Valve has shared a new round of updates for its Steam Machine console, confirming that AMD's FSR 4.1 upscaling technology is now available through Proton Experimental for games that support the feature. According to TechPowerUp, this brings the official Proton branch in line with custom forks like Proton-GE and Proton-CachyOS, which had already offered FSR 4.1 support. Wccftech notes that Proton Experimental is a preview branch Valve typically uses to test features like this before they arrive in stable Proton releases.
Alongside the upscaling update, Valve has released CAD files for the Steam Machine's exterior shell. TechPowerUp and Tom's Hardware report the files are in STEP (STP) format and were published on GitHub, giving modders and enthusiasts precise 3D dimensions to design custom faceplates, stands, mounts, skins, and enclosures. The files include external topology such as fan mounting points, feet, and geometry for the power button and I/O, according to TechPowerUp.
The CAD files are released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-NC-SA) license, meaning they can be freely used and modified as long as creators credit Valve and share their projects under the same license, TechPowerUp reports. Tom's Hardware notes this comes after Dbrand had previously been forced to drop a Portal 2-inspired Companion Cube faceplate over a copyright dispute with Valve; under the new license, similar community-made designs can now be created without that risk. Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais commented on the GitHub release that "your Steam Machine is yours, and you have the right to do with it what you want," while cautioning that DIY case modifications could void the warranty or risk damaging the device.
On the hardware supply side, Valve provided an update on its reservation and purchase process. Wccftech and Tom's Hardware report that purchase invitations are being sent out daily to reservation holders based on their position in the queue, and that Valve expects everyone currently in the reservation queue to have the option to purchase by the end of the year. TechPowerUp specifies this timeline as the end of 2026, after which Valve will begin inviting users from the waitlist who have not yet had a chance to reserve.
Tom's Hardware adds that the reservation queue and waitlist operate on a per-product, per-region basis, meaning wait times can vary depending on demand for a particular Steam Machine configuration in a given area. In some regions, Valve has already exhausted the reservation queue for certain products and started inviting customers from the waitlist. Wccftech notes that once a purchase invitation is sent, customers have 72 hours to complete their order before the opportunity passes to the next person in line. TechPowerUp also notes that RAM remains in short supply and at a high cost, a factor Valve has previously acknowledged as part of the broader rollout challenges.