Valve has admitted that the eagerly anticipated Steam Machine will be delayed, which is unfortunate but somewhat expected news. The Steam Machine is now set to arrive in the first half of 2026, as RAM and storage prices continue to surge.
Valve’s new console ticks a lot of boxes, but should you purchase a Steam Deck instead? The Deck, especially the OLED model, remains an excellent device in 2026 and could be all you need to enjoy your Steam library.
Steam Deck OLED vs. Steam Machine
The Steam Deck can already play AAA games natively, albeit at lower graphical and performance settings. The Steam Machine is much more powerful than the Deck, but the OLED handheld is good enough for most gamers.
If older titles and indie games are your thing, you can’t go wrong with the Steam Deck. Every game looks stunning on the vibrant OLED screen, as the colours pop and the blacks are perfect.
One of the biggest reasons to opt for a Steam Deck is portability. While the Steam Machine is small enough to take from room to room, it must always be plugged into a TV or monitor. The Deck is fundamentally a handheld, and the OLED version is light, easy to hold, and extremely portable.
Also, the Steam Deck can be hooked up to a TV, making it the ultimate hybrid PC handheld. The Deck connects via USB-C, with a separate dock allowing for extra peripherals like USB devices and Ethernet.
You may have to dial down the graphics a notch or two, but games still look superb on the big screen, with 4K even supported. Pair up a Bluetooth controller, and you pretty much have a portable Steam Machine.
There’s a real appetite for handheld gaming these days, with the Nintendo Switch 2 breaking sales records for the number of units sold in the first six months. Portable gaming PCs are everywhere, and even Sony could be ready to jump back in with the rumoured PS6 handheld.
The Undeniable Jump Up in Specs
The Steam Deck has been crucial for PC gaming on the go, and Valve is reportedly already working away at a Steam Deck 2. The OLED version made some much-needed improvements over the original LCD model, but both are now showing their age when it comes to performance and general graphical prowess.
The Steam Machine is an undeniable jump up from the Steam Deck in the spec department. Valve’s shiny new console boasts 6x the power of the Deck thanks to the impressive AMD Zen 4 (6C/12T) CPU and RDNA 3 (28CUs, 8GB, GDDR56) GPU.
The Steam Machine’s extra horsepower is targeting 4K, 60 fps gaming, much like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. In terms of raw specs, Valve’s Machine is also more powerful than the recently released Switch 2.
The Steam Machine beats the Steam Deck hands down for pure power, but the new console could be aimed at serious gamers rather than casual players.
Will the Steam Machine Be Worth the Wait?
With approximately 4 million units sold since its February 2022 release, the Steam Deck has been a major success for Valve. The upcoming living-room-focused PC could be another huge hit for the company.
The Steam Machine is likely to be a popular gaming device, though pricing has yet to be confirmed. It could even replace your console setup and be a legitimate rival to the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Switch 2.
The recent delay is unfortunate, but the Steam Machine could be worth the wait. Playing high-end PC games from your couch without the need of a bulky PC is super convenient and incredibly exciting.
