Best Steam Machine accessories right now: faceplates, SSDs, and more

The Steam Machine launched with a lot of customization promise — swappable magnetic faceplates, those flat sides practically screaming for skins — but the accessory market is still catching up. Most of the usual names haven't shown up yet, and the options that do exist require a bit of digging.

On the faceplate front, the best option right now is the GamersNexus SteamVent Downpour. It comes in several colors, includes an optional dust filter, and according to GamersNexus's own Steam Machine review, it can actually improve CPU and GPU thermals compared to the stock panel. The trade-off: because it pulls more air through the front of the machine, less flows up through the bottom, which can leave the internal SSD running a little warmer. Beyond the Downpour, your choices are mostly unknown storefronts or Etsy sellers — buyer beware. If you can wait, JSaux is working on an E-ink faceplate that mimics the Inkterface Valve showed off at reveal. Valve open-sourced that design for DIYers but isn't selling it directly.

For internal storage upgrades, the article recommends just paying Valve the $200 to jump to a 2TB SSD if that's your target — every comparable M.2 NVMe drive from a reputable brand costs more when bought separately. If you want to push to 4TB, which the Steam Machine supports and Valve doesn't offer as an upgrade tier, you'll need to source your own. The WD Black SN7100 4TB is flagged as the current best pick at that capacity. RAM replacement is technically possible but painful enough that the guide skips it entirely and sticks to SSD recommendations.

The accessory ecosystem is still thin, but it's moving. JSaux has a clear enclosure and the E-ink display in the pipeline for later this year, and more established accessory makers will likely follow once the install base grows. In the meantime, Steam Controller skins exist, any controller that works on Steam Deck works here too, and the machine takes microSD cards — so there are more ways to personalize and expand it than the sparse faceplate market might suggest.