If you don't buy this for your Steam Machine, Valve should probably cancel your pre-order

Oh, if only Steam Machine pre-orders were already open… Sadly, our wait for "early 2026" and the Steam Machine release date isn't to be accompanied by the reassuring knowledge that an order is already filed. While you wait for go-time, though, if you're looking for the perfect gear to accompany your new living room PC, make a note here. Yes, it's the Steam Machine Dbrand Companion Cube, a true triumph of tech collaboration.

As what's set to be perhaps the best mini gaming PC available when it lands, the Steam Machine is already a stylish option, thanks to its teeny weeny proportions and clean, all-black build. Plus, you'll even be able to swap its front panel and take advantage of the 17-LED strip of light that runs along its front edge to customize its design. However, if instead of styling your Steam Machine your own way, you're looking to show true allegiance to Valve and its history, the Companion Cube case surely has to be on your wishlist.

The purveyor of tech skins and cases hasn't elaborated on what the Dbrand Companion Cube actually is, with it simply announcing the product with a single picture and the option to sign up to get notified when it becomes available. However, what it appears to be is a full case for the Steam Machine fashioned into the shape of perhaps the cutest inanimate object known to man: the Weighted Companion Cube.

For those unfamiliar, the Weighted Companion Cube is a… well, it's a cube, but a really cute one. It of course features in Portal and Portal 2, both widely regarded - by us included - as some of the greatest games ever made. And the Weighted Companion Cube is one of the cubes used in the game to manipulate its physics puzzles, but with hearts.

While the description of a companion cube doesn't exactly paint the most exciting picture, the charming situation of their introduction in those games makes them one of the most beloved digital creations ever. And, ultimately, the Steam Machine is a cube, so why wouldn't you want to make it a cube that can keep you company?

Of course, Valve isn't just looking to tempt its long-term fans with the Steam Machine but is instead looking to have its compact mini gaming PC appeal to the wider gaming community that might only be used to console gaming and wouldn't know a Weighted Companion Cube from a Zero-Point Energy Field Manipulator. Still, even if you're not familiar with Portal and its cubes, there's no denying the Dbrand Companion Cube just looks cool.

While we wait for the Machine and its Cube to arrive, though, you can always check out Dbrand's range of Steam Deck and other handheld skins and cases. This pink version at least evokes the color of the Companion Cube.