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According to a user post on X, the fan-made tribute to the dbrand project was made "from scratch," and is based entirely on images of dbrand's design. Ironically, whether that will incur any copyright wrath from dbrand itself remains to be seen.
Very important to note this is a fan-made print made from-scratch, based entirely on images of dbrand's design. July 19, 2026
As you can see, the project looks exactly like dbrand's companion cube. According to the Printables listing, it can be printed using a single-extruder printer as long as it lets you pause at specific layers to swap filament for other colors. Jaron says a slicer is required to get the multi-color look for the panels, but otherwise provides an extensive parts list of screws, inserts, and magnets you can acquire from Amazon to piece the project together. You will, of course, also need a Steam Machine for the full effect, as well as a soldering iron, tweezers, and a couple of screwdrivers. Helpfully, they even list the specific Sunlu and Overture filaments used to get the look.
At first glance, this is definitely not a beginner 3D printing project, but Jaron has provided extensive assembly instructions as well as multiple YouTube videos to detail the assembly process. As you might expect, popping a 3D-printed shell on your Steam Machine might impact thermals. Jaron says that they have not done any extensive thermal testing of the design, but has ensured that no airflow or vents are blocked. In fact, the additional vent in the faceplate may even aid cooling.
dbrand unveiled its Companion Cube on November 12, the day of the Steam Machine's announcement. Following extensive interest, the company says it poured thousands of hours into industrial design and injection molding, as well as promoting the Companion Cube. Unfortunately, it forgot to ask Valve for permission. "They stated that the Companion Cube is Valve intellectual property, for which dbrand does not have a license," the company admitted in a statement last month. Despite appeals, the company in the end gave up and shelved the project.
Valve threatens legal action against Dbrand over its unsanctioned Portal 2-inspired Companion Cube
AMD engineer 3D-prints Steam Machine-a-like with diagonal mobo mounting
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/3d-printing/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/3d-printing/3d-printing-enthusiast-resurrects-cancelled-dbrand-steam-machine-companion-cube-as-diy-project-project-shelved-due-to-copyright-can-now-be-made-and-assembled-at-home#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com/subscription
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.