Valve Confirms Steam Machine Will Cost Over $1,000. Here’s How to Buy One – PCMag

UPDATE 6/22: Valve today confirmed the pricing for its Steam Machine, and it’s not cheap. The 512GB version will cost $1,049, while the 2TB version is an eye-popping $1,349.

If you didn’t grab a Steam Controller earlier this year, a bundle that includes the accessory and a 512GB Steam Machine costs $1,128. The 2TB bundle is $1,428. With or without the Controller, the 2TB version includes two additional faceplates: red fabric and solid walnut.

(Credit: Valve)

Valve notes that the RAM crunch has impacted pricing. “The overall effect is that our original goal for the price of [the] Steam Machine is no longer viable,” it says. “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 six months.”

The company also says it’s been having trouble finding necessary parts. “There were periods where we found we couldn’t source some of our components at all, at any price, [which] has impacted the number of units we’ve been able to produce for launch.”

How to Buy a Steam Machine

As it did with the Steam Controller, Valve will sell the Steam Machine via a reservation system to ward off resellers.

Now through 10 a.m. PT on June 25, buyers can sign up for the Steam Machine model or bundle they want. To sign up, you need to meet the following criteria.

• You must have a Steam account in good standing.

• You must have made a purchase on Steam prior to April 27, 2026.

• Limit one signup per household. (Valve will use payment method, shipping address, and other information to eliminate multiple entries.)

After 10 a.m. PT on Thursday, Valve will close signups and “do a one-time randomization to determine the reservation and waitlist order,” it says.

You’ll receive an email on June 25, which means you’ve “been added to the reservation queue and a Steam Machine has been reserved in your name,” Valve says. “As units become available for shipment, people in the reservation queue will receive an email with the option to purchase.”

The first round of emails with the purchase option will go out on Monday, June 29, and you’ll have 72 hours to buy before the reservation is canceled and Valve moves to the next person.

Valve is shipping to North America, the United Kingdom/European Union, and Australia. Valve distributor Komodo is handling orders in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. The Steam Machine won’t be shipping in South Korea.

Original Story 6/5:
After multiple delays due to the ongoing memory shortage, Valve’s second-gen Steam Machine and the Steam Frame VR headset may finally be ready for release.

“Today we are expanding the Verified program to include Steam Machine and Steam Frame, both of which are shipping this summer,” the company said in a Thursday message to developers.

The new Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller were announced in November and were expected to ship early this year. The memory crisis, however, delayed their release several times, and the first product to actually begin shipping was the Steam Controller last month.

As for the release of the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame, Valve hadn’t provided a clear timeline until now. Previous timelines were as vague as “this year,” though a shipment report from last month hinted at an imminent launch.

The Steam Machine is a 6-inch black cube that allows users to play games from their Steam library on their TV screen, while the Steam Frame is a VR headset that could compete with the likes of the Meta Quest.

Valve is yet to announce the prices of its new hardware. Last week, after restocking the Steam Deck, the company increased the price of its handheld system by as much as $300. The Steam Deck OLED 512GB now costs $789, up from $549.

Even if the Steam Machine and Steam Frame turn out to be slightly pricey, they are expected to have interested buyers. After the Steam Controller launched at $99 last month, some early buyers were seen reselling it on eBay for $300.