Anyone who has used the Steam Deck will know that SteamOS boots up with a startup movie, and it will be no different on the upcoming Steam Machine. There are plenty of custom movies (Valve recently added a bunch of them to the store), generally linked to particular games, but we now have our first look at the default startup movie for the Steam Machine.

We’re getting closer to the Steam Machine release date. Valve still hasn’t revealed exactly when it will be available to purchase, but we do know that the new cubed mini PC will arrive in “early 2026”. The biggest question surrounding the device is its price – another important factor Valve is yet to announce – and the ongoing issue of RAM price hikes may be causing delays. One leaker says Valve might have to resort to selling a “bare bones” model without memory or storage, leaving them for owners to install.

Steam Machine’s default intro gets leaked

Ever-reliable Steam leaker and dataminer Brad Lynch has given us our first glimpse of what plays when you boot up the Steam Machine. He says this is an official movie, rather than a mock-up, adding that it was “datamined from Steam”. Unsurprisingly, it’s incredibly similar to the default startup movie for the Steam Deck; the main change is that it now reflects the cubed design, before morphing into the Steam logo.

As soon as the Steam Machine was announced, fans got to work creating custom startup animations. The most notable is a GameCube-style intro, which is already available to download with a couple of variations to choose from. Given just how many times we’ve seen the GameCube intro parioded over the years, it’s obvious why this was one of the first to be posted online – especially with many people referring to the device as the ‘Steam Cube’, ‘GabeCube’, or anything of that nature.

The cubed nature of the Steam Machine has also inspired a few other gaming-related designs. Keeping within the Valve theme, there’s already a limited-edition Companion Cube model announced, and custom Minecraft-themed sticker skins and 3D prints.

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.