Valve just posted everything you need to build the Steam Machine’s e-ink faceplate yourself. The project is called “Inkterface,” it first showed up alongside the Steam hardware reveal last year, and the full package is now sitting on Valve’s GitLab: 3D print files, a complete bill of materials, firmware, and step-by-step assembly instructions with a video to walk you through it.
The timing is no accident. The Steam Machine started landing on doorsteps this week, so early owners who got sold on that papery stats screen finally have a way to make one.
What’s in the kit
Everything is free and public on the project’s GitLab page. You get the CAD files to print the cover, the firmware, assembly docs in both PDF and video form, and a bill of materials so you know exactly what to buy.
The parts list is short. You’ll need an Adafruit ESP32 Feather, an eInk Breakout Friend, a 5.83-inch e-ink panel, a handful of M2.5 screws, and a few small magnets. Print the cover, solder the board, flash the firmware, and you’re done. The soldering is the only intimidating step, and the video covers it.
What it actually does
The panel talks to the Steam Machine over Bluetooth, not a physical connection. That’s the smart part. Nothing you build plugs into the guts of the machine, so there’s no real risk of frying anything on your brand new cube. Once it’s paired, you can push live hardware stats to the front, CPU and GPU temps and similar telemetry, plus custom images if you’d rather it show art than numbers.
Software is the one rough edge right now. Valve says an official Steam app is coming later. Until then you build your own AppImage from the instructions on the repo. Not plug-and-play, but if you’re already 3D printing and soldering a faceplate, you’re not the type to be scared off by that.
JSAUX is building a pre-made one
Not everyone owns a 3D printer or wants to solder anything. Good news there too. JSAUX has been teasing its own e-ink faceplate since late last year, and the landing page still reads “coming 2026.” They’ve said they’re planning both “Ink and Pixel” versions. Current renders show a full white shell swap with the e-ink panel built in, which points to a complete case kit rather than just a front cover.
JSAUX beat Valve to the punch on the Steam Deck dock a few years back, so I’d expect them to move fast now that the Steam Machine is actually shipping. If you want the e-ink look without touching a soldering iron, that’s the one to watch.
Why this matters
Valve keeps handing this stuff to the community instead of locking it down. Open faceplate design files, an open Inkterface project, none of the proprietary lock-in you’d get from Sony or Nintendo. If the Steam Machine sells the way early demand suggests, expect a wave of third-party faceplates, ink and otherwise.