Valve officially opens preorders for its highly anticipated Steam Machine, revealing a premium price tag that positions the living room PC as a high-end alternative to traditional consoles. The gaming industry also mourns the tragic loss of Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot, while a surprise indie hit takes Steam by storm.
Valve Steam Machine Price and Preorder Details Revealed
Valve officially opens preorders for its highly anticipated Steam Machine, revealing a starting price of $1,049 for the 512GB model and $1,349 for the 2TB configuration . The compact, console-like PC is designed to bring existing Steam libraries directly to the living room TV, targeting native 1440p resolution at 60 frames per second . However, the premium pricing surprises some players, especially as the hardware does not ship with a subsidized price tag like traditional consoles .
To combat soaring component costs, Valve engineers reveal that the Steam Machine launches with a single 16GB stick of DDR5 RAM, a compromise made to keep the device from becoming even more expensive . While the hardware is roughly on par with a PlayStation 5, it currently lacks AMD's advanced FSR 4 upscaling technology, though Valve confirms that FSR 4 support is actively in development for a post-launch update . The system's custom motherboard is a masterpiece of miniaturization, measuring close to the ultra-small Pico ITX form factor to fit inside its compact chassis .
For players who miss out on the initial reservation system, Valve is also opening up SteamOS for wider desktop use . Starting with the SteamOS 3.8 release, users can install the operating system on their own custom-built PC hardware, offering a DIY alternative to the official pre-built console .
Ubisoft Co-Founder Claude Guillemot Dies in Plane Crash
Claude Guillemot, who co-founded Ubisoft in 1986 alongside his four brothers, dies at the age of 69 following a plane crash near La Baule-Escoublac Airport in France . Guillemot was instrumental in establishing the French publishing giant, which grew from a small family business into one of the largest video game companies in the world . The tragic accident occurred on June 19, 2026, prompting tributes from across the global gaming industry .
Meccha Chameleon Steam Player Count Explodes Past 7 Million
The latest indie sensation, Meccha Chameleon, takes Steam by storm, surpassing 7 million copies sold in less than two weeks since its release . Developed by Lemorion, the artsy hide-and-seek game tasks players with painting their characters to blend into the environment rather than hiding behind props . The game's player count exploded after catching the attention of popular streamers, turning the budget-friendly title into one of the biggest breakout hits of 2026 .
CD Projekt joint-CEO Michał Nowakowski admits that the studio "indefinitely" lost the trust of some players following the disastrous 2020 launch of Cyberpunk 2077. Speaking on the studio's ongoing redemption arc, Nowakowski emphasizes that the team is determined not to repeat those mistakes with the development of The Witcher 4. The developer actively applies lessons from its past launch struggles to ensure its next major open-world RPG wins back the faith of its audience .
Richard Garriott Plans to Reclaim Ultima RPG Rights From EA
Legendary game designer Richard Garriott, also known as Lord British, reveals a plan to reclaim the rights to his iconic Ultima RPG franchise from Electronic Arts . Garriott intends to leverage an obscure, 50-year-old copyright law quirk to wrest the intellectual property back from EA, which has owned the franchise since acquiring Origin Systems in 1992 . While a mainline Ultima game has not been released since 1999, Garriott is already looking toward the challenge of reviving the classic series once the rights are secured .
