- Valve commits to a 2026 Steam Machine launch
- There had previously been rumors of a delay into 2027
- The RAM crisis may still have an impact on retail prices
Valve has re-committed to launching the Steam Machine during 2026 after concerns that the RAM crisis could cause a delay – although it looks like it could miss the original target of getting the hardware to users by 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 on promises made to launch the device sometime this year.
But as The Verge reports, Valve has since clarified that the Steam Machine will indeed appear sometime this year. “Nothing has actually changed from our end,” Valve PR representative Kaci Aitchison Boyle told The Verge.
The wording of the blog post has also been updated accordingly, committing to a Steam Machine arrival in 2026 — along with the Steam Frame wireless virtual reality headset and the Steam controller that act as accessories for both.
Price to be confirmed
The confirmation that we’ll be getting the Steam Machine sometime in 2026 is certainly welcome news, although 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 shortage of RAM, fueled by skyrocketing AI data center demand, has had an effect on all hardware manufacturers. Valve has already admitted that limitations in the memory supply chain are affecting 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 comes with 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM as per the specifications previously released by Valve.
“More updates will be shared as we finalize our plans,” Valve explains, so watch this space. Last month, indications were that we would see the device in the first half of the year, when Valve announced that it would be “revisiting” its shipping schedule and pricing plans.
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