Valve’s History with Hardware

Valve has a mixed track record when it comes to gaming hardware. While the company is best known for its dominance in digital game distribution through Steam, it has also ventured into hardware development. The Steam Controller, released in 2015, was an ambitious but ultimately niche device. Similarly, the Steam Machines, a line of gaming PCs designed to bring SteamOS to the living room, failed to gain traction and were quietly discontinued. However, Valve found much greater success with the Steam Deck, a handheld gaming PC that has been widely praised for its versatility and performance. This history sets the stage for current rumors about Valve’s next potential move in the gaming hardware space.

The Rumor: A Steam Console to Rival PlayStation and Xbox?

According to a report from Insider Gaming, rumors about a new Valve-developed console began circulating late last year. The speculation was fueled by discussions of Valve working on new iterations of the Steam Controller and a VR headset. More recently, a content creator known as eXtas1s claimed on social media that Valve is indeed working on a Steam console that would compete with the major home consoles.

Further fueling the fire, it was suggested that Valve is collaborating closely with AMD, particularly in relation to their upcoming RDNA 4 graphics technology. This has led some to believe that Valve might be preparing a powerful new console, leveraging its experience from the successful Steam Deck.

Read the Insider-Gaming story here

The Reality Check: Gaming on Linux Pushes Back

However, the report has faced strong pushback from Gaming on Linux, which argues that this rumor is largely unfounded. The skepticism centers around a recent update in the open-source Mesa graphics driver documentation, which noted that AMD RDNA 4 support “should be good enough.” According to Gaming on Linux, this minor update was misinterpreted by non-Linux users, who turned it into speculation about new Valve hardware.

The site points out that Valve has long invested in improving Linux and AMD graphics drivers, not just for its own hardware but for the broader ecosystem. Updates like this are common and do not necessarily indicate that Valve is developing a new console. Furthermore, Valve has made it clear that hardware for a next-generation Steam Deck is not yet ready, making it even less likely that they are shifting focus to a full-fledged home console.

Read the Gaming on Linux story here

What’s Next for Valve?

While a dedicated Steam console is unlikely at this time, that doesn’t mean Valve is sitting idle. Many believe that the company’s next major hardware release will be a new VR headset to replace the aging Valve Index. Additionally, Valve continues to push SteamOS forward, enabling more devices to take advantage of its gaming ecosystem.

For now, any talk of a Steam-powered console designed to rival PlayStation and Xbox should be taken with a grain of salt. Valve’s history with hardware, particularly the ill-fated Steam Machines, suggests that they are cautious about re-entering the console market. Unless something more concrete emerges, it’s best to assume that Valve remains focused on refining its existing products rather than preparing a new challenger for the console wars.

What Do You Think?

Would you be interested in a dedicated Steam console? Do you think Valve should re-enter the console market, or should they continue focusing on refining the Steam Deck and their VR initiatives? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!