Steam Machine is approaching: SteamOS starts to prepare the ground for its release

The new preliminary version of SteamOS includes support for the upcoming Steam Machine hardware and reinforces the idea of an increasingly close release.

More stories in the category PC

• The Epic Games Store is giving us a new surprise game for free for a limited time
• Four new free games arrive on Steam to start the weekend
• If you like animals, you can get this new Steam game for free until March 22

Valve has left another important clue about the future of Steam Machine. After recently presenting the requirements for games with the Steam Machine Verified seal, the company has taken another step with the preliminary version of SteamOS 3.8.0, where a direct reference to the upcoming hardware is already appearing.

This is not a announcement with a fixed date or an official confirmation of the launch, but it is a fairly clear signal. When a company starts introducing compatibility within the system for a device that has not yet arrived on the market , it’s usually because its debut is already on the horizon.

SteamOS 3.8 already mentions support for new Steam Machine hardware

Among the changes collected in the Preview 3.8.0 notes, Valve explains that it has added “initial support for the next Steam Machine hardware”. The phrase alone has been enough to reactivate speculation about the calendar of the new hybrid PC for gaming.

The reference comes at a significant time. Valve is gradually strengthening the entire ecosystem surrounding Steam Deck, SteamOS, and compatible devices with this Linux-based platform. In this context, the appearance of Steam Machine in the system notes seems like another piece of a well-defined strategy.

For now, there are still no concrete details about price or release date beyond this year, but this move fits with the feeling that Valve is finalizing preparations before showing more. If support is already being integrated into SteamOS, it’s logical to think that Steam Machine could be much closer than it seemed just a few weeks ago.