We already know that the Steam Machine will have customizable front panels. Valve has shown this off on the official store page reveal, and accessory brand dbrand has already announced a full custom Companion Cube model. Steam Machine stickers would be the alternative, presumably cheaper way to deck out the system, and JSAUX (the brand that recently revealed some custom front panels with displays) says it plans to produce some sticker designs, too.

Customization is one of the great things about Valve’s upcoming Steam Machine. Sadly, not so much on the hardware front (outside of swappable SSD storage and RAM modules), but in terms of the visual design.

There are so many Steam Machine skin ideas out there

Replying to Visual UI Designer Ilya Miskov on X, who produced a Minecraft grass block design in ChatGPT, JSAUX says it is also “cooking up Steam Machine stickers” and asks its fans to suggest some designs of their own. We assume any video game tie-ins would require some kind of official collaboration.

There are many directions you could go in, whether it’s something to complement the cube-shaped design or simply something you think looks better than a clean black slate. It’s worth noting that there is also an LED strip on the front of the system; Valve says it can be customized with “different colors and animations,” or you can turn it off altogether.

An obvious design we can think of is a recreation of the Nintendo GameCube. Someone has already made a GameCube-inspired startup movie for SteamOS, aptly naming it the ‘GabeCube’. Another box-shaped concept with a video game theme already floating around the web is a series of Crash Bandicoot crates.

A recent poll on our site revealed that the Steam Machine is the most popular of Valve’s three new hardware launches, and the customization and memes surrounding the design certainly help. The other two launches coming in early 2026 are the Steam Controller and Valve’s new VR headset – Steam Frame. Both devices will pair well with the new mini PC.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.