- Valve recommits to a 2026 launch for the Steam Machine
- There had previously been rumors of a delay into 2027
- The RAM crisis could still have an impact on the retail pricing
Valve has again committed to launching the Steam Machine during the course of 2026, after worries that the RAM crisis might cause a delay — though it seems it might miss the original goal of getting the hardware to users before the end of March.
In a blog post on Friday, Valve had initially said that “we hope to ship in 2026” regarding the Steam Machine. That set alarm bells ringing for some, and seemed to cast doubt over promises made to launch the device during the course of this year.
However, as The Verge reports, Valve has since clarified that the Steam Machine will indeed be showing up during this year. “Nothing has actually changed on our end,” Valve PR representative Kaci Aitchison Boyle told The Verge.
The blog post wording has also been updated accordingly, committing to a 2026 arrival for the Steam Machine — together with the Steam Frame wireless virtual reality headset and the Steam Controller that acts as an accessory for both.
Pricing to be confirmed
The confirmation that we’re getting the Steam Machine sometime in 2026 is absolutely welcome news, even if the initial promises of an “early 2026” or Q1 (January, February, March) launch seem unlikely to be kept at this point.
It’s clear that the ongoing RAM shortage, driven by skyrocketing AI data center demand, has had an effect on all hardware makers. Valve has already admitted that memory supply chain restrictions are impacting Steam Deck OLED stock levels.
How this ultimately plays out in terms of Steam Machine availability and pricing remains to be seen. The console-like mini PC is going to come with 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM, as per the specs previously released by Valve.
“More updates will be shared as we finalize our plans,” explains Valve, so watch this space. Last month the indications were that we’d see the device in the first half of the year, as Valve announced it would “revisit” its shipping schedule and pricing plans.
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