Half-Life 3 hype is officially at an all-time high, despite there not being a bona fide reason for the new rumors outside insider speculation and cryptic whispers throughout the industry. One of the newest and biggest driving forces surrounding recent Half-Life 3 rumors is the announcement of Steam’s new hardware, particularly the Steam Machine.

According to a report from Games Radar, business analyst Professor Joost van Dreunen suggests that Half-Life 3 as a launch title for the Steam Machine would be absolutely massive, and that “its impact would register on a GDP level.” However, he also notes that exclusive games “run against Valve’s apparent thesis,” and that Half-Life 3 only being available via Steam is highly unlikely.

Half-Life 3 Could Be A Huge Steam Machine Seller

After rumored announcements of Half-Life 3 failed to come to fruition over the past week, players think Valve might be gearing up for a possible reveal at The Game Awards 2025. These rumors were only exacerbated after a cryptic social media post from TGA host Geoff Keighley (via X), and on top of the announcement of the Steam Machine and other Valve hardware, players are all but convinced that Half-Life 3 is happening soon.

Unfortunately, all this hopium lately is all based on very thin evidence of a real announcement. As the above analyst suggests, the likelihood of a Steam Machine exclusive announcement of Half-Life 3 cuts against the core ethos at Valve, and a launch title implies exclusivity. It is technically possible that Half-Life 3 would be revealed for all platforms, but that would also mean it’s a bit unnecessary for the announcement to coincide with the Steam Machine launch.

Valve’s New Console Is Set To Be An Expensive Machine

Valve’s new Steam Machine is essentially a console-PC hybrid, but it’s set to launch with PC prices, meaning players should start saving now if they plan on picking one up at launch. The pricing of the console was confirmed in recent insider leaks, which suggest that the Steam Machine “will be priced like a PC,” i.e., it’s likely going to be far more expensive than any other modern consoles on the market.

That said, the Steam Machine’s pricing likely won’t box out most fans (sorry), as the investment in a PC-console hybrid with access to your entire Steam library is incredibly appealing for most gamers. That said, the cost may be a deterrent for a large portion of gamers as well, which is further fuel for Half-Life 3 speculation correlating to the Steam Machine launch. Needless to say, Half-Life 3 has still not been confirmed, and gamers will have to rely on the hope that changes soon.