Valve has finally taken the plunge and revealed all the details of its highly anticipated desktop platform. This powerful living room PC aims to bring the successful Steam Deck experience to the big screen, offering significantly improved performance and a compact cube design that fits perfectly on any TV stand or desk.
The device is now available for pre-order through the official Steam store, although acquiring it won't be as simple as pressing a button and waiting for the package. Due to the current availability of components and the anticipated high demand, the company has opted for a controlled distribution system that prioritizes genuine players over the speculators who often plague these releases.
Variants and official prices in the European market
The range of this new hardware is primarily divided based on its internal storage capacity and included accessories, with options starting at €1.039 for the base 512GB NVMe SSD model. If you prefer the bundle that includes the updated wireless controller, the price rises to €1.108, while the 2TB versions are priced at €1.359 on their own or €1.428 if you opt for the complete package with the Steam Controller.
It's important to note that the higher-capacity versions not only offer more space for installing demanding games, but also include exclusive aesthetic details such as front covers finished in red fabric or solid walnut for a more personalized touch. Valve has justified these prices, which have turned out to be quite high and higher than initially predicted by analysts, by pointing to the global increase in the cost of RAM and flash storage that has affected the entire technology industry.
A random reserve system against speculation
To manage the hype and avoid the chaos of previous launches, a registration period has been established with a deadline of June 25th at 7:00 PM (peninsular time). Once this deadline has passed, an algorithm will randomly rank all registered participants, thus eliminating the incentive to be the fastest to refresh the page and preventing automated tools from depleting stock in milliseconds.
Those interested must meet certain security requirements to enter the draw, such as having a Steam account without prior sanctions and having made at least one purchase before April 27th of this year. Starting the week of June 29th, emails to finalize the purchase will be sent out in waves, and those selected will have a strict 72-hour window to make the payment before their unit is offered to the next person on the waiting list.
PC heart in a console body
On the technical side, the device is surprising for housing a semi-custom processor with AMD's Zen 4 and RDNA3 architecture within a chassis measuring just 15 centimeters on each side. According to the manufacturer, the system is capable of delivering up to six times the power of the laptop version, allowing users to enjoy demanding titles at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second through the use of AMD's FSR upscaling technology and efficient management of its 16 GB of DDR5 RAM.
The software powering the machine is SteamOS 3, an Arch Linux-based system that allows for seamless integration with the user's library, while also opening the door to other possibilities. Because it's open hardware, users can switch to the KDE Plasma desktop environment at any time to perform office tasks, install third-party applications, or even replace the pre-installed software with Windows natively if they prefer the Microsoft ecosystem.
This new offering from Valve breaks away from the traditional closed console model, providing a versatile machine that doesn't require monthly subscriptions for online play or limit the hardware the user can purchase. While the final price represents a significant investment, placing it above its direct competitors, the combination of raw power, extreme miniaturization, and an open and flexible ecosystem makes this device unique for those seeking the comfort of the couch without sacrificing the advantages of a PC.
