Valve releases MIT-licensed 'Inkterface' plans for a DIY Steam Machine e-ink front plate

Valve has published everything needed to build an e-ink display for the front of the upcoming Steam Machine, but it won’t sell the part itself. The design—dubbed the ‘Inkterface’—lives on Valve’s GitLab under the MIT license, complete with a build video and a full parts list built around off-the-shelf Adafruit components: an ESP32 Feather with 2MB PSRAM, an eInk Breakout Friend, and a 5.83-inch monochrome panel, plus screws and magnets. The display was teased to early reviewers but was always meant as a demonstration rather than a shipping feature.

The screen ties into a broader modding approach Valve is taking with the hardware. Alongside the Inkterface, Valve is releasing STL files so owners can 3D-print and swap the machine’s front plates entirely; the e-ink panel is just one example of what those replaceable faces make possible. Nothing here is standard equipment—it’s a reference design meant to signal that the front of the box is open to third-party and hobbyist customization.

That opening is likely to attract accessory makers. JSAUX, which floated Steam Machine front-plate plans in late 2025, still intends to ship ‘Ink & Pixel’ versions, and Valve’s release lowers the barrier for others to offer pre-built variants if the console sells well. Practical uses remain fuzzy—reading e-books or showing status while a game loads is about the extent of it—but the move fits Valve’s pattern of handing hardware openness to its community rather than locking it down.