Valve revealed three products in November, its PC/console hybrid, the Steam Machine being the one gamers are anticipating most, with a goal of releasing them during the first six months of 2026. The Steam studio has confirmed that remains the goal, but due to memory and storage shortages, both the shipping schedule and the price of the Steam Machine and Steam Frame will need to be reassessed.
Valve Is Still Going To Try And Release The Steam Machine Within The Next Four Months
Valve issued an update on the whereabouts of the Steam Machine on Wednesday, likely in response to AMD confirming that the cube that will let you play PC games on your TV is still “on track” to be released early this year. While Valve agrees, it isn’t quite as confident, explaining in its statement that it still aims to release the Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and new Steam Controller before the end of June 2026.
The statement also notes that, if it weren’t for memory shortages and the price of RAM going through the roof, not only would we know a firm release date for the Steam Machine by now, but we’d also know the one thing we’re all dying to know – how much this thing is going to cost.
“When we announced these products in November, we planned on being able to share specific pricing and launch dates by now,” the statement reads. “The limited availability and growing prices of these critical components [memory and storage] mean we must revisit our exact shipping schedule and pricing (especially around Steam Machine and Steam Frame).”
It Sounds Like Valve Had A Price In Mind, But Plans Have Changed
That Valve seemingly had a price in mind for the Steam Machine but has been forced to revisit that price isn’t a promising sign for anyone who might have been hoping its contribution to the console space might be affordable. It already warned consumers that the Machine will be priced more like a PC than a console, leading some to assume that means we’re going to be looking at the better part of $1,000 if we want to own one at launch.
YouTuber Linus Tech Tips Hints That Valve’s Steam Machine Might Be More Expensive Than A Standard Console
It sounds like the Steam Machine may not be the cheaper PC alternative many were hoping for.
That’s starting to feel like it might almost be a given, although there is hope. Valve confirmed during the Steam Machine’s reveal that there will be two size options – 512GB and 2TB. Although the 2TB one will almost certainly cost close to $1,000, if not a little more, even with Valve’s revisiting of the Machine’s prices, there’s still hope, albeit not much, that the 512GB model isn’t so unaffordable that it drives away most casual gamers.
In the meantime, Valve plans on keeping everyone up-to-date with plans for the Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller via its blog. It has already shared new information about the Machine as part of today’s update, answering FAQs about which games will run in 4K at 60FPS, and which of the console’s components will be upgradeable.
- Brand
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Valve
- Operating System
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SteamOS 3 (Arch-based)
- Processor
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Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 6C / 12T up to 4.8 GHz, 30W TDP
- Resolution
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Up to 4K @ 240Hz or 8K@60Hz
- HDR Support
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Yes
- Original Release Date
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2026
