It looks like Valve’s steam machine could finally be on its way after a huge import effort – and despite our fears, it could actually support 4K 120Hz and VRR in the end, making it a complete replacement for the PS5 and Xbox.

Valve imported (literally) tons of “game consoles”
Weights and details suggest these are not Steam Decks
HDMI 2.1 VRR and 4K 120Hz could be delivered via firmware update

With the new Steam Controller now available, attention turns to Valve’s highly anticipated Steam Machine – and, fingers crossed, it appears to be about to launch as well. Valve reportedly imported around 50 tons of “game consoles” into the United States, at least according to import records seen by The Verge.

While it is possible that these imports were Steam Decks, which used the same label for their shipments, the shipping records this time detail different weights and models. And that has led to speculation, or perhaps wishing, that the Steam Machine’s US launch is imminent.

But if so, you can expect them to sell out quickly unless Valve already has a lot more containers coming or already: As Notebookcheck.net calculates, 50 tons of shipments equals about 20,000 Steam Machines.

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The new Steam Controller is here – will its corresponding cube follow suit? (Image credit: Future)

This isn’t the only Steam Machine news circulating this week. It also appears that Valve’s new console could come with HDMI 2.1, including full 4K quality at 120Hz and support for a variable refresh rate, something previously feared would be impossible.

If so, that makes it an even more serious rival to the Xbox Series

Will the Steam Engine have HDMI 2.1?

The Steam Machine is currently listed with an HDMI 2.0 and 4K spec at 120Hz with a reduced color spectrum. Indeed, true 48Gbps HDMI 2.1 with AMD graphics and Linux OS was not possible: as Valve explained late last year, the HDMI forum had blocked open source Linux drivers for HDMI 2.1.

Valve said the hardware was certainly HDMI 2.1 compatible, but the software was not, and that it was helping AMD try to “unblock things there.” And according to reports on Phoronix, that’s exactly what AMD has done.

AMD has released a series of patches for the Linux kernel that add support for HDMI Fixed Rate Link, aka FRL, a feature exclusive to HDMI 2.1. This currently works on AMD GPUs on Linux systems. The next step is to develop a full implementation of HDMI 2.1 to potentially deliver 4K at 120Hz (or higher) with HDR, variable refresh rate, and auto low latency mode.

There’s no timetable for this full implementation, so it’s unlikely we’ll see HDMI 2.1 at launch, when that will actually happen. But HDMI 2.1 is clearly possible on the Steam Machine, and that suggests it’s not a question of whether Valve will support the standard, but a question of when that support will be provided, so it can truly match what consoles can do.

We’re still waiting for a launch date for the Steam Machine, but we hope it will be announced very soon: the launch was delayed due to memory and storage shortages, so the early 2026 launch has been pushed back. However, Valve was still hoping for a launch in the first half of 2026, so we might see what’s in those shipping containers very soon.