dbrand is turning the Steam Machine into the Companion Cube from Portal

This is a triumph

(Credit: dbrand)

• 🩷 dbrand is creating a custom skin to transform Valve’s newly announced Steam Machine into the Companion Cube from the game Portal

• 😍 This modification transforms the entire system, going beyond the removable front plate

• 🤔 dbrand confirmed the design is “fully viable” despite the system’s design requirements

• 📅 The Companion Cube modification is expected to release in early 2026, coinciding with the Steam Machine launch

Valve only just announced its Steam Machine less than 24 hours ago, but dbrand has already come up with the best way to customize Valve’s console-PC hybrid: by turning it into the Companion Cube from Portal.

Valve’s tiny PC has a removable front plate that you can swap out for a different aesthetic, but dbrand’s solution transforms the entire system into the faithful Companion Cube.

In an email, dbrand said: “After yesterday’s announcement of the Steam Machine, we asked our Industrial Design team the only sensible question: Can we turn this thing into a real-life Companion Cube? Yes. The answer is yes. Even after accounting for the removable faceplate and air intake requirements, we’re confident it’s fully viable.”

dbrand said it will share more details about the Steam Machine Companion Cube over the coming months, but you can register your interest now. It’s set to release in early 2026, the same time as Valve launches the Steam Machine, Steam Controller and Steam Frame.

It’s great that we can already transform the look of the console into something as iconic as the Companion Cube. It’ll be interesting to see what other customization options become available after the system launches.

While we’re still waiting for Valve to announce a price, the Steam Machine just put the PS5 and Xbox on notice. It’s the second time Valve has made a bid for the living room, but it feels like it’s never had a better opportunity to gain some market share from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.

Up next: PlayStation 27-inch Gaming Monitor: predicted price, pre-order, release date and features

Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.