Steam Machine on a blueprint effect
Image: Valve/Digital Foundry

Following the release of an official e-ink screen design for the Steam Machine earlier this month and CAD files for the Steam Controller in March, Valve today published an 3D CAD file of the Steam Machine's exterior, allowing hobbyists to produce their own faceplates and other accessories.

Specifically, the file has been released under a Creative Commons "Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike 4.0 International" license, which allows sharing and adapting, but prohibits commercial work. Valve says that anyone interested in producing commercial accessories can get in touch with them directly.

The readme also mentions that "opening the outside enclosure of your Steam Machine will void a warranty you may otherwise enjoy", presumably to prevent Valve being on the hook for accidental damage caused by opening up the device.

Personally, I just hope this means that someone in the community can come up with a way of adding a GameCube-style handle to the Steam Machine. It's got to be possible, right?

What Steam Machine accessory do you want to see? (113 votes)

  1. GameCube-style handle43%
  2. New faceplate options26%
  3. Drone propellers so it can fly between TV and desk14%
  4. Stylised Steam Train with working chimney9%
  5. I have a better idea...8%

Valve also provided a blog with updates on how the Steam Machine is going, starting with the fact that FSR 4.1 is now available on Proton Experimental - and it's an absolutely transformative Steam Machine upgrade as our testing has already shown.

For those that haven't yet received a Steam Machine, Valve notes that all people in the reservation queue ought to be able to buy a unit before the end of the year. "We're fulfilling orders on a daily basis", the post says, but notes that each product and region has its own queue, so they can move at different speeds based on demand.

The post also mentions the phenomenon of buyers moving straight from the waitlist to being able to purchase without an intermediate "you're in the queue now" step; going forward, this will trigger an additional email so that you know that you've made it onto the next stage.

Have you managed to snag a Steam Machine? And what accessories would you like to see for Valve's box? Let me know in the comments below.

[source gitlab.steamos.cloud, via steamcommunity.com]