After months of delays and desperate pleas from fans for an affordable Steam Machine, Valve finally has the when, where, and how you can buy its upcoming console-like gaming PC. And just like practically all gadgets in 2026, Valve’s big push for couch-based gaming will not be cheap.
Valve’s 6×6-inch box of gaming goodness will cost $1,350 for a bare console that comes with 2TB of storage. If you want to spend less, there’s a $1,128 512GB variant that comes bundled with Valve’s normally $100 Steam Controller. You can put your name down to preorder the console on Steam starting today, but it gets even more complicated from there.
On its page, Valve says players can “Join the list any time before June 25 at 10 a.m. PT [1 p.m. ET]. On that date, the list will be closed and randomized, and you will receive an email with your results shortly after.” Valve said in a blog post that the email should tell you whether or not you’re one of the lucky ones with the option to purchase a Steam Machine from the first batch of shipments that will go out starting June 29. Otherwise, your name will be added to the reservation queue, and you’ll have to wait to receive an option to purchase.
Essentially, Valve is indicating there is a limited number of consoles that will be available to purchase. There’s no way to guarantee you’ll be first in line to get one once June 25 rolls around. This is the strangest preorder system we’ve seen here at Gizmodo. Valve is likely expecting major shortages like it recently saw with its Steam Controller.
In its blog post, Valve blamed the high price on the ongoing RAM pricing crisis impacting PCs across the board. The company wrote that “our original goal for the price of Steam Machine is no longer viable. So the prices we’re sharing today reflect the state of the world for manufacturing; or, more accurately, it reflects the price of the components as we’ve secured them over the past 6 months.”
Valve continued: “Price wasn’t the only thing impacted by all of this: availability was as well. There were periods where we found we couldn’t source some of our components at all, at any price. More than anything else, this has impacted the number of units we’ve been able to produce for launch.”
Back in April, Valve pushed the individual Steam Controller as a means of whetting PC gamers’ appetites for its console and gaming headset set to finally arrive on gamers’ doorsteps next month. The Steam Machine should be automatically able to pair with up to four Steam Controllers at once, though you’ll still need to hang onto the included charging puck to juice them up every once and a while. Valve’s trackpad-based gamepad is also meant to be used with the Steam Frame VR gaming headset, especially when playing 2D games within the headset.
Preorders for Valve’s controller immediately sold out in early May due in part to scalpers buying up as much stock as possible. This time around, Valve is limiting preorders to one per Steam account. In order to qualify for a purchase, you’ll need to have an account that already bought something on Steam prior to now. Customers should receive an email after their preorder to confirm their purchase.
Read the full article here
