Valve Software is making a significant move back into the hardware market with a new line of Steam Hardware products, posing potential challenges to industry giants like Microsoft and Meta. The strategy includes a new Steam Machine designed for living room play, a high-durability Steam Controller, and the Steam Frame, an all-in-one VR headset.
The Steam Machine, theoretically offering a similar experience to the successful Steam Deck, aims to deliver a powerful computing experience without physical media, running entirely on digital downloads from Steam libraries. Crucially, it’s not a Windows product, aligning with Valve’s long-standing goal of promoting PC gaming on Linux.
Meanwhile, the Steam Frame directly competes with Meta’s Quest VR hardware, offering a comparable standalone VR headset to challenge Meta’s dominance in the VR space. Valve’s approach appears driven by a desire to provide a viable alternative to Meta’s Horizon setup, addressing concerns about data privacy and a centralized user experience.
With the Steam Machine and Steam Frame positioned with affordability in mind, Valve could disrupt several areas within the gaming industry and present consumers with alternatives to Microsoft’s Xbox and Meta’s VR offerings.