Looks like Valve's Steam Machine might finally be on its way after a huge importing effort — and despite our fears, it might actually support full-fat 4K 120 Hz and VRR in the end, making it a full PS5 and Xbox replacement | Tech Radar
Overview
News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
Details
Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.
Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
Looks like Valve's Steam Machine might finally be on its way after a huge importing effort — and despite our fears, it might actually support full-fat 4K 120 Hz and VRR in the end, making it a full PS5 and Xbox replacement
HDMI 2.1 could arrive via firmware update shortly after launch
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Valve has been importing (literal) tons of "Game Consoles"
Weights and details suggest they aren't Steam Decks
HDMI 2.1 VRR and 4K 120 Hz could be delivered via firmware update
With the new Steam Controller now shipping, attention is turning to Valve's hotly anticipated Steam Machine — and, fingers crossed, it appears to be nearing launch too. Valve has reportedly brought around 50 tons of "game consoles" into the US, at least according to import records seen by The Verge, .
Although it's possible that these imports are Steam Decks, which used the same label for their shipments, the shipping records detail different weights and patterns this time around. And that's led to speculation, or perhaps wishing, that the Steam Machine's US launch is imminent.
But if it is, you can expect them to sell out quickly unless Valve has a lot more containers coming or here already: as Notebookcheck.net calculates, 50 tons of shipments works out at about 20,000 Steam Machines.
Valve gets the Steam Machine wheel rolling with Steam OS 3.8.0 preview
The Steam Controller is almost here as Valve seemingly ships first batch
Valve recommits to a 2026 launch for the Steam Machine
The new Steam Controller is here — will its matching cube follow suit? (Image credit: Future)
That's not the only Steam Machine news circulating this week. It also appears that Valve's new console could come with HDMI 2.1, including full-quality 4K at 120 Hz and variable refresh rate support, which was feared to be impossible.
If so, that makes it an even more serious rival to the Xbox Series X and the PS5 for playing on the best gaming TVs, because it makes the Steam Machine an even more impressive gaming platform for big 4K screens.
The Steam Machine is currently listed with a spec of HDMI 2.0 and 4K at 120 Hz with a reduced color spectrum. That's because true 48 Gbps HDMI 2.1 with the AMD graphics and Linux OS wasn't possible: as Valve explained late last year, the HDMI Forum had blocked open-source Linux drivers for HDMI 2.1.
Valve said that the hardware was certainly HDMI 2.1 compatible, but the software wasn't, and it was helping AMD try to "unblock things there." And according to reports on Phoronix, AMD has done just that.
AMD has released a series of Linux kernel patches that add support for HDMI Fixed Rate Link, aka FRL, a feature that's exclusive to HDMI 2.1. That's currently working on AMD GPUs on Linux systems. The next step is to develop a full implementation of HDMI 2.1 to potentially deliver 4K at 120 Hz (or higher) with HDR, variable refresh rate and auto low latency mode.
There's no timeline for that full implementation, so it's unlikely that we'll see HDMI 2.1 at launch, whenever that actually turns out to be. But HDMI 2.1 is clearly possible on the Steam Machine, and that suggests it's a question not of whether Valve will support the standard, but of when that support will be delivered, so it can truly match what the consoles can do.
We're still waiting for a launch date for the Steam Machine, but hopefully it'll be announced very soon: the launch has been delayed because of memory and storage shortages, so the early 2026 launch has been pushed back. However, Valve was still hoping to launch in the first half of 2026, so we may see what's in those shipping containers very soon.
Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.
Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than twenty books. Her latest, a love letter to music titled Small Town Joy, is on sale now. She is the singer in spectacularly obscure Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
1 Experts warn Amazon's Simple Email Service is being abused to launch 'massive volume' of phishing attacks
2 The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra falls to a new record-low price at Amazon — get $300 off 'the best Android phone ever'
3 How to watch Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid: Free Streams, TV Schedule and Preview for Champions League semi-final 2nd leg
4 Amazon’s Mother’s Day Sale is so good, I’m shopping it for myself — here's everything I want from Dyson, Kindle, Apple, and more
5 Microsoft confirms why Windows 11 updates might be weird right now, and look like they're failing — but it's nothing to worry about
Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.
Key Takeaways
- News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
- Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
- Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
- Unlock instant access to exclusive member features
- Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards
