I found myself staring at this render of a Dbrand Portal companion cube case for Valve's newly-announced Steam Machine for far too long this morning. I mean, it could be a joke, right?
For a start, it's a render, and not a particularly good one at that. For a second, it appeared on Dbrand's site a day after the Steam Machine announcement, with zero details other than a sign up form for email notifications and a smattering of "coming 2026" text, which suggests it's an idea someone might have come up with on the spot.
"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?" said Dbrand.
"Yes. The answer is yes. Even after accounting for the removable faceplate and air intake requirements, we’re confident it’s fully viable."
Steam Frame: Valve's new wireless VR headset
Steam Machine: Compact living room gaming box
Steam Controller: A controller to replace your mouse
Still, the 2026 timeframe would mean it releases in the same year as the Steam Machine, at least, and Valve has already provided the potential facility for aesthetic mods with a customisable faceplate. So, it would be something of a continuation on the theme.
Jumping on the whole Valve=Portal, Portal=Valve bit would likely shift a few units, and I can see streamers sticking it in their camshots as a bit of extra decor. Portal's cultural weight within the gaming community is strong, as evidenced by the fact I still see people making "the cake is a lie" references in 2025, over 18 years since its original release.
So, how much will it cost? No idea. How will it potentially interface with the Steam Machine? Not a clue. Do I want one? No, not really, but lots of people might. We live in confusing and uncertain times. This case, however, does not appear to be a lie. Thank you, and goodnight.
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