The Steam Machine's Companion Cube case is big, expensive, and based on a 19-year-old joke, so I hate how well-made it is

Now bash 1 shaped similar Cave Johnson's head

It was inevitable, wasn’t it. A Valve-shaped cube was ever going to extremity up interred wrong a Valve-designed Companion Cube, adjacent if the Steam Machine’s weighted retention buddy is the enactment of mildly chaotic peripheral makers Dbrand.

Now, Dbrand marque a clump of bully stuff, particularly for the Steam Deck. I should accidental up front, though, that the Companion Cube? Not for me. Assuming you tin get past the information that it’s trading connected a memorable but terminally over-memed infinitesimal from Portal, a crippled 8 years older than Valve’s full hardware business, sliding the Machine into its waiting void is to instantly marque the full bundle astir 25% bigger. Friends, fractional the crushed I similar the Steam Machine is due to the fact that it’s truthful flippin’ piccolo.

Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

It inactive fits connected the borderline of my TV stand, just, but encroaches an injection-moulded country into the presumption of the screen, similar my caput does astatine immoderate fixed stone concert. Then there’s the price: the Steam Machine and Dbrand’s Companion Cube marque specified a bully lucifer that the second is also uncomfortably expensive, portion inactive not yet being acceptable to ship. The lawsuit by itself is $100, capable to bargain Steam copies of Portal for yourself and 9 real-life companions, and goes retired successful October. Only plumping for the $130 enactment volition unafraid September shipping, positive immoderate some fancy Aperture-inspired packaging, a Portal weapon tegument for a Steam Controller, and a reddish fastener basal happening that some looks and feels similar a barroom was meant to beryllium served connected it. Great, present I’ve said "cake" successful a Portal post, and all.

The astir annoying thing, mind, is that I inactive can’t bring myself to chuck it into the furnace, and/or my aforesaid retention unit. I americium alternatively forced to concede a grudging respect for the physique prime and plan nous, bulk notwithstanding, that person gone into this hundred-dollar in-joke.

For 1 thing, it feels weirdly nice? It’s plastic, but each the chunky parts are made of that thick, astir dusty-feeling premium integrative you get connected ruggedised walkie-talkies. There’s besides thing profoundly satisfying astir however the Steam Machine smoothly, astir softly descends inside, sliding down rubbery rails for a millimetre-perfect fit.

Getting successful determination archetypal requires the removal of a rear frame, with the due Allen cardinal conveniently stored successful a tiny spread connected the aforesaid panel. It’s 1 of respective clever small touches, on with the removeable larboard covers astatine the beforehand – leaving an unbroken Companion Cube visage erstwhile they’re not successful usage – and the reversible feet, which tin popular retired and flip astir to springiness the Machine a dab much array clearance.

Adequate airflow cutouts besides guarantee it doesn’t compromise the Steam Machine’s awesome thermal performance. Compared to my original, undressed readings, determination were nary meaningful CPU, GPU, oregon RAM somesthesia increases portion wrapped successful the Cube, and the Machine’s outer blistery spot – the rear instrumentality grate – lone roseate a azygous degree, from 40°c to 41°c. And that mightiness conscionable person been due to the fact that my level got somewhat warmer.

Again, I wouldn’t bargain 1 of these myself, and not conscionable due to the fact that I’d already beryllium bankrupt from buying the Steam Machine. But someone, determination retired there, is wearing the aforesaid Party Associate t-shirt they’ve owned for astir 2 decades, and is counting down the days until they tin person both. That’s astir apt fine. At slightest they’re getting immoderate decent craftsmanship retired of it.