsie look of Valve's console.

Lastly, connectivity is a big one. With a desktop PC's motherboard and GPU, you have scope to connect loads of devices, whether they're controllers, mice, keyboards, displays; you name it. The Steam Machine's backside doesn't have that sort of connectivity, which may not be an issue for living room gaming, but it's not ideal when you're spending almost the same amount as you would on a full-sized machine.

I'd recommend Newegg's prebuilt selection over Amazon's

If you search for gaming PC deals at Amazon, it'll pull up more affordable options than you'll see at the other bigger retailers, but you can scroll for miles without seeing a DDR5 build. This is definitely an issue with the other retailers too, but at least the futureproofed options are there for you to find.

If you're shopping for a prebuilt system this week, here's the order I'd look in:

Newegg
Best Buy
Walmart
Amazon

I say this based on my first day of sifting through the deals, but also based on years of covering sales between all of these retailers for three and a half years now. Overall, Newegg tends to have the best selection and offer the best value for money. Best Buy and Walmart can have great prices but a slightly more limited selection, although occassionally they'll pack rigs from HP, MSI, CyberPowerPC, or iBUYPOWER that are excellent deals. Amazon has great selections for components (obviously), but its prebuilt selection is not the greatest.

My favorite thermal paste isn't discounted, but it's pretty cheap anyway

For some reason, Noctua is not coming out to play this Prime Day. I've tested a few different thermal pastes now, but none of them have been as easy to apply, as reliable in performance, or as easy to clean as Noctua's NT-H2 paste.

While you can find cheaper thermal paste at Amazon that is discounted, I'd still consider Noctua's option. You get three handy wipes with the syringe, which I can't praise enough.

Noctua NT-H2: $14.95 at Amazon

Shop all thermal paste at Amazon

This is a great Ryzen X3D deal, but it doesn't compare to the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus

You can get the Ryzen 7800X3D for a good price at Amazon right now. It's still not its lowest price ever, but it's a good deal nonetheless. Down from an MSRP of $449, it's currently selling for $376 at Amazon, with an additional $28 coupon bringing the price down to $328 at Amazon. That's close to its historical low at the retailer of $319.

That's an amazing price for a CPU this good, but considering it's older and has fewer cores and threads than Intel's latest "flagship" option, I'm still going to point toward it as my favorite processor offer this Prime Day.

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D: $328 at Amazon
Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus: $269 at Amazon

That's all for today, but I'll be back in the morning

That's my shift done for the day, but bookmark the page if you're finding the coverage useful and you want to keep up with the deals I find in the coming days. I'll be back in the morning (UK time) to find all the best offers I can.

Need some RAM? Of course you do

With Duncan away for the evening, I (Rollin Bishop, US Managing Editor) am here to help keep an eye out for any meaningful gaming PC deals and goodies. There are still plenty of offers to be had, especially if you're looking further afield at other retailers beyond Amazon like Newegg.

Any deal on RAM is particularly noteworthy, and this Team Group Vulcan DDR5 RAM isn't what I'd call inexpensive – but it is a "deal" in the sense that RAM is overall wildly expensive. If you need to upgrade, and sometimes it really is a need, the two 8GB sticks here might go a long way. There's even an added promo code, FTTF4657, that brings it down even further.

Team Group Vulcan DDR5 (16GB) | $239.99 $199.99 at Newegg

Everybody wants to have a case

My general advice on PC cases is: if it gets the job done, it's good enough. And this Zalman i3 NEO case? It gets the job for for ATX, mATX, and Mini-ITX boards. Dropping big cash on cases has never made any sense to me; my preference has always been function over form. IT doesn't hurt that it looks OK, but that's the least of my worries when I'm building something that's going to sit in a corner nobody looks at.

Zalman i3 NEO case | $57.99 $48.99 at Newegg

Sometimes it's nice to just buy the whole thing

One thing the Steam Machine and other pre-built gaming PCs have in common is an appeal to a core impulse: sometimes it really is just nice to buy the whole thing. (This is one impulse I share; the first time I ever built a PC out of parts, I somehow fried the power supply and then the motherboard.)

Take, for example, this Thermaltake LCGS build with a 1TB SSD, RTX 5070, Intel Core i5-14400F processor, and a whole 16GB worth of DDR5 RAM. Considering the rising costs of basically everything associated with PC gaming, $1,399.99 is one heck of an offer if you're in the market.

Thermaltake LCGS RTX 5070 PC | $1,799.99 $1,399.99 at Newegg

More tomorrow!

That's me done for the day too! The Prime Day deals, as always, continue – and it's worth keeping in mind that if nothing caught your fancy today, there's still plenty of time for something to come along that does. If you're investing the kind of money that's required to get a nice gaming PC, especially something that might be a better value or comparable to the Steam Machine, you'll want to really weigh your options.

...including all the extremely cool ones we've presented! Duncan knows what he's talking about, and I know enough to know that. So, y'know, y'all come back now.

Now that we know how much Valve is charging for its Steam Machine, a console-PC hybrid with a convenient little cube-shaped body, plenty of folks are wondering why it's so pricey – but it turns out its $1,049 price tag might not have always been the plan.

In fact, it all likely boils down to the global RAM shortages and what have you – basically, the hardware situation that's pushing prices everywhere in PC gaming right now.

According to IGN, Valve engineers Pierre-Loup Griffais and Yazan Aldehayyat implied that the Steam Machine has essentially seen a price increase comparable to that of the Steam Deck's recent price changes. They said it'd be "probably similar," to be precise.

The Steam Deck's own price saw an increase of about 35-36% above its original $549 cost, as IGN notes, bringing it up to $789. When you apply this same sort of percentage-based increase – 33% or so – to the Steam Machine, you get $749… a good $300 less than the current $1,049 asking price.

That's a pretty significant jump, to be fair, but it's not exactly unheard of right now. And no, I don't just mean over at Valve.

Earlier this year, Sony increased the price of PS5 consoles, citing it as "a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide."

The Nintendo Switch 2 price hike from last month comes to mind here, too, as the handheld platform's company described "various changes in market conditions" leading to the rise in its cost. In other words, it's rough out here all around.

Understandably, consumers aren't thrilled with the Steam Machine's $1,049 price – RAM shortages and changing market or not. A quick look at discussions over on Twitter shows as much, with people chatting about the console-PC hybrid's specs and hardware, stating they "would appreciate the Steam Machine being cheaper."

That certainly makes sense, although I do wonder if these higher prices will just be the norm from here on out.

It's sadly starting to look that way… but I'll reserve my own opinion on the Steam Machine's hefty price until it's sitting on my desk and I've had a go at actually using it. For now, though, I definitely understand some folks' disappointment.

I can't afford $1,049 for a Steam Machine, but Valve has already graced your PC with the ability to be a high-spec living room rig from afar.

The Steam Machine is now available for pre-order under what some are acknowledging as the shocking starting price of $1,049, partly because Valve says this is the cost that best reflects its core values.

Company spokespeople tell The Verge in a new report that Valve isn't interested in subsidizing the cost of its Steam Machine and selling its hardware at a loss the way other companies do, since "it doesn't align with our beliefs about how healthy ecosystems are built."

Valve explains in its statement, "If there's anything we're religious about at Valve, it's our belief that open systems are better in the long run, for ourselves and customers. The openness of the PC ecosystem in particular has enabled it to be the primary driver of hardware and software innovation, because anyone with an idea for a way to do something better was able to take a shot at it.

"When companies sell their hardware under cost for competitive advantage, or buy exclusive content for it, they're doing that to build a more closed system, one where you don't get to choose what software you want to use." In its announcement post for the Steam Machine's launch, however, Valve instead bemoans the fact that "our original goal for the price of Steam Machine is no longer viable" due to factors like RAM shortages and the US' constantly shapeshifting tariffs.

So "the prices we're sharing today reflect the state of the world for manufacturing," says Valve, "or, more accurately, it reflects the price of the components as we've secured them over the past 6 months." This official statement suggests Valve is mournfully selling the Steam Machine for as much as it costs to produce it, and Valve Steam Deck developer Pierre-Loup Griffais confirms to The Verge that, "We're being more aggressive with margins and things to be as close to cost as possible now."

That's not an unreasonable decision for Valve to make; it still isn't necessarily whipping up a profit on the Steam Machine, after all. But it argues in a more confident tone in its statement to The Verge, "When companies sell their hardware under cost for competitive advantage, or buy exclusive content for it, they're doing that to build a more closed system, one where you don't get to choose what software you want to use."

This is the kind of company-first speak I'm skeptical of. Subsidized hardware prices may obscure manufacturing costs, but should manufacturing cost be my concern as a consumer?

We've had games industry experts warning us for months now that console prices could pass the $1,000 mark. Well, now they're right, and inflation around the globe is also impacting everything from gas prices to a dozen eggs. It feels like the burden of change keeps getting placed on the individual buyer, or worker, rather than the big, expensive company. The people who make up the games industry keep getting barbecued by mass layoffs, for example, and yet the industry itself has just soared past the historic $200 billion in revenue, a 9.1% year-on-year increase.

With this in mind, I can accept that the $1,049 Steam Machine (not including accessories) is part of Valve's beliefs. But it certainly doesn't represent mine.

The Steam Machine just landed for an eye-watering $1,049, so I'm tempted to build a modern Shuttle XPC that looks like my compact 2000s rig instead.

The number of free demos included in Steam Next Fest has been getting higher and higher through each event, and with only so much time to play them, finding what's worth your time can be tough. We offer some tips in our Steam Next Fest guide, but if you just want some pure recommendations, then stick around. Even running alongside Summer Game Fest, I've still made the time to check out some great demos, and below I highlight the ones I really think you shouldn't miss.

Ranging from blockbuster demos you can finally try at home for yourself like Onimusha, to a Lovecraft adaptation you play from the perspective of a penguin, the great thing about Steam Next Fest is how so many unique experiences of any size and scale can stand alongside one another. It's the perfect time to try something new. Ending on Monday, there's still time to dip into some potential new favorites before it's over.

Read on, and allow me to run through the best Steam Next Fest demos from this June 2026 event that you should be downloading, playing, and wishlisting!

12. Onimusha: Way of the Sword

Developer: Capcom
Release date: September 25, 2026

The GamesRadar+ team are massive fans of all the best ARPGs, so Onimusha: Way of the Sword has been on our list as one of our most anticipated games for quite some time now. And, the good news is that, after playing through its demo, Capcom's latest entry to the beloved historic fantasy series doesn't disappoint. Playing as Miyamoto Musashi in a fictional version of Edo-era Kyoto, in Onimusha: Way of the Sword you are charged with defeating monsters (known as Genma), slicing through them with your blade. The demo really does give you a great window into the atmosphere of the title, lets you face a boss fight, and the combat also gives us God of War vibes during our time playing. Basically, it's an adrenaline-filled marvel, and ahead of its September release, I highly recommend downloading this one before Steam Next Fest ends.

Play the Onimusha: Way of the Sword demo here

11. Valor Mortis

Developer: One More Level
Release date: October 13, 2026

Out of all the demos currently available at Steam Next Fest, Valor Mortis is the best Soulslike that I've played so far. From the creators of Ghostrunner, this first-person action game has you taking on the role of an undead soldier, now a member of Napoleon Bonaparte's new supernatural army. The game is set in an alternate version of 19th century France with a zombie virus running rampant, forcing you to slay your brothers in arms. Along the way you'll see plenty of gore, unsettling but oddly pretty environments, and even get some story hints around Napoleon's true intentions. Personally, I was always a fan of that supernatural concept, but the demo fully sold me to add this game to my wishlist after experiencing its slick combat. In fact, we mentioned how the demo gave us flashbacks to the first time playing Dark Souls 3 and Shadow of Mordor, high praise indeed.

Play the Valor Mortis demo here

10. Virtue and a Sledgehammer

Developer: Deconstructeam, Selkie Harbour
Release date: TBC 2026

"Most people resort to therapy. But you chose the brave option. A sledgehammer." Virtue and a Sledgehammer's anger isn't subtle, entirely based around using the controller's trigger to lift and strike with a massive sledgehammer to smash apart your woodland hometown and the machines that now populate it. Somehow sporting the personalities of those you grew up alongside, you're taking revenge for the deaths of everyone you knew. With an abstracted and strikingly told story told through fragmented flashbacks, the satisfaction of going ham on robots, objects, and houses is sold through the crunchy feel. This generous demo allows you to play from the beginning, through a sizable starting area that you can wreck to your heart's content.

Play the Virtue and a Sledgehammer demo here

9. Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World?!

Developer: Strange Scaffold
Release date: July 29, 2026

When Carissa is struck down by a delivery truck days before her big promotion in Truck-kun is Supporting Me from Another World's opening, she's actually transported to a fantasy world of swords and sorcery instead of dying, in typical isekai anime fashion. But, you play as the hapless delivery driver accidentally did the deed, and she's able to guilt-trip you into helping her revive back to the real world by causing even more havoc, wrecking the city with outlandish stunts to 'isekai' even more people as low level monsters so she can cheat through her experience and resurrect. The result is an oddball mix of Crazy Taxi and Grand Theft Auto as you juggle police chases, deliveries, and monster combat, all within a colorful world. This demo lets you off the leash to try out some timed, arcade-style runs for yourself.

Play the Truck-Kun is Supporting Me from Another World?! demo here

8. Screenbound

Developer(s): Crescent Moon Games, Radical Forge
Release date: September 10, 2026

Screenbound is an upcoming puzzle platformer that will no doubt capture the hearts of any retro fans out there. Brilliantly combining a 2D and 3D world, you as the player are tasked with navigating and beating levels with the help of a very Game Boy Advance SP looking device called a Qboy. The world is reflected in 2D via your Qboy screen and you need to alternate between using your handheld and moving through the 3D world to progress. I won't lie to you, juggling the changing perspectives is a lot at first, but it does soon become second nature, especially once you surrender to the fact that Screenbound is all about timing, logic, and just a little bit of luck as well. From what I've played so far, the game is super comfortable to play and easy to get into too. It's also one of those titles that will have you itching for more.

Play the Screenbound demo here

7. Mistfall Hunter

Developer: Bellring Games
Release date: July 29, 2026

If you like Elden Ring Nightreign but wish the Soulslike formula was more of a pure Extraction experience, then Mistfall Hunter is aimed squarely at you. With considered, dangerous combat against monsters and rival players alike, this is a fantasy twist on the Extraction Shooter genre where you take up sword and shield, magic, bows, or other weapons instead of guns. Starting out weak, you have to team up in co-op or go solo to enter deadly Gyldenmist-afflicted lands, extracting before you become corrupted in order to bank gear or precious Gyldenblood. Even surviving an excursion requires you to kill a bell creature in order to magically return. If the genre isn't usually your thing but you're a Dark Souls diehard, you may find the loop compelling here anyway, so it's well worth giving this demo a try before its full launch to see if you like it.

Play the Mistfall Hunter demo here

6. About Fishing

Developer: The Water Museum
Release date: TBC 2026

Ever since the release of Dredge we have seen an influx of fishing games with a dark twist. However, even with a bunch of titles in the genre, About Fishing's demo had me hooked (pun intended) thanks to its tactile fishing gameplay and the promise of a creepy mystery linked to our discovery of a dead body and, um, a mermaid? Sporting some very nostalgic visuals, the game follows a woman in a yellow raincoat who ends up uncovering secrets via the powers of fishing. The demo is very simple, and only gives us the opening chapter, however, it's still very effective in keeping us intrigued about the story. I also love how the meditative act of fishing is paired with such a sinister undertone, giving me big David Lynch vibes. I do wish that there was a release date for the game, but for now I highly recommend checking out this demo, especially if you are a Twin Peaks fan.

Play the About Fishing demo here

5. Tanuki: Pon's Summer

Developer: Denkiworks
Release date: TBC

The Tanuki Festival is one month away and it's up to the lazy tanuki, Pon, to fix up the shrine before time runs out. Tanuki: Pon's Summer is an adorable game that follows Pon working in his part-time post-office job. Speed around on his BMX, develop friendships with residents, and decorate the shrine – all the ingredients are there for a new cozy game icon. During this demo you get the chance to play through multiple days in-game, letting you experience some odd jobs and giving you a charming introduction to the characters. Since our goal is to get as much cash as we can for the shrine, mini-games are the star here. I'm expecting that we'll probably see more at the full release, but so far the gameplay loop has me in a chokehold. Tanuki: Pon's Summer may not have a release date but its demo is already hilarious, fun, and also runs pretty great on the Steam Deck as well (always a bonus in my book).

Play the Tanuki: Pon's Summer demo here

4. Penguin Colony

Developer: ORIGAME DIGITAL
Release date: TBC 2026

2026 has seen a ton of Lovecraftian horror games, however, something that we haven't seen is Lovecraftian horror through the eyes of a penguin. That is until now. Penguin Colony is a strange but also faithful adaptation of HP Lovecraft's novellas, At The Mountains of Madness and The Shadow Out of Time, but in this version you are a cute low-poly penguin belly sliding around Antarctica. In this take on At The Mountains of Madness, it's Nazis who are trying to uncover something buried in the ice, while the Kaitiaki work to stop them. But, our job is to waddle through the story, doing some light platforming and watching humans in horror whenever we encounter them. And, trust me horror is still very much present even in the demo. While playing through it ourselves we got to see someone's head explode next to our cute penguin, and I'm sure that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the virtual trauma that is in store for us.

Play the Penguin Colony demo here

3. Vampire: The Masquerade – Oaths and Ashes

Developer: Revive the Spark
Release date: TBC 2026

Vampire: The Masquerade – Oaths & Ashes' Steam Next Fest demo is a prologue to their visual novel RPG, so it's a breezy narrative adventure that sets the stage and doesn't fully showcase all the mechanics on offer. But, like any good vampire tale, the blood has me itching to taste more already. Playing as powerful Ventrue vampire Alice as she's on the cusp of getting her fangs into her dream job as Archon serving under the Parisian Justicar, she's sent on the unenviable task of sowing discord in Berlin, controlled by a rival vampire network. While the action has yet to really get going, the politicking as the prologue progresses has compelled me, and I like the idea of this narrative-heavy game still having you manage spending blood to use your powers, hunger, and the keeping up the titular masquerade in front of mortals. The full game promises deeper systems and a second thinblood protagonist. Now my appetite has been whetted, I hope it can pack a punch beyond this prologue – but I'll be patient as I stalk this particular quarry.

Play the Vampire: The Masquerade – Oaths and Ashes demo here

2. Fractured Blooms

Developer: Serenity Forge
Release date: TBC

From Doki Doki Literature Club publisher Serenity Forge, Fractured Blooms has been on my radar for ages, and thankfully the Steam Next Fest demo doesn't disappoint. In fact our senior writer and fellow horror fan Ashley Bardhan, has stated that it is "better than anything you'll play" during Valve's event, and if you love psychological horror, I fully support that stance too. Stuck in a timeloop, you follow the teenage Angie in a world brimming with Appalachian mysticism. During said loop you'll need to manage Angie's resources and get her to perfect her chores from farming, cooking, and cleaning to the point of pain. Each day something will shift and slowly you'll begin to remember and see things that will put your hair on end. Fractured Blooms seems like it will be a narrative goldmine and its demo will stick with you long after this Next Fest ends, trust us.

Play the Fractured Blooms demo here

1. Mortal Shell 2

Developer: Cold Symmetry
Release date: TBC 2026

Mortal Shell 2 follows the Soulslike playbook, but isn't afraid to scribble in the margins, either. One such doodle – a granite-like cuboid shotgun, is one of a number of new tools your 'Shells' can wield that make this feel like a metal album cover come to life as much as it is a challenging combat gauntlet. Slick and reactive in a way few in the genre manage to be, clashes with deadly foes – ranging from hulking, caged brutes to weird witchy women with accordions that actually make music – feels incredible. While the fundamentals are nailed throughout what becomes at least a semi-open-world quest, there's a lot of customization on offer, even in this generous demo. That includes Seals, gear that can alter your parry button to become, say, a petrification block that freezes you mid-animation, or allows your gun to break enemy stun meters. And, of course, Shells themselves, class-like roles that are actually the bodies of named, specific undead characters. This is the most excited I've been for a Soulslike in a long time.

Play the Mortal Shell 2 demo here

One of the best VR games is finally getting a non-VR port with Moss: The Forgotten Relic, and it's some of the most fun I've had this Steam Next Fest

Demand for the newly launched Steam Controller has clearly caught Valve off guard, but it's now providing clear reservation estimates at its storefront. If you missed the proverbial gamepad boat the first time around, you'll now find yourself in one of three groups, and some of you might not receive your controller in time for the Steam Machine's arrival.

In a statement, Valve admits, "When we launched Steam Controller last month, we quickly saw that initial demand exceeded our expectations." The storefront giant also says that by switching to a reservation queuing system, it hopes to "cut down on the headaches on the customer side" and enable a process that'll ultimately lead to more gamepad orders being processed.

To "manage expectations", Valve is also now using three specific timeframes for when players can anticipate an availability email. The three windows are "by September 2026, by December 2026, or by 2027," and the date you're presented with will be based on when you initially ordered. For instance, if you were one of the first to order the pad after the initial wave dried up, you can expect to get one by the end of the Summer, whereas those of you who order today will have to wait until some point next year.

I just checked my personal reservation, and I apparently won't be receiving my Steam Controller until 2027. The gamepad queue opened back up on May 8, so if you waited until after then to log in and click the button, you'll be in the same boat as me.

Before you start panicking, just know that if the Steam Machine lands next week, it should be available with or without the controller. Naturally, you'll have to pay more for such a bundle, and since Valve hasn't confirmed any pricing, we have no idea whether buying with a pad will save you any pennies. If it does work out cheaper, that could be a bummer for those of you who picked up the accessory early, intending to unite it with the mini PC down the road, but it'd be a certified "phew" moment for those of you who have exercised patience.

Of course, you don't need a Steam Controller to play games on the Steam Machine. Biog console scene disrupting plans aside, and its dinky form factor, it's still just a tiny rig, albeit one that uses SteamOS just like the Steam Deck OLED. Therefore, you can buy cheaper PC controllers that will work fine with the box without waiting until 2027 for an official accessory.

Keep in mind that the Steam Controller also costs $99 / £85. That makes it one of the priciest standard system pads out there, so unless you're itching to play games that'd normally require a mouse with those dual touchpads, or you just want to make its haptics sing songs, there are plenty of more affordable pads for your PC out there.

That's not to say I'd argue against grabbing a Steam Controller, as it's one of coolest hardware releases of the year amid the doom and gloom of RAMageddon. Valve has confirmed that you can still reserve the gamepad despite the lengthy queues, and while the estimated date will be 2027, you could end up with the accessory earlier.

The question on my mind now is whether the Steam Machine will face the same demand as its controller. If it ends up costing substantially more than a PS5 Pro, you might have an easier time grabbing the box, and while GTA 6 pre-orders could land at the same time, that long-awaited crime caper could be a reason not to grab the mini PC over a conventional console.

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It's increasingly likely that the Steam Machine will arrive next week. GTA 6 pre-orders will also go live in a weeks' time, so we could be bombarded with the biggest hardware release of the year and the most coveted game of the decade at the same time. However, I feel like it's a good time to remind everyone that Rockstar's sandbox won't be coming to PC on day one, and that matters if you're eyeing up Valve's box.

Okay, here's a recap so you're up to speed with the supposed timings. We know for a fact GTA 6 pre-orders will go live on June 25. The emergence of fresh Geekbench results also suggests the Steam Machine could launch next week, but keep in mind, Valve hasn't confirmed an official release date for its box. Prior leaks have suggested reviews for the mini PC will land on June 23, meaning there's a chance it'll go on sale two days later.

Yes, I'm sweating at the idea of the Steam Machine and GTA 6 landing at the exact same time. There's no guarantee it'll happen at precisely the same moment, but even both occurring in the same week is bananas. Yet, if playing the long-awaited sequel is a priority, and you're currently leaping to older hardware, the fact that it's not coming to PC will have narrowed your options.

Of course, I know there's a Venn diagram for people who want to both pick up GTA 6 day one and grab the Steam Machine. The immediate issue is that it won't be what you're playing on the box, as you'll be limited to PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S on November 19.

I do find it slightly amusing that GTA 6 will only be playable on a system that arrived six years ago and not a new-fangled, console market-disrupting powerhouse that'll arrive shortly before. It's these sorts of situations that could hamper the Steam Machine's efforts against the console status quo, especially if the box costs a chunk more than a PS5 Pro.

That said, PC players are well used to waiting for some of the biggest games (thanks, Sony), and since it'll eventually land on Steam, I'd start thinking about whether it'll actually run well on the Machine when it does grace the storefront. The big question is whether a demanding game like GTA 6 could break Valve's 4K 60fps general performance promise, and I suspect it will.

I should stress that since we're not getting a PC port yet, I naturally don't have GTA 6 system requirements to hand. So, rather than basing theoretical Steam Machine performance on recommended specs, all I can do right now is highlight how the crime caper will run on a base PS5, as that's the closest launch system to Valve's wee computer.

It's incredibly likely that if you're running GTA 6 on a vanilla PS5, you'll be playing at 4K 30fps. In theory, the Steam Machine should pack slightly more of a punch since its custom RDNA 3 CPU should be similar to an AMD Radeon RX 7600, but you'll be at the mercy of less optimized settings compared to the set experience on console.

If I were to guess a hypothetical sweet spot for GTA 6 on the Steam Machine, it'd be 1440p 60fps. That's with a little help from upscaling tools like AMD FSR 4.1, which will absolutely be needed if you've also got ray tracing switched on. That's not to say you won't be able to potentially get Rockstar's latest romp running at 4K, but you'll have to go through the usual PC gaming rigmarole of dialling in settings, and the visuals could take a hit as a result.

As I said above, though, conversations surrounding GTA 6 on the Steam Machine will have to wait. If Rockstar takes the same approach as GTA 5, it should eventually end up on PC, and I actually have a funny feeling Valve's box could make that happen sooner than later.

Take Two Interactive previously described console players as its "core consumers", attributing it as a reason for a delayed PC launch. But if the Steam Machine prompts those players to cross the aisle, and Microsoft sticks with Xbox Project Helix hybrid platform plans, the exclusivity could place a chunk of the intended audience for GTA 6 out of reach. Plus, many players are now also rocking gaming handhelds, so we'll perhaps see the publisher change its release strategy sooner than later.

I'm getting ahead of myself, though, so the takeaway right now is that while GTA 6 and the Steam Machine could go on sale at the same time, their paths won't actually cross. That's certainly going to help keep eyes on PS5 and Xbox Series X as its new rival takes to the stage, and as hyped as I am for Valve's mighty box, I get a feeling more players than ever will be reaching for a new console this year.

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Valve co-founder and president Gabe Newell has just purchased a waterfront estate in Florida – a waterfront estate worth a whopping $70.8 million.

Big purchases aren't exactly new to the father of Steam – after all, we are talking about the same man who invested his $9.5 billion fortune into yachts last year. He's got a lot of money, anyway, and he's certainly not afraid to use it.

His latest buy, the stunning waterfront estate in Manalapan, Florida, is reportedly a 20,000-square-foot residence set on a 2.06-acre plot (thanks, Wall Street Journal). It boasts everything from an outdoor pool to a dock.

The home itself seems perfect for water enthusiast Newell, boat lift and all – but it does come at a bit of a turbulent time for Valve, admittedly. The company is currently facing a $900 million lawsuit in the United Kingdom after being accused of abusing its dominance in PC gaming to overcharge for games and DLC.

A separate class-action suit that mirrors the one underway in the UK complicates matters further… but Newell is confident Valve isn't guilty. In a recent statement, the Valve billionaire argued that PC gamers "have enormous choice" and can choose "where they purchase their products, whether they buy the game on an Xbox, whether they buy it on Steam, whether they buy it on Epic Games Store, or whether they buy it directly from software developers."

The monopoly-related lawsuits aren't the only legal shenanigans the company is up against, either, however.

There's also the New York lawsuit about Counter-Strike 2 cases, which alleges that Valve is encouraging gambling via the Steam marketplace, demanding "full restitution" for players as "Valve's loot boxes pose the same dangers as casino gambling, especially for children."

In other words, it's been quite a, erm, time for Newell's company – and it continues to be as all of the legal chaos rumbles on in the background.

Regardless, it appears that Newell is still living his best life – in a brand-new $70.8 million waterfront estate, too.

"Valve has a customer for life": Dad says Valve sent him a free Steam Deck case after his newborn threw up on his original

A father says Valve has earned his business for life after replacing his ruined Steam Deck case for free.

Reddit user AHappyGummyWormx shared an image of a what he says is a conversation he had with Valve support following an accident in which his newborn child vomited all over his official Steam Deck case. The disgruntled parent says he preferred the official Steam Deck case that's included with the handheld console over the third-party ones you can get at the store, and so he pinged Valve support to see if they'd allow him to purchase a new one. As it turns out, they did him one better and automatically sent out a replacement case without even being asked.

"Valve has a customer for life," says HappyGummy. "Messaged support hoping to buy a new case and this is the response I got from support."

In the attached image, you can see HappyGummy asking Steam's support desk if he could buy a replacement case and receiving a personalized response reading: "We've submitted an order to have a Steam Deck 512GB OLED Case replacement part sent out to you." The email gave a 3-4 day processing estimate and said a separate tracking email would be arriving shortly.

Valve has a customer for life from r/SteamDeck

Assuming this story is true, and by all indications it seems to be, this is taking customer service to a whole new level. Valve had absolutely no obligation to send out a free case when the original was ruined due to user error (as much as I sympathize with any new parent), and in fact wasn't even asked to give away anything for free, but did so anyway.

Of course, while Valve is a historically user-friendly company, it's impossible to talk about anything Steam Deck-related without mentioning the recent price hike that took the most expensive version to almost $1000. With that in mind, a free Steam Deck case seems like a very low-price PR win for Valve, whether or not it was intended as such.

Oops, someone just uploaded Steam Machine Geekbench results early, so I'd be surprised if Valve's box doesn't arrive next week

Whether deliberately uploaded or not, Steam Machine benchmark scores are now live at Geekbench. Listed under its former "Valve Fremont" moniker, the information marries up with previous postings in terms of specs, but the new entry specifically mentions SteamOS as an operating system, and it smells to me like someone is testing for review.

First highlighted by Olrak29_ on X, the Steam Machine Geekbench scores don't give much away in terms of performance. The scores themselves are still in line with previously leaked figures, with single-core coming in at 2,282 and 2,334 points, and multi-core hitting 7,392 and 7,316, respectively.

Those Steam Machine benchmark scores also apply specifically to an AMD Custom CPU 1772 chipset, just like before, with specs including a 4.86 GHz base clock speed, 6 Cores, 12 Threads, and 16.0 MB L3 cache. Those all marry up with Valve's official custom Zen 4 specifications, so I'd be very surprised if they don't all link back to the yet-to-be-released box.

Effectively, while these fresh Geekbench results aren't confirmation that the Steam Machine release date is upon us, the stars are aligned for a June launch. Many of you will be aware that I review the latest gaming handhelds, PC hardware, and other gizmos, and typically speaking, I find myself testing tech for review very close to its ETA.

What I'm saying is that, while I'm not currently testing a Steam Machine, someone likely is, and that someone may have posted Geekbench results early. I wouldn't like to hazard a guess at how long an embargo these select testers potentially have before D-day, but if it were me, I'd be running benchmarks ASAP so as to account for any technical hiccups or need for re-runs.

Who knows, perhaps Valve will stick to the same embargo structure as the Steam Deck OLED in 2024. The reviews for the gaming handheld landed on a Wednesday, February 21, to be exact, which would theoretically mean we'll see coverage of the box land on June 25. Previous rumors shared by Steam Hardware Updates suggest videos will land a day earlier on June 23, but keep in mind this is all speculation based on the Steam Controller launch guidelines.

I should underline the fact that there is no official Steam Machine release date yet. Perhaps more importantly, we're still waiting on a price, as if the MSRP ends up being near or, god forbid, over a grand, it might not be on many players' radar. What I'm fairly certain of is that Valve will stay true to its summer promises, and I'd be surprised if the mini doesn't land in June.

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Slowly, but surely, SteamOS is making its way to gaming handhelds other than the Steam Deck. Specifically, it now plays nicer on Intel-based portables like the MSI Claw 8 AI+, and I'm hoping the progress gives the brand's original, highly critizised, OG handheld a second-wind amid Valve's price hikes.

As highlighted in a new ETA Prime YouTube video, Valve has finally added support for Intel chipsets to SteamOS. The beta 3.8.7 update specifically adds controller compatibility, reliability enhancements for SD cards, and a fix for Bluetooth, but also includes firmware patches for newcomers, like the Panther Lake G3-based MSI Claw 8 EX AI+.

ETA Prime's video specifically focusses on the existing Claw 8 AI+ with a Lunar Lake chipset, but there's also a Reddit thread by SaperPL that outlines the new SteamOS beta working on an Intel B580 graphics card. The jist across both right now is that performance isn't quite on par compared to Windows 11. Issues like the menu button not being mapped properly, and having to use an additional plugin to toggle between 15W, 17w, and 30W is a thing, but I'm holding out hope that the newfound official compatibility will benefit the OG Claw's.

As a Windows handheld, I wrote off the first MSI Claw (officially called the A1M), pretty early. Its original $799 MSRP completely missed the mark, considering its Core Ultra 7 155H chipset required higher wattages to even keep up with the Steam Deck OLED. Effectively, the fact that the LCD model was still a thing for around $400 at the time, and the original Asus ROG Ally was still in action, meant the portable had nothing to really offer the scene, but I'm now wondering if it can weirdly become a cheaper stand-in for Valve's device.

Here's the thing: the MSI Claw was seemingly discontinued, but for whatever reason, the 1TB model is available for $749.99. That's way too much to pay for the handheld, both for the above reasons and since it's using the exact same screen as the cheaper white Xbox ROG Ally. It's slightly cheaper at Amazon since it's going for $719.99, but the fact that it still exists at all at retailers means upcoming Prime Day gaming deals could work their magic.

Handheld prices are bananas in general right now, so I'm not completely holding my breath for Amazon's sale. In an ideal world, though, the MSI Claw would drop back to around $400 like it did back in March and previous sale events, which would pair with new official SteamOS support to make it a sort of alternative to Valve's now-discontinued Steam Deck LCD.

When I get a spare moment, I'll be looking to fully try out SteamOS on the MSI Claw A1M to see if it actually holds up. If ETA Prime's current Claw 8 AI+ tests are anything to go by, it might not boost fps as high as when running Windows, but I can only imagine updates and optimizations will address that over time. Plus, it will save those of you looking for all the bells and whistles of Valve's operating system from splashing out $630 minimum on a 512GB Steam Deck OLED.

Yes, my ambitions come with quite a few ifs and buts attached, but our handheld options are limited in 2026. Therefore, I'm open to trying anything that'll get people tackling their Steam backlogs on the go for less, even if that means revisiting a previously shunned handheld in a bit to infuse it with SteamOS goodness.

Failing that, at least the now broader compatibility of SteamOS means that, if the Steam Machine ends up being $1,000, we'll have cheaper ways to make a makeshift console PC hybrid.

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Valve says the Steam Machine will release this summer, and I could have my ideal living room rig parked under my TV as soon as this month. I've been trying to create the perfect "PC as a console" setup for what feels like aeons, but I'm starting to wonder if I'll be better off revisiting historic plans to build a compact Shuttle XPC instead.

Of course, if the latest Steam Machine release date rumors hold true, I might not have time to cobble together an alternative. FCC listings highlighted by wayTooManyBugs on Reddit suggest the mini PC could launch before the end of June. Effectively, the filing includes public regulatory documents that are set to be released on the 29th, which could suggest that's when the box will land.

I'd naturally take all that with the usual grain of salt, but if it does pop up before June is out, you might have to make some hasty decisions. By that, I mean you'll have to finally get hold of Valve's MSRP and work out whether you can afford the box, as there's every chance it'll cost way more than a PS5 Pro. That's why I've started properly thinking about compact DIY options, and I've been firmly inspired by a Windows XP Shuttle XPC that just came into my life.

Okay, let me back up and explain myself. If you keep up with my coverage, you'll know I cover all the best retro consoles and setups alongside modern tech. That naturally means I'm into PCs of the vintage variety, and I recently got my hands on a Shuttle XPC from 2003 that very much falls in that category. The company has been crafting "barebones" systems for years that serve as space-saver machines that still theoretically support full-size components, and it turns out they're still very much in the game.

I should note that even modern Shuttle XPC builds are not entirely Steam Machine alternatives. For starters, Valve's 3.8-litre box is still a fraction of the size of the case I'm eyeing up (the 13.4 litre Cube SH610R4 that's $435 at Amazon), and by the time you add a CPU, RAM, and a graphics card, you'll be looking at the same levels of pricing as a conventional PC.

Still, the 2000s Shuttle box I have to hand should be roughly the same size as the newer XPCs, and it honestly feels small enough. I'll likely get a shock when I see the real-life size of the Steam Machine outside of promotional materials, but I'll take a slightly larger footprint if it means better upgradability.

I've got no solid plans for a Steam Machine Shuttle XPC alternative right now. These ideas are more inspiration-driven by the aforementioned 25-year-old Windows PC rig and the fact Prime Day gaming PC deals are on the horizon, as if discounts help combat RAMagddon inflation, grabbing parts that can provide an experience on par with Valve's box could be easier.

If I were to try and roughly match some parts compatible with the Shuttle XPC that'll perform similarly to the Steam Machine, I'd probably opt for an Intel Core i5-14400F ($189.99 at Amazon), 2 x 8GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 RAM (an upsetting $149.99 at Amazon), and a relatively compact Radeon RX 9060 XT (like this Powercolor model for $349.99 at Newegg).

Throw in a 512GB M.2 SSD for $139.99 (URGH), and you're looking at a total build price of just under $1,265. Yes, that price is making me queasy, and my theoretical and relatively low-spec Shuttle XPC would be under a grand if AI datacentres weren't decimating pricing. Still, if the Steam Machine sits anywhere near that price, putting together a larger, but compact and more powerful living room alternative might be an attractive prospect.

Coincidentally, while the 2024 Shuttle XPC case looks amusingly close to the 2000s version I have, it still looks pretty contemporary. In fact, retaining the removable transparent faceplate means it can play the Steam Machine at its own customizable game, as you can dress up the front with custom inlays. You'd have to source the artwork yourself, and swapping things out requires dealing with four front screws, but it still feels like the same vibe that Valve is going for.

I'm still hopeful that the Steam Machine can usher in a new era of compact, living room-friendly PC gaming that blurs the line between rigs and consoles. If my time with my old 2000s Shuttle XPC and the realization that new versions exist has taught me anything, though, it's that a similar genre of hardware has been available the whole time, so if prices for Valve's box get out of hand, exploring alternatives beyond the thousands of mini PCs with similar guts to a gaming handheld inside will be worthwhile.

• Mini PCs at Amazon
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Upgrading your current rig? Swing by the best CPUs for gaming and the best RAM for vital components and parts.

Getting retro console and PC games running on virtually everything is something of a sport. Normally, weird ports of Doom to oddball devices take centre stage, and by comparison, running the original Half-Life on a late 2000s Nokia feels relatively tame. However, having just assembled a sizable Windows 98 rig to play that specific era of shooters, I'm pretty shook that it works on a precursor to the iPhone.

If you've been specifically dreaming of playing Half-Life 1 on a Nokia N95, you've got developer Dante D. Leoncini to thank. In a clip shared to X, you can bear witness to the shooter running natively at 30fps on the "smartphone", complete with mouse and keyboard support. Yes, caveats include playing at 240 x 320 pixels on a very blue 2.6-inch TFT display, but that's still a mean feat, seeing as the phone boasts a 332 MHz ARM chip and just 64MB RAM.

The secret sauce here is Xash3D FWGS, an open source engine designed to run Half-Life on things that, well, aren't a gaming PC. Leoncini has a to-do list of improvements going on their blog, which includes adding LAN and online multiplayer support as well as smoothing out bugs and crashes. The developer also confesses that they haven't played through the entire campaign yet on the 2000s Symbian-based phone, but says it runs reasonably well aside from some performance quirks and RAM-related crashes on specific maps.

Naturally, seeing one of the best PC games of all time running on an old Nokia is pretty rad. Despite holding on to plenty of old phones from 20 years ago, I sadly don't have an N95, but I do have its younger sibling, the Nokia N8, from 2010. It uses Symbian^3, so I won't be able to use the exact approach above, but the developer says you can compile the code for the OS (that's my weekend plans sorted).

Admittedly, there are probably more mind-boggling ports of PC games running on the wrong devices out there. As far as '90s shooters go, Half-Life runs pretty smoothly on even my Voodoo Banshee APG card, albeit using OpenGL and lower settings. What running Valve's FPS does highlight, though, is that we could get official ports of Gordon Freeman's first crowbar-swinging romp on pretty low-spec ARM handhelds, like the wonderful Super Pocket or its beefier Evercade siblings.

Yes, trying to play Half-Life with just a d-pad would be pretty clunky, but Blaze is set to release its Evercade Nexus retro handheld this October. The portable aims to properly dip its toes into the realm of early 3D gaming with dual analogue sticks and enhanced specs, and while PS1 and Sega Saturn games will likely dominate its library, there's a case to be made for a new Orange Box collection with Valve's debut game and maybe even its sequel and a bit of Portal for good measure.

Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself, and Valve would probably rather keep its first-party games as a reason to use its storefront or buy a Steam Deck OLED now that it costs over $700. My point is that if developers can get '90s PC games working on janky old 2000s cellphones, then publishers should look to get their classics on more devices that will fit in your pocket.

• Retro handhelds at Amazon
• Retro consoles at Amazon

Already got Valve's handheld? Swing by the best Steam Deck docks and best Steam Deck accessories to enhance your setup.

Valve returns with another big Steam update after its Community Market changes last month and storefront revamp earlier this year, refreshing its platform from top to bottom.

If you haven't opened your Steam in the last day or so, I'd recommend giving it a look – it's cleaner, more detailed, and easier to use than ever before, I'd say, and it's all thanks to a new update from Valve.

The company unveils its "release of the refreshed Steam Store home page" in an informative little post, rounding up all of the changes applied to revamp its ever-iconic PC storefront… and I'm honestly loving it.

First, as Valve describes, there's the "overall design refresh" – one that "aims to make the store home feel more cohesive." It continues: "Each section has a distinct set of tools and information to give users many ways to explore the diverse catalog of games on Steam. A goal of this visual refresh is to strike a balance between providing more consistency in UI elements while allowing the unique nature of each section to show through."

A quick browse through my store home page confirms it's done this and then some… bigger, bolder images, more detailed descriptions, better-tailored games to suit my tastes, and helpful sneak peeks that allow me to quickly browse recommended titles without having to click into them.

It's certainly simpler to scroll through Steam, if anything. There are wishlist and DLC sections now, too – the very same we used to only see during sales and events.

There's a new personalized calendar, as well, "giving you a quick way to see new and upcoming games recommended based on what you play," as Valve writes. The Popular Upcoming tab now includes more, well, popular and upcoming titles.

For more niche launches, the team directs us to check that handy calendar instead – and I'm happy with that. Steam feels better balanced this way – in my opinion, anyway.

Valve notes a plethora of other changes relevant to controller users and more, so I'd say the full rundown is worth a read-through. It's not every day we get a major revamp, after all.

Valve reportedly giving away free Steam games to Steam Controller buyers who had delivery botched: "Average Valve W."

Dramatic changes to one corner of the Counter-Strike 2 market have led to an eye-watering spike in prices for some collectible stickers, putting a set of 100 Cologne Major stickers at nearly $20,000.

On Wednesday, Valve sleuth Gabe Follower flagged that "buying one of each of the 100 top CS2 Cologne 2026 Major stickers will now cost $19,447.37, with the most expensive one priced at $1,522."

These stickers are available through the CS2 Major Shop, which was recently given a total overhaul. On May 21, Valve revealed the "major renovation" in a Steam post that has since become a feedback bonfire, much of it aimed at a single change: "prices set by demand". Players have complained that they're unable to meaningfully participate in the event due to price barriers.

"You can purchase tokens and redeem them for any sticker you want," Valve explains, seemingly contrasting the system with Counter-Strike's unforgiving loot boxes (the subject of a recent New York lawsuit).

"The prices of stickers will depend on relative demand (when lots of players buy a particular sticker, its price goes up and other sticker prices go down), but if you're worried that a sticker might drop in price right after you buy it, we've got you covered. If a sticker price drops by more than 25 tokens within 24 hours of your purchase you'll get a refund of tokens for the total difference."

Wouldn't you know it: the Cologne Major stickers have seen high demand amid the Cologne Major. As a result, a set of the top event stickers costs over four times more than my first and current car, and not to be unreasonable, but that seems like a lot of money to spend on things that don't actually exist., especially when I can't even put a cast iron braiser in the trunk.

There have also been complaints that the new sticker shop is extremely volatile and Valve's 24-hour token refund policy doesn't really cut it.

Valve says "if one sticker is purchased disproportionately more than another, its price will go up and the other sticker's price will go down. After a large number of stickers are sold, all sticker prices will update (you'll get a warning if you're shopping when this is about to happen)."

The obvious question is, why is a digital item with unlimited supply subject to the same scarcity curve as fresh meat hawked at a medieval market during a famine? "Turn a fun random sticker capsule into inaccessible investing on pixels," one player complains in a reply to a post in the main CS:GO subreddit.

So, why the change? And don't you dare say money. Valve, in what reads like a real monkey's paw moment for a crackdown on loot box gambling, insists its previous capsule approach to the market "was popular," but "we've heard feedback that players might prefer to purchase stickers directly. Additionally, players in certain regions cannot purchase sticker capsules. So we're exploring alternatives that allow all players to participate."

Other than looking absurd to anyone not entrenched in Counter-Strike prices – and ridiculous even to some diehard traders – this system could pose a real issue for the Cologne Major. "50% of total Major Shop and Major Pass revenue is shared as royalties with the tournament organizer, teams, and players," Valve explains.

If nobody's getting the top stickers because nobody can afford them, you might hope that things will eventually even out as a result of that dynamic pricing, but disinterest could also lead to a much smaller payout for tournament participants and organizers. Those pools fluctuate heavily between tournaments already, and this system could result in even larger extremes.

Valve reportedly threatened Ubisoft with a total delisting of Rainbow Six Siege "by end of day tomorrow" when it tried selling it cheaper on Uplay.

Zotac has shown off its latest mini PC at Computex 2026, and anyone who has reservations about the potentially limited performance promises of the Steam Machine might want to take note. Zotac's newly updated Magnus One Ultra will sport a full-sized desktop RTX 5080 inside it, giving you massively increased 4K gaming PC performance in such a small machine.

The mini PC in question is an update to the brand's Zbox offering, which has been on the shelves for a little while now. While a recent version crammed an RTX 5070 Ti into a tiny chassis, the updated "Ultra" model will grow in size by only about 20-30% while seeing big gains in graphical performance.

Even with a slight growth spurt, Zotac claims the Magnus One Ultra is still the world's smallest computer with an RTX 5080 inside it.

To counter volume and cooling worries, Zotac tells me that the brand has installed a more substantial cooling system for the CPU inside the Ultra, which filters airflow better and dissipates it from the CPU more efficiently.

The Magnus One Ultra will still have socketed, upgradeable components. In times like these, it will come in a "barebone" version as well as a full build, to counter massive RAM and storage costs - which is certainly a method of beating Valve's lengthy delays. The barebones model comes without the RAM and SSD, costing less so you can upgrade with parts you currently have or source them yourself, potentially for cheaper.

Compared to the Steam Machine, the Magnus One Ultra won't be so limited to 4K60 promises. The RTX 5080 unlocks plenty of native 4K performance, but also has access to Nvidia's latest DLSS wizardry thanks to its Blackwell architecture. Valve's new mini PC/console, on the other hand, uses a custom AMD APU, which combines the CPU and GPU into a single chip. In other words, it won't use a discrete graphics card like the majority of gaming PCs do. As a result, it'll likely see similar performance to the PS5, which also uses an APU and is based on similar 4K60 frame rate promises (even if it can boot up to 120fps in certain games and performance modes).

While the Steam Machine will run on Steam OS and offer "gaming PC" settings in your games, it hasn't put such an emphasis on an upgradeable design this time around. An alternative small form factor build in something like the Zotac Magnus One Ultra might be a more alluring alternative for PC gamers on the hunt for a living room setup they can upgrade as time goes on.

Just keep in mind that an RTX 5080 inside will almost certainly make it substantially more expensive than what Valve's got in the oven.

For more on gaming PCs and components, take a look at the best graphics card, the best CPU for gaming, and the best RAM for gaming.

Whether or not you view Steam as a monopoly in the PC games market, there's no denying that perception exists, with a recent study showing 72% of participating game devs see it that way. Valve's Gabe Newell will say gamers "have enormous choice" when it comes to deciding where to buy their PC games, which is true, but critics will point to reports of Valve's allegedly aggressive responses to game developers who offer sweeter deals on other platforms.

Bloomberg reports on two specific alleged instances of Valve going after game developers and publishers which it seemingly felt were trying to attract consumers to Steam competitors. Citing emails uncovered from the discovery phase of an ongoing class action antitrust lawsuit against Valve, Bloomberg's report claims Valve has been accused of threatening to delist all editions of the tactical first-person shooter Rainbow Six Siege because it learned Ubisoft had been marketing a cheaper bundle exclusively on its in-house Uplay storefront. According to the report, Valve gave Ubisoft until "end of day tomorrow" to rectify the situation.

Most publicly available and reported complaints from developers against Steam are coming from independent studios, but Ubisoft isn't the only big name associated with the lawsuit. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, now Warner Bros. Games, the company behind game adaptations of Middle-earth, Harry Potter, and DC Comics properties, also reportedly drew the ire of Valve with sales that ran afoul of the PC games giant.

Back in 2017, Kassidy Gerber, a member of Steam's business development team, reportedly sent correspondence to Warner Bros. executives informing them that pre-orders for the company's new game, Middle-earth: Shadow of War, had been pulled from Steam because the price was "significantly higher than what was available at other retailers for the same version of the game." Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment President David Haddad was reportedly very quick to contact Gerber by phone in an attempt to reconcile.

This image of Valve ruling the PC market with an iron fist clashes with the company's reputation as an anti-corporate champion of the people, but Gerber reportedly denied in her deposition that Valve has any specific policy about how game developers price their games on various platforms, saying, "In general, I don't feel like we have a lot of policies. That sounds kind of bureaucratic to me." However, a lawyer for the plaintiffs in the case claimed Gerber had once explicitly told a game developer "Steam's policy has always been to require material parity for things we sell on the Steam Store." Per Bloomberg, Gerber responded that she couldn't remember having said that.

We've reached out to Valve for comment and will update this article if we hear back.

In the meantime, here are the best PC games you can play right now.

Valve boss Gabe Newell defended the openness of PC gaming and denied punishments the company allegedly levied against studios selling games cheaper on non-Steam platforms, according to new comments from a lawsuit claiming the company commands an illegal monopoly.

Bloomberg unearthed new deposition from the US lawsuit – a class action mirror to a $900 million UK suit which likewise accuses Valve of abusing its market position.

The US suit heavily skewers a purported unwritten rule that games receiving discounts at stores competing with Steam faced action from Valve. Newell denied the practice entirely in his deposition, apparently reiterating this point, "at times verbatim, again and again," according to Bloomberg.

"Valve does not have a policy or practice of dictating prices to third-party software developers on other platforms," Newell said.

Asked how Valve would respond to a developer selling their game on Steam but cheaper on another store, Newell apparently responded, "I'm confused by your question," and later said, "Many of our partners and many of our customers are quite happy with the service that we're providing."

This tone returns in Newell's comments regarding Valve's alleged monopoly. Essentially, the company says it's done nothing illegal and has won the PC gaming store wars through innovation and by adding new features that draw players in.

"Customers have enormous choice," Newell testified, adding that gamers can choose "where they purchase their products, whether they buy the game on an Xbox, whether they buy it on Steam, whether they buy it on Epic Games Store or whether they buy it directly from software developers."

Steam's dominance in PC gaming has been a hot topic for years, and discussion only intensified following a November 2025 survey, published by game distribution platform Rokky, which reported that 72% of respondents – 306 "managers in the games industry", with 67% from the US and 33% from the UK – "see Steam as a monopoly."

US analyst Mat Piscatella pushed back on the verbiage, agreeing that Steam is a dominant presence but arguing that "market share isn't what defines a monopoly, folks." Rather, Piscatella said at the time, "A monopoly is where there's a single seller for a particular service or good with no substitutes and the ability to charge excessively high rates because of this."

The aforementioned lawsuits essentially reason that Steam holds enough of a monopoly to enforce the unfair fees and pricing restrictions associated with illegal monopolies, which Valve has repeatedly denied. The case against Steam in the US suit is that it is "not economically feasible" for PC game devs to skip the store, leaving them "forced to comply" with whatever Valve says. Valve's 30% base cut of Steam sales is, unsurprisingly, also a major sticking point.

With a straight face, Valve insists Counter-Strike 2 cases are fine and "people enjoy surprises" in move to dismiss New York lawsuit.

Like a hyena on an injured lion, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney is jumping Valve co-founder Gabe Newell while he's down in the immediate aftermath of this week's Steam Deck price hike that took the handheld's top OLED model all the way up to $950.

It's a rare sight to see an industry leader forgo the usual business formalities that typically mask long-simmering rivalries between top-level competitors, but on Thursday, May 28, just a day after Valve revealed its new Steam Deck pricing, Sweeney sent out a blistering tweet obviously, but not explicitly, aimed at Newell. In the tweet, Sweeney sarcastically feigns sympathy for Valve as it faces widespread backlash against the price increase – just before going for the throat with a jab at Newell's notorious affinity for luxury yachts and other outrageously expensive naval vessels.

"Everyone's being too harsh here," reads Sweeney's tweet. "There has been a significant rise in the cost of components that Steam customer spending ultimately funds, and economic trends have created severe disruptions in the component parts supply chain for megayachts."

Sweeney's beef with Newell goes back years to at least 2018 when emails emerged out of a lawsuit in which he slammed the "assholes" at Valve for Steam's controversial revenue split with developers. Naturally, the Epic Games Store living in Steam's shadow since its release likely has a compounding effect on Sweeney's animosity, which mostly seems to lean one way, with Newell largely remaining silent on the whole matter. For all we know, Newell is either asleep or scuba diving as we speak.

It's also worth noting that Sweeney himself isn't exactly a PR darling at the moment, with Epic having recently laid off more than 1,000 employees shortly after raising prices on Fortnite V-Bucks considerably. In this seemingly one-sided quarrel between billionaire CEOs, it seems no one comes out on top.

Valve allegedly had higher Steam Machine prices in mind before the Steam Deck hike, but I need you not to assume the worst