Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast The Steam Machine Takes on PS5 and Xbox
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Nov 21, 2025 Explore the unveiling of Valve's new Steam devices, including the Steam Cube's impressive specs and console-like design. Dive into the pros and cons of local versus cloud storage, sparked by a Cloudflare outage that raises questions about reliance on the cloud. Discover Google's Gemini 3 and its ambitious goals, along with their innovative Antigravity IDE for coding. The hosts also engage in playful trivia and wit, making for a lively and insightful discussion on the future of gaming and technology.
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Price Will Reflect Hardware Margins
- Expect higher-than-console pricing because Valve must make hardware margin without subsidizing via exclusive games.
- Factor in that Steam hardware must earn money on the device itself rather than rely on first-party software sales.
Controller Focuses On Longevity And Low Latency
- Valve's new controller uses magnetic (TMR) thumbsticks and grip-sensing buttons to reduce drift and add new inputs.
- The controller emphasizes low latency via a magnetic charging/2.4GHz puck for better responsiveness than Bluetooth.
VR Designed As A Gaming-First Streamed Headset
- The Steam Frame VR prioritizes gaming performance with local foveated rendering, Wi‑Fi 7 streaming, and minimal tethering.
- Valve trades full mixed-reality features for optimized VR gameplay and low-latency streaming from a Steam Machine.