Lilbits: OpenAI phone, Steam Machine, and the death of Copilot for Xbox

by · Liliputing

The rising prices of memory and storage in recent months have impacted the pricing and availability of all sorts of computers and other devices. But major PC makers like Apple and Lenovo have a bit more leverage to negotiate prices than smaller players like Framework and Valve.

While Framework has been raising memory prices on an almost monthly basis, Valve has pushed back the launch of its Steam Machine console-like mini PC and Steam Frame VR headset. And the company’s popular Steam Deck handheld has been out of stock for months. Now it looks like the company could finally be preparing to sell… something.

Counterclockwise from top left: Steam Frame, Steam Machine, Steam Controller, Steam Deck

Valve still hasn’t announced pricing or availability for the Steam Machine or Steam Frame, but it looks like the company has been shipping literal tons of products into the country in recent days. And given that Valve is primarily a software company (known for the Steam game platform and popular games including Portal, Half-Life, and Counter-Strike), it’s highly likely that the physical goods in those shipping containers are either Steam Decks, Steam Machines, Steam Frames, or some combination thereof.

Or maybe it’s just an awful lot of the company’s new Steam Controllers.

Valve has delayed the release date of its Steam Machine game console/mini PC, but The Verge is reading the tea leaves of shipping manifests to make an educated guess that Valve has started bringing new hardware into the country (whether it’s ready for sale or not). www.theverge.com/news/923461/…
[image or embed]
— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) May 5, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Last year Microsoft announced plans to bring Copilot to Xbox, offering AI-assisted gaming advice by observing & reacting as you play. Now Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced MS is scrapping Copilot for Xbox. www.engadget.com/2165562/xbox…
[image or embed]
— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) May 5, 2026 at 5:32 PM
The Typeframe PS-85 is an open source cyberdeck with a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W, a 40% keyboard, and a retro-futuristic look (and keycap stickers) inspired by the Alien movies. Designed by the same person as the Typeframe PX-88 portable computer. www.typeframe.net/docs/ps-85
[image or embed]
— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) May 5, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Apple Cuts More Mac Studio and Mac Mini RAM Options as Memory Shortage Worsens
[image or embed]
— MacRumors.com (@macrumors.bsky.social) May 5, 2026 at 3:36 PM
OpenAI could launch a smartphone in the first half of 2027 in an effort to put agentic AI in the palm of your hands (although it’s unclear how different this would be from using the ChatGPT app on other phones with decent specs). www.macrumors.com/2026/05/05/o…
[image or embed]
— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) May 5, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Most USB-C cables look the same, which makes it hard to know if they support 480 Mbps or 80 Gbps speeds or 2.5W or 240W charging. This open source macOS describes what a cable connected to your computer can actually do. boingboing.net/2026/05/05/w…
[image or embed]
— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) May 5, 2026 at 1:49 PM

Keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Bluesky or @bradlinder@fosstodon.org on Mastodon. You can also follow Liliputing on Threads and Facebook.