Valve issued a cease and desist statement to third-party manufacturer Dbrand to stop the company from selling Steam engine cases based on Portal's Companion Cube. The company will provide a full refund to all customers who have already purchased a Steam Machine case.
The Steam Machine launch is easily one of the biggest releases of the year, with Valve building a lot of hype around its new home console. The highly-anticipated Steam-based console supports every Steam Deck-compatible game at launch, with plans to streamline verification of game compatibility with the console. The Steam Machine is said to have performance on par with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, using Valve's proprietary SteamOS. Now, Valve has issued a takedown of the popular third-party case for the Steam Machine.
Why Valve's $1,049 Steam Machine is a better long-term investment than the PS5
The heartbreaking price of the Steam Machine may understandably put some people off, but it's still a better investment than a console.
Dbrand has ordered the Portal Steam Machine Case to be removed
Third-party accessory maker Dbrand has officially confirmed that it has delisted the Companion Cube-based Steam Machine case. The company revealed that it had removed all mention of the case from its social media accounts and website after being contacted by Valve's legal team, saying the company had not secured the correct licenses to use the Companion Cube's design. Dbrand is giving a full refund to all customers who purchased the Companion Cube case, which was originally revealed by the company shortly after the Steam Machine announcement. Dbrand actually asked Valve's legal team if there would be any possibility of securing a license in the future, which Valve denied.
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Dbrand expressed regret over how it handled the Steam Machine case, claiming that it “built first and asked for permission later”. The company said it would likely “regret this decision for a very long time” and acknowledged that Valve had the right to request the removal. Full refunds are expected to be issued by the end of June 29, with the company announcing that it “lost $99” for every copy of the Steam Machine cover sold. Dbrand's Poverty Cube case became the second fastest selling product in the store's history, beating products like the Colormatched Joy-Con 2 skins and behind only the Killswitch Switch 2 case.
The first-class debut of the Steam Machine was already controversial, especially due to the console's introductory price. Valve has confirmed that the Steam Machine will cost a staggering $1,049 at launch for the 512GB model, a noticeable increase from its PS5 and Xbox Series X/S competitors. The expected shortage of the console has already made the Steam Machine a target for scalpers before buyers even get to it, with dedicated Steam Machines selling for upwards of $2,000.
While the retail price of the Steam Machine landed significantly higher than many fans expected, Valve offered an explanation for its steep prices. Prior to the console's launch, the company confirmed that the Steam Machine would not be sold at subsidized rates, selling it at a similar price to comparable gaming PCs. The continued lack of RAM has also been cited as a major reason for the console's high price, with the company sharing that component costs rose significantly during its development. The Steam Machine looks like one of the hottest new consoles on the market, though it may cost fans more than they bargained for.
Source: Dexerto
