- Valve is rumored to be working on a Steam console
- The rumors suggest that the console will utilize AMD’s upcoming RDNA 4 Radeon RX 9070 GPU
- This could provide some much-needed competition within the home console market
Valve’s Steam is the topic of the day yet again - and no, it’s not regarding the Steam Deck 2 rumor that was recently shot down by Valve - but rather another rumor that further hints at the gaming giant becoming a true force in the hardware market.
As reported by Wccftech, the new rumor stems from HandleDeck on X (relayed by a Spanish leaker known as extas1s) and suggests Valve is currently working on a 'Steam console', which could use AMD’s new RDNA 4 Radeon RX 9070 GPU. No, this probably isn't a triumphant return of the failed Steam Machines.
This would be huge, as it could mean gamers would have the option of a hybrid gaming console/PC experience since it would likely adopt the Steam Deck’s SteamOS - the PS5 and Xbox Series X already both use RDNA 2 architecture, so this would be great competition for both Sony and Microsoft - if it's true, of course. Based on the rumors of FSR 4 being exclusive to RDNA 4 GPUs, it could spell great news for those looking for the latest and greatest away gaming performance from Nvidia’s hardware.
The reasoning behind this suggestion is that Valve is reportedly working on driver support for the RX 9070 GPU - considering that GPU's supposedly midrange market position (which, granted, we can't clarify until it actually launches), it wouldn’t be too far of a possibility here. Again, this is still just a rumor so take it with a hefty pinch of salt, but since the Steam Deck 2 isn’t coming anytime soon, it would make sense that this is what Valve is targeting next.
This could be the necessary push Sony needs regarding the PlayStation 5
For a long while now, Sony has pushed forward with certain decisions that haven’t sat well with fans - notably its recent mid-generation upgrade with the PS5 Pro, with many gamers upset by its $699.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,199 price tag. In my opinion, there haven't been many truly jaw-dropping games during the PS5 era (especially compared to the PS4’s large collection of blockbuster titles), and this is doubly evident with the numerous remasters and remakes for games that simply don’t need that treatment.
With a Steam console, players would have access to a bigger library of games (thanks to the Steam storefront), and this even includes some former PlayStation exclusives that have now made their way to PC. We’ve heard rumors and suggestions that highly anticipated titles like GTA 6 aren’t guaranteed to run at 60fps on the PS5, too.
If a Steam console launches with a powerful CPU to tag alongside AMD’s Radeon RX 9070 GPU, this will certainly give the PS5 a run for its money, and leave Sony forced to step up its game - so I'm really hoping that there's a grain of truth to this particular rumor.
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