Maker Rebuilds dbrand's Cancelled Steam Companion Cube as a 3D Print

Valve killed it, a maker rebuilt it

Earlier this month dbrand pulled the plug on its Steam Machine Companion Cube, a Portal-themed shell for Valve's new in-home console. The reason was plain: dbrand never secured a license for Valve's intellectual property, and Valve made clear it would act. Now a Printables user named Jaron has done what dbrand could not, rebuilding the cube as a downloadable DIY print.

From scratch, off photos

Jaron's model, listed as 'Steam Machine Companion Cube Case,' was built from scratch using only images of dbrand's design. It is an unofficial tribute, not affiliated with Valve or dbrand, and it is meant for people who want the look without waiting for an official product that will likely never come.

The build is not for absolute beginners. You can print it on a single-extruder machine, but you need to pause at specific layers to swap filament for the panel colors. Jaron notes a slicer is required for the multi-color effect, and the parts list runs to screws, heat-set inserts, and magnets, the kind of hardware you would normally grab from Amazon. Specific Sunlu and Overture filaments are called out to match the look.

The details that matter

Assembly needs more than printed parts. Jaron lists a soldering iron, tweezers, and a couple of screwdrivers, and provides extensive written instructions plus several YouTube videos walking through the build. You also need an actual Steam Machine for the full effect, which at $1,049 is a pricier buy than most consoles.

One open question is thermals. Popping a printed shell over a small gaming PC could trap heat, but Jaron says no vents or airflow paths are blocked, and the faceplate adds its own vent that may even help. No formal thermal testing was done, so treat that as a plausible claim rather than a guarantee.

Why this keeps happening

The dbrand case is a clean example of how 3D printing absorbs products that companies cancel, shelve, or never ship. When a design exists as photos or a concept, someone will eventually reconstruct it as a printable file. dbrand poured thousands of hours into industrial design and injection molding before Valve stepped in. A weekend maker with a bed printer and patience just gave the rest of us a shot at the result.

If you own a Steam Machine and want the cube, the files are out there. Just do not expect dbrand, or Valve, to ship you one.