There’s some undeniable intrigue surrounding Valve’s Steam Machine while a PlayStation 5 exec says the console’s best-seller is yet to come.
In case you missed it yesterday, Valve announced no less than three new pieces of Steam hardware, including the revival of its console-like Steam Machine concept.
There’s no telling whether the Steam Machine will be a success, especially since the idea failed so badly the first time around, but there’s an undeniable air of excitement surrounding it.
However, consoles always need that killer app to push them as day one purchases. The Nintendo Switch 2 had Mario Kart World, the PlayStation 5 had the Demon’s Souls remake, and there’s now growing speculation the Steam Machine will have something similar.
Some of the fan theories stem from Valve’s announcement trailer for its new hardware. At the 2:23 mark in the video below, you see someone place a new cover on the Steam Machine that is adorned with various stickers.
It’s only a brief shot, but some have latched onto a few specific stickers as a deliberate tease from Valve. The first is a big sticker of the word ‘SOON’ in all caps. Below that is an orange oval shaped sticker with the letter H in the middle, which is partially covered by a red ‘censor’ sticker.
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This is the sort of reach that Valve fans are accustomed to making, but given all the recent Half-Life 3 chatter, is this Valve subtly hinting that the long-awaited sequel will launch alongside the Steam Machine?
Half-Life 3 rumours have been circulating for over 20 years, but they’ve become far more frequent in the last 12 months, to the point where it’s claimed the game not only exists but is now in a playable state.
Not to mention VR game Half-Life: Alyx was billed as a return to the series, ending on yet another cliffhanger that strongly hinted at a continuation of the story.
Even if Valve isn’t teasing Half-Life 3, it would make sense for them to have some kind of new game to help promote the Steam Machine. The real question is whether it’d be exclusive to the PC format or available on other platforms.
Back in August, regular Valve leaker Tyler McVicker claimed to have found evidence of a new Team Fortress being in the works. However, he also said any such project is likely still years away, whereas the Steam Machine launches in early 2026.
Whatever happens, Valve’s announcement has injected an exciting sense of mystery into the gaming scene; something that’s been largely missing this generation, as the big publishers have either played things safe or, in Microsoft’s case, made decisions that have only soured fans.
By coincidence, there’s also signs that Sony might be harbouring its own Half-Life 3 sized secret, thanks to comments by Eric Limpel, PlayStation’s senior vice president and head of global marketing.
In a BBC interview about the PlayStation 5’s fifth anniversary, Limpel said there’s ‘a lot of great content’ still to come for the console, adding that its biggest seller has yet to be released: ‘I’m not going to tell you which one, but I think it’s still to come.’
It’s unclear whether he’s hinting about a game that’s already been announced, or if it’s a Sony exclusive or not, but it would be strange to be so circumspect about GTA 6, given it’s the most anticipated, and talked about, game of all time.
If he is referring to a first party exclusive, it’d have to be a new entry in a major franchise to top the PlayStation 5’s current biggest seller: Spider-Man 2 at 11+ million sales worldwide.
Maybe Limpel is extremely confident in next year’s Wolverine game. Despite being in the same autumn window as GTA 6, Sony hasn’t changed its launch plans yet, suggesting it thinks Wolverine will be popular enough to still enjoy strong sales alongside GTA 6.
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