Valve updates Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller release to 'during 2026' amid memory and SSD shortages, possibly raising prices by $100-200.
© RusPhotoBank
Valve has updated its delivery targets for the Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and the new Steam Controller. While the company previously aimed to release the devices in the first half of 2026, official materials now use a more vague phrasing: "during 2026." This suggests the launch could shift to the second half of the year.
Originally, the launch was slated for early 2026, but Valve had already delayed timelines due to global shortages of memory and storage. Supply chain issues persist, creating uncertainty not only around the release date but also pricing, particularly for the Steam Machine. Unlike Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo, Valve does not plan to sell hardware at a loss, so costs will directly depend on market prices for components.
The situation is complicated by a sharp rise in memory and SSD prices, driven by high demand from the AI industry. Estimates indicate this could increase the final device price by $100–200, with the version featuring a 2TB NVMe drive likely seeing the biggest impact.
For readers, this is important because the Steam Machine will feature a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 processor (6 cores / 12 threads) and RDNA 3 graphics with 28 compute units, 16GB of DDR5 and 8GB of GDDR6 memory, support for 4K up to 240Hz via DisplayPort 1.4 and up to 120Hz via HDMI 2.0, Wi-Fi 6E, and SteamOS 3 based on Arch Linux. Valve promises to reveal more precise launch timelines later, once plans are finalized.