Portal Companion Cube Case
dbrand Opens Preorders for Portal-Inspired Companion Cube Steam Machine Enclosure
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dbrand’s dbrand/T3 description notes the Steam Machine inside the Companion Cube is “pretty much nothing, except sit there,” adding that even if you have a “pressure switch” at home, you could use it to “activate something,” but otherwise the enclosure is “purely aesthetic.” The premium bundle is also said to include a “Super Button stand that doesn’t actually do anything but looks good.”
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PCGuide reports the enclosure supports “two different ‘height profiles’” to keep the LED bar visible, and quotes dbrand describing the case as offering “uninhibited airflow,” with the “rear I/O” unobstructed (details beyond the summary’s general airflow/LED visibility).
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SteamDeckHQ’s hands-on write-up says the case is made with a polycarbonate/polyurethane shell and uses “screws and magnets” to make cleaning easier; it also describes the hardware feel and assembly: “It feels very high-quality… The bottom and back both have holes for the vents and airflow,” and it’s “very easy to put together.”
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IGN’s listings for the $129.99 tier specify additional Portal-themed inclusions not detailed in the summary: a fold-out “test chamber,” a “cake-themed suede cloth,” and a “red button base stand,” alongside the orange-and-blue Portal-themed Steam Controller skin.
Accessory maker dbrand opened pre-orders on June 22 for a Portal-inspired enclosure that turns Valve's upcoming Steam Machine into a Weighted Companion Cube. The premium "Companion Cube" bundle costs $129.95 and ships in late July, while the budget "Poverty Cube" runs $99.95 but won't arrive until October, according to The Verge.
The timing has set off speculation that Valve is close to announcing its own pre-order window. dbrand is selling a case for a console that customers still cannot actually buy — a fact Gizmodo flagged as raising consumer protection questions if Valve's launch slips again.
What You Get Inside Each Cube Bundle
The $129.95 premium tier packs in a surprising amount of Portal-themed collectibles. IGN lists a fold-out "test chamber" diorama, a cake-themed suede cloth, a red button base stand, and an orange-and-blue Portal-themed Steam Controller skin. There is also a "Super Button stand that doesn't actually do anything but looks good," dbrand noted.
The $99.95 "Poverty Cube" ships in a plain brown box and skips all the collectibles. Forbes called the omission a "monster" move. The budget tier still gets the physical enclosure itself — just none of the extras, and a three-month longer wait.
A Polycarbonate Shell Built Around Airflow and LEDs
The case wraps entirely around the Steam Machine using removable magnetic front and back panels. Those panels snap off for easier cleaning and port access, according to The Shortcut. The enclosure measures 186.6mm on each side — roughly 7.3 inches — and weighs about 1.05kg.
SteamDeckHQ got hands-on time with the case and called it "very high-quality." It uses a polycarbonate and polyurethane shell held together with screws and magnets. The bottom and back have cutouts for vents. PCGuide adds that two different height profiles keep the Steam Machine's front LED bar visible no matter how you orient the setup.
dbrand Is Selling Beauty, Not Function — and Knows It
dbrand is upfront about what the case actually does. The Steam Machine inside the Companion Cube is "pretty much nothing, except sit there," the company said, as reported by T3. The rear ports stay fully unobstructed and airflow is "uninhibited," but beyond that, the enclosure is "purely aesthetic."
That honesty has not slowed demand. The case taps directly into nostalgia for Valve's Portal franchise, and the premium bundle's collectibles give it an appeal beyond just protection. Still, buyers are pre-ordering a $130 box for hardware they cannot yet purchase.
Valve's Steam Machine Has Already Slipped Once This Year
Valve announced the new Steam Machine in November 2025, targeting an "early 2026" launch. In February 2026, the company pushed that window back, blaming a global shortage of DDR5 RAM driven by surging AI infrastructure demand. DDR5 32GB module prices peaked near $490 before easing to $379 in late March, according to Trusted Reviews.
In May 2026, Reddit leaks suggested Valve imported roughly 50 tons of game console hardware, signaling that mass production is moving. dbrand's late-July shipping window for the premium Cube implies the Steam Machine itself could reach customers by early August — if everything holds.
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