Valve is trying to get back into the hardware race with the Steam Machine, its hybrid console inspired by the PC. Announced in November 2025, it should theoretically see the light of day in the first half of 2026. However, between shortages of RAM and price increases, nothing is yet fixed.
In a blog post dated February 4, Valve acknowledges that uncertainties persist. To date, neither the final price nor the launch date have been set. The company justifies this vagueness by the surge in component prices and an unstable market which particularly affects RAM and storage.
Valve mentions shortages that force a review of prices
While the Steam Machine was supposed to represent Valve’s return to the console market, global shortages of DDR5 and NVMe SSDs are forcing the company to review its copy. It is these increases which call into question the price initially envisaged for the console and for the Steam Frame headset.
Despite everything, Valve assures that it will meet its launch goal in the first half of the year: “Our goal of delivering all three products in the first half of the year remains unchanged. But we still need to work to finalize prices and launch dates so that we can announce them with certainty.”
Scalable SSD and memory to appeal to technophiles
Good news for customization enthusiasts: the Steam Machine will be equipped with a replaceable NVMe 2230 or 2280 SSD and upgradeable DDR5 SODIMM memory. A strategic choice that will allow users to adapt it to their needs.
Valve specifies that the majority of Steam games already run in 4K at 60 fps with FSR activated, although some titles will require more flexible settings. The company is working in parallel to integrate HDMI VRR and optimize ray tracing.
An exit maintained but surrounded by uncertainties
Officially, no delay has been announced. But in the absence of a specific release date, consumer confidence could erode. At a time when Nintendo’s Switch 2 is monopolizing attention, the Steam Machine will have to do much more than promise to convince.
Valve has promised to continue communicating “as best it can” with its customers. In the meantime, many questions remain, and players will still have to wait to find out how much the machine will cost them, and when it will actually arrive.