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).
Valve uploaded the full BOM list, 3D print files, and instructions for those who want to build their own E-Ink faceplate for the Steam Machine“Inkterface” was first shown off alongside the initial Steam Hardware announcements last yearhttps://t.co/9uylbczqg2 pic.twitter.com/MirrJP34LlJuly 2, 2026
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.
