Someone made their own Portal-themed Steam Machine case after dbrand Companion Cube shut down
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3D-printed accessories for the Steam Machine are nothing new – people have been making them well before Valve released it in late June. However, perhaps one of the best we’ve seen so far was uploaded to Printables (a site to share 3D printing files) yesterday. User @Jaron has uploaded the STL files for a Portal cube-style case, with two different designs to choose from.
After Valve announced the Steam Machine last year, accessory makers dbrand showed off a Companion Cube design, quickly gaining traction online. It went into development and pre-orders went live just ahead of the Steam Machine itself. However, it didn’t take long for Valve to take the project down, with dbrand admitting it never asked for permission to use the Portal IP.
Companion Cube for Steam Machine is back – and a regular cube as well
Luckily, fan-made designs not made for profit will safely remain online. A quick search of ‘Portal’ on Printables returns more than 1,900 models available as free downloads. In the case of Jaron’s models, users can choose from a Weighted Companion Cube design (with the heart) or a Weighted Storage Cube (with the Apeture Science logo). The latter is the ‘standard’ cube you come across the most throughout Portal’s test chambers.
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Weighted Storage Cube design, credit: Jaron
Weighted Companion Cube design, credit: Jaron
Images shared on the Printables page show the Weighted Storage Cube design in action, with the back completely open – as not to block the Steam Machine’s fan and its rear ports. The removeable front panel leaves a gap for the LED strip to shine through, along with cut-outs for front ports, while the Aperture Logo is also hollowed out to improve airflow a tad more.
Following dbrand’s Companion Cube fiasco, there has been no news of an official Companion Cube (or similar) designs being released. In the meantime, dbrand is still committing to making Steam Machine accessories, while another popular brand – JSAUX – has recently unveiled E-Ink and Dot Matrix faceplates coming soon.
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