Valve has announced that it will not be producing its own e-ink display for the Steam Machine, but instead has open-sourced the design [1]. This move allows users to create their own custom e-ink displays for the Steam Machine. The design files are available on GitLab under the MIT license, which includes everything needed to make your own display [2]. The e-ink display, now called the 'Inkterface', requires several components to build, including an Adafruit ESP32 Feather, an Adafruit eInk Breakout Friend, and an Adafruit 5.83' Monochrome eInk Panel [3].
Valve has also provided a video tutorial on how to assemble the display. This open-sourcing of the e-ink screen design is a significant move, as it allows users to customize their Steam Machines and create unique displays. It also demonstrates Valve's commitment to the open-source community and its willingness to collaborate with users. The potential applications of this technology are vast, and it will be interesting to see how users choose to utilize it.
As one commenter noted, 'Someone will make it run Doom' [4]. The open-sourcing of the e-ink screen design is a significant development in the world of gaming and technology.
Sources
- https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/SteamHardware/SteamMachine/inkterface
- https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/07/valve-open-source-the-steam-machine-e-ink-screen-so-you-can-make-your-own/
- https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/07/valve-open-source-the-steam-machine-e-ink-screen-so-you-can-make-your-own/
- https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/07/valve-open-source-the-steam-machine-e-ink-screen-so-you-can-make-your-own/#comments
