YouTuber Zac Builds unveils a $950 DIY Steam Machine with Ryzen 5 5600X and RX 9060 XT that outperforms Valve's teased hardware in benchmarks. The build highlights potential pricing pressures on Valve's unpriced console ahead of its launch.

Tap a lens to see what this story means for you.
Liked this? The Brief brings you the whole day in tech, verified, every morning.
Two minutes, free forever. What's in The Brief →
See what’s happening right now
The Feed runs all day — short, verified briefs the moment they break.
Open the FeedFollow @thecircuitry_
Every story we publish, as it happens. No noise between.
Reader-supported
The Circuitry is a passion project I've always wanted to build, and I love the work behind it.
Running it costs real money. APIs, hosting, time. To keep improving the site and growing this into something useful for everyone, those costs have to be covered.
Any contribution is appreciated. If not, no pressure. Thanks for reading.
Valve has opened sign-ups for its new Steam Frame VR headset, which starts at $1,059 for the 256GB model and includes a native copy of Half-Life: Alyx. The randomized reservation system determines early purchase access, with first offers expected September 18.
Valve has set Steam Machine prices from a reported $1,049 to a reported $1,428 depending on storage and controller options, citing component cost increases from the memory crisis. The company is using a randomized sign-up system through June 25 to allocate its constrained initial supply.
Valve now shows Steam Controller reservations shipping as late as 2027 due to demand exceeding production capacity. The update follows a rapid sell-out in May and aims to set realistic expectations for customers still waiting.
Valve announced both the Steam Machine console-like PC and Steam Frame VR headset will ship this summer while expanding its Verified program to the new hardware. The company withheld exact timing and all pricing information, prompting speculation about the final cost of the more powerful Steam Machine.
Valve disclosed that personal data of some European Steam hardware customers was likely compromised in a cyberattack on logistics partner CEVA between July 29 and August 1. The company is warning recipients to expect follow-on scam messages referencing their orders while it notifies data protection authorities.