Dbrand's Latest Stunt: A Companion Cube for a Machine That's… Well, Let's Just Say 'Unseen'

Ah, Dbrand. You’ve just gotta love 'em, don't you? Known for their slick, high-quality device skins and, perhaps even more so, for their utterly irreverent marketing. And honestly, their latest bit of digital mischief is right on brand, pun intended. They’ve gone and teased a new skin, yes, but not just any skin, and certainly not for any old gadget you can actually buy right now.

We’re talking about a ‘Companion Cube’ skin, dear readers, a glorious nod to Valve’s iconic Portal series. But wait, there’s a twist, because of course there is. This isn't for your beloved Steam Deck, nor your Switch, or even a fancy new laptop. No, Dbrand, in their infinite wisdom (or perhaps just their boundless capacity for trolling), has announced this particular gem for Valve’s Steam Machine — and get this — it's slated to arrive in 2026.

Now, if you're scratching your head, wondering, “A Steam Machine? Didn't those… you know… not really take off?” You’d be absolutely right. Valve’s grand foray into living room PCs, launched way back when, ultimately sputtered out. So, to tease a skin for a device that, let’s be frank, barely registered a blip on the gaming radar, and then to push its release date out to a futuristic 2026? It’s peak Dbrand. It truly is.

The Companion Cube, for those unfamiliar, is more than just a box in Portal; it’s a character, a loyal (if inanimate) friend in a sterile, often hostile, testing environment. It offers solace, and a dash of dark humor. To slap that image onto a device that felt, in many ways, similarly abandoned, well, that’s just brilliant, isn’t it? It’s a knowing wink to Valve’s past, and a playful jab at, well, everything.

One can't help but wonder what the long game is here. Is this a cheeky nod to a potential, highly improbable Steam Machine revival? Or perhaps, more likely, it’s just Dbrand being Dbrand: experts at generating buzz, making us smile, and reminding us that sometimes, the best way to sell something is to tease something completely absurd. And honestly, for once, I’m perfectly fine with being played. We’ll just have to wait, with bated breath and a healthy dose of skepticism, to see if 2026 brings forth a Steam Machine worthy of its Companion Cube.