valve made Big comeback in PC hardware this week. The company, best known for its PC gaming platform, Steam, announced a new home console called the Steam Machine along with a new version of the Steam Controller and a new virtual reality headset called Steam Frame.
The Steam Machine is a revival of Valve’s original Steam Machine, which was a failed attempt to bring PC gaming into the living room nearly 10 years ago. Now, it’s back, building on the success of the Steam Deck handheld. Valve claims the new Steam Machine is six times more powerful than the Steam Deck, and it’s like a compact PC. We don’t have exact measurements yet, but some early hands-on impressions suggest it’s similar in size to the Nintendo GameCube. The Steam Machine uses a custom Zen 4 CPU from AMD, and will reportedly be sold in multiple memory and storage configurations, which are user-upgradeable. The new Steam Controller is meant to be paired with the Steam Machine, and features two haptic-feedback trackpads and the typical assortment of thumbsticks, buttons, triggers, and bumpers.
Finally, there is Steam Frame. This long-awaited VR headset is the follow-up to Valve’s Index, which is over six years old. Valve calls the Steam Frame a “streaming-first” VR headset, intended to connect to a PC for lag-free, wireless gaming. To overcome the latency issue, Steam Frame will come with a dedicated wireless module to connect to your PC to ensure that all scene data is transferred as smoothly as possible.
The Steam Frame can also be used as a stand-alone headset, which runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, meaning you’ll be playing x86 games on ARM in SteamOS. This is a difficult endeavor, but based on Steam Deck’s success in adding the necessary emulation layers, I’m confident that Valve will do it in a way that Microsoft has always struggled with. As far as the headset is concerned, it weighs just 440 grams, which is significantly lighter than both the Meta Quest 3S and the recently announced Samsung Galaxy XR. It has two pancake lenses with two LCD screens at 2160 x 2160 pixels per eye.
There’s a lot to learn about these devices, and any new hardware doesn’t have a firm release date or price yet, as is customary with Valve. All we know is that shipping of these devices will begin in early 2026. ,luke larson
A pouch for your iPhone
Courtesy of Apple
You’ve probably already seen or heard about iPhone Pocket. Inspired by a “piece of cloth”, it’s a small shoulder bag designed to carry around your iPhone, and originated from a collaboration between Apple and Japanese design brand Issey Miyake. The two companies have a long history – Steve Jobs wore Issey Miyake’s black turtleneck on stage during every major launch event.
This fabric is a unique 3D-knitted construction made in Japan and will be able to fit any iPhone model. This is not the first time Apple has suggested you carry one of its products in a piece of cloth. In 2004, Apple introduced iPod Socks, a simple and fun way to protect your iPod screen while traveling. Their price at the time was $29 (about $50 today).
Unfortunately, you have to pay a lot for iPhone Pocket. The pouch comes in a short-strap version for $150 and a long-strap design for $230. Both are available in multiple colors, but since this is a special-edition release, you’ll only be able to purchase them at select Apple Store locations in France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the UK, and the US, and on Apple.com. (It’s already sold out online.)
Digital ID comes in Apple Wallet
You already have your boarding pass on your iPhone, why not your passport too? That’s the idea behind Apple’s new Digital ID, a new way to link information from your US passport to Apple Wallet. Approval at TSA checkpoints in more than 250 airports across the US for domestic travel is running in beta, though Apple says it will expand in the future.
Even if you do not have a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state ID, you will be able to present this type of identification. (You can already add your driver’s license to Apple Wallet, but it’s only available in select states.) However, it’s important to remember that Apple’s digital ID doesn’t replace a passport, which is still required for international travel.
Samsung’s MovingStyle screen can go anywhere you want
Courtesy of Samsung
Samsung has announced a new series of “portable” monitors that are meant to travel with you around your home or office. The MovingStyle (LSM7F) and MovingStyle M7 Smart Monitor (M70F) are standard 27- or 32-inch displays, with one big twist: They come with a rollable floor stand with hidden wheels. Instead of having separate large screens in each room, the idea behind these MovingStyle monitors is to have one screen on the go—similar to LG’s Stanby range. It’s not hard to imagine scenarios where this might be convenient. You might be in the kitchen following a recipe or watching a show on television in the bedroom, wanting to finish it. Samsung claims the wheels are quiet and stable on both hardwood floors and carpet.