2 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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PC Gaming

The PC is one of the most popular gaming platforms in the world, and one that’s constantly changing. Here at The Verge we cover every aspect, including the latest hardware developments from companies like Nvidia and Logitech, massively popular games like Fortnite and Overwatch, and hugely influential digital platforms like Steam and itch.io.

Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
This million-dollar Kickstarter will take 18 years to finish.

The RPG Project Phoenix initially raised over $1 million in 2013, when it was slated to launch in 2015. As Kotaku reports, after seven years without any updates, the game’s director now says production won’t be finished until “the end of 2031,” when a release date will be revealed.

Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
You can turn the Steam Machine into a Windows PC.

As Windows Central reports, Valve has released Windows drivers for the Steam Machine, like it previously did for the Steam Deck, so you can replace its Linux-based SteamOS if you want. However, the Steam Machine still doesn’t support dual-booting, so you can only have one OS installed at a time.

Sean Hollister
Sean Hollister
Valve just open-sourced its e-ink screen for the Steam Machine.

As spotted by Brad Lynch, you can now find the complete instructions, files, and BOM to make the screen we saw at Valve HQ, which it’s now calling the “Inkterface.” (It was previously the “Mango Frunk,” likely a reference to MangoHud.) It uses a battery for power. If you’re not feeling DIY, Jsaux is working on one.

The e-paper display that Valve internally built for this Steam Machine displays system stats like CPU and GPU temperature and fan speed.
The e-paper display that Valve internally built for the Steam Machine.
Photo by Everything Time Studio / The Verge
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Looking for a Steam Controller stand?

Mechanism’s Steam Controller Dock might fit the bill. It has a dedicated place to lock in the controller’s puck, which means you can rest and charge the controller upright while you aren’t using it.

You can preorder the Dock now for $39. It’s set to ship on July 6th.

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

A photo of Mechanism’s Steam Controller Dock.
Image: Mechanism
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Where did Dbrand’s Steam Machine Companion Cube go?

Dbrand opened up preorders on Monday, shortly ahead of the actual announcement of the Steam Machine’s price and release date. But the cube appears to have vanished from the company’s website, and the YouTube teaser has been made private, as noted on Reddit.

Dbrand and Valve didn’t immediately reply to requests for comment.

Render of Dbrand Companion Cube skin for the Steam Machine
Image: Dbrand
Nathan Edwards
Nathan Edwards
“Let’s make a miracle computer out of garbage.”

At Aftermath, Chris Person (who else?) explains how to hack together a bootleg Steam Machine using a cheap castoff cryptomining GPU. It’s a high-effort, low-cost build made possible by 3D printing, open platforms, and a host of enthusiasts working together. And the power of Linux, of course.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Valve tweaked its wording about what the Steam Machine can do.

A post on Resetera points out that now, instead of claiming that the Steam Machine is capable of “4K gaming at 60 FPS with FSR,” Valve’s website says that the PC offers “Up to 4k gaming with FSR 4.1.”

In our testing, the Steam Machine struggled to hit 4K/60FPS while using FSR with some titles, so this revised claim seems more realistic.

A screenshot from Valve’s website highlighting what the Steam Machine’s CPU and GPU are capable of. The text reads: “CPU & GPU Up to 4k gaming with FSR 4.1, thanks to a discrete semi-custom AMD desktop class CPU and GPU.”
Image: Valve
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
So that’s what Valve was thinking.

After Valve confirmed its Steam Machines all use one 16GB RAM stick, not two 8GB ones, a helpful commenter has explained why.

jsowers:

Gotta leave one motherboard slot open for Jesus

Get the day’s best comment and more in my free newsletter, The Verge Daily.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Valve clarifies: all Steam Machines, for now, will ship with one 16GB stick of RAM.

In an interview with Gamers Nexus, Valve had said that the PCs would ship with either one 16GB stick of RAM or two 8GB sticks of RAM. “We misspoke here - all units will actually have one 16GB stick of RAM,” the company says in a follow-up statement to the channel. “It’s possible that this might change in future builds, but the units that customers are currently signing up for will all come with one 16GB stick of RAM.”

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Valve is leaving the door open to refreshing the Steam Machine more often than the Steam Deck.

“I think it’s a little bit less important to have a fixed performance target for 5 years or something for a product like [the Steam Machine],” Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais tells PC Gamer. “I don’t think we’re thinking about it with quite as long of a time frame as something like a Steam Deck.” Though it doesn’t sound like there are any near-term plans for a refresh of some kind.

Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
The Steam Machine paradox.

cantrip:

The Steam Machine is both fairly-priced and too expensive. It’s priced at cost, it’s just that not many people are going to be willing to pay it.

Get the day’s best comment and more in my free newsletter, The Verge Daily.

David Pierce
David Pierce
Today’s Vergecast: Is the Steam Machine worth the wait?

Valve has been trying to crack the living room for more than a decade, and the new Steam Machine is its best attempt yet. It’s a little bit PC, a little bit console, and a lot pricy — starting at $1,049, it had a lot to live up to. The Verge’s Sean Hollister has been testing the device, and shares his findings on whether the Steam Machine can hang with PlayStation and Xbox. He also explains why, despite a never-ending list of challenges, Valve is still trying to make this device work.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Here’s roughly how much Valve originally wanted Steam Machine to cost:

According to Aftermath’s Chris Person, Valve pointed to the Steam Deck’s recent price increase as an indicator. Following those changes, the PC handheld costs $789 for the 512GB version and $949 for the 1TB version. The Steam Machine, on the other hand, starts at $1,049.

The Steam Machine is the most ambitious game console I’ve ever played

6

Verge Score

$1,049 buys PS5 performance in a couch-friendly desktop.

Sean Hollister
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Dbrand just opened preorders for its Steam Machine Companion Cube.

It costs $129.95, ships late July, and includes a few goodies beyond the dedicated chassis for Steam’s upcoming console. You can save $30 by buying the “Poverty Cube,” which ditches the extras, but you’ll have to wait until October to get it. Does this mean the Steam Machine itself is imminent?

Render of Dbrand Companion Cube skin for the Steam Machine
Render of Dbrand Test Chamber Steam Controller skin
Render of Dbrand Super Button stand
Render of Dbrand cake-themed suede cloth
1/4
The Cube has been designed not to block any of the Steam Machine’s vents or exhaust.
Image: Dbrand
Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
GTA VI preorders open June 25th.

Rockstar Games says preorders will be available “on digital storefronts and at other select retailers,” and revealed the game’s cover art in a teaser video:

Sean Hollister
Sean Hollister
Valve’s big SteamOS 3.8 update is now available for everyone.

Three months after Valve’s doozy of an update arrived in preview — the first with support for the Steam Machine and a whole lot more — it’s getting a full stable release. Here’s the changelog. But when will the Steam Machine arrive? Valve’s had quite a few shipments now...

Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
“The retail SSD market has almost disappeared.”

That’s according to Silicon Motion (SMI) vice president Nelson Duann, who told Tom’s Hardware the memory shortage is pushing PC makers to buy third-party SSDs, while saying suppliers expect it will get worse in 2027:

The controllers we sell to module makers are now largely ending up in SSDs that are shipped to PC OEMs. The reason is that OEMs cannot obtain enough NAND directly from memory manufacturers, so they are increasingly sourcing SSDs from module makers instead.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
MSI’s new Claw gaming handheld starts at $1,699.

That’s according to Best Buy’s listing for the MSI Claw 8 EX AI Plus — and it’s “early bird” pricing, MSI’s Anne Lee tells The Verge. After retailers run out of their first batches of units, MSI expects them to sell the handheld for $1,799, like MSI’s US store already is.

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

A screenshot from Best Buy’s store listing for the MSI Claw 8 EX AI Plus.
Image: Best Buy