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The cube was a lie: up close with our Dbrand Companion Cube before it gets destroyed

Dbrand will destroy them all, but we took some photos first.

Dbrand will destroy them all, but we took some photos first.

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Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge
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Steam Machines have returned: all the news about Valve’s new hardware universe
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Sean Hollister
is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.

Dbrand is the company that shipped a product that told Nintendo’s legal team to “go fuck yourself,” and the company that had a second set of lawyer-dodging PS5 plates ready when Sony threatened to sue over the originals. But on June 29th, the company finally ate some serious humble pie, canceling its Portal-themed Companion Cube external shell for the Steam Machine after Valve lawyered up.

I couldn’t believe it. Surely Dbrand had to have seen this coming. There must be a plan B, right?

“There is no further plan. We fucked this one up,” Dbrand CEO Adam Ijaz now tells me.

He says Dbrand will now have to destroy every single cube it manufactured, and it won’t even get to throw them in an incinerator for thematically appropriate fun.

Here’s the good news: I took up-close-and-personal photos of the (likely) copyright-infringing gadget for posterity on June 19th, before the lawyers struck. You can wistfully imagine what could have been, or use them as an outlet for your schadenfreude at Dbrand’s incredibly embarrassing mistake... or both! I won’t judge.

Here are all my photos in roughly chronological order:

You can blow up any of these photos larger by tapping on them once or twice.
You can blow up any of these photos larger by tapping on them once or twice.
The barcode reads “THE CAKE IS A LIE”.
The barcode reads “THE CAKE IS A LIE”.
The original Test Chamber 11 is the one where you get the portal gun.
The original Test Chamber 11 is the one where you get the portal gun.
The hex key to remove the four back cover screws fits inside the case when not in use.
The hex key to remove the four back cover screws fits inside the case when not in use.
It was a tight, secure fit.
It was a tight, secure fit.
Tight enough that the Steam Machine didn’t slide in under the force of gravity alone.
Tight enough that the Steam Machine didn’t slide in under the force of gravity alone.
Here it is inside, without the magnetic front cover on.
Here it is inside, without the magnetic front cover on.
The USB port covers have squishy rubber-ish covers held in by friction and expansion; the microSD cover is magnetically attached.
The USB port covers have squishy rubber-ish covers held in by friction and expansion; the microSD cover is magnetically attached.
No vents are blocked, and the four feet kept the Machine well off the ground.
No vents are blocked, and the four feet kept the Machine well off the ground.
“Ensure upright orientation before assembly or incineration.”
“Ensure upright orientation before assembly or incineration.”
The front vent also retains a large air gap, mirroring the Steam Machine’s own front panel.
The front vent also retains a large air gap, mirroring the Steam Machine’s own front panel.
Perched on the button, there’s still an air gap on the bottom due to the four feet.
Perched on the button, there’s still an air gap on the bottom due to the four feet.
Here’s the inside of the power button passthrough pusher.
Here’s the inside of the power button passthrough pusher.
The USB ports are offset a bit in their sockets.
The USB ports are offset a bit in their sockets.
This makes inserting my slightly oversized USB flash drive impossible, but would have worked for cables.
This makes inserting my slightly oversized USB flash drive impossible, but would have worked for cables.

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