Bad news for PC gamers waiting for Valve’s return to the hardware living room: The highly anticipated PC gamers waiting for Valve’s return to the living room face bad news. Valve has delayed the highly anticipated Steam Machine.
Valve originally slated the release for “early 2026.” However, the company announced it must revisit its shipping schedule and pricing plans. An ongoing crisis in the memory and storage markets caused this change. This delay affects the console, the upcoming Steam Frame, and the new Steam Controller.
The Core Problem: A Memory Crisis
Valve told journalists to expect shipments in Q1 2026 when they announced the hardware in November. However, the tech landscape shifted dramatically in just a few months.
The price of RAM has tripled. In some cases, it has even quadrupled. Memory manufacturers are pivoting their supply toward the more profitable AI server market. This shortage forced Valve to pause.
“The limited availability and growing prices of these critical components mean we must revisit our exact shipping schedule and pricing,” Valve stated in a new post.
“Revisiting” the Price
A major selling point of the new Steam Machine was its price. Valve positioned it “closer to the entry-level of the PC space.” Similarly, they targeted a lower price for the Steam Frame headset compared to the previous $999 Index.
Skyrocketing component costs now jeopardize those aggressive price points. Valve admits they still aim to ship all three products in the first half of 2026. However, they need time to land on concrete pricing before they make an announcement.
AMD’s Perspective
Interestingly, AMD CEO Lisa Su recently mentioned the console on an earnings call. She stated that Valve was “on track” to begin shipping the AMD-powered device early this year.
However, her specific phrasing—“from a product standpoint”—now carries significant weight. The hardware itself may be ready. Yet, the economics of building it at scale have become a logistical nightmare.
What Now?
For now, gamers must wait. Valve promised to update the community “as soon as possible.” We await news on the new launch window and, more importantly, the final cost.
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