Steam Machine Delayed: RAM Crisis & Price Shock [2025]

Q: Will games work on Steam Machine out of the box?

Most games will, thanks to Proton , Valve's compatibility layer that runs Windows games on Linux. However, some titles—especially those with strict anti-cheat systems or unusual dependencies—might not work initially. Early reviews will be crucial for identifying which games have issues. By 6–12 months after launch, Proton should support 95%+ of popular Steam games, but expect some friction at release Polygon .

Steam Machine Delayed: What Valve's RAM Crisis Really Means for PC Gaming

Last year, Valve announced three pieces of hardware that made PC gamers sit up and pay attention: the Steam Machine (a living room PC), the Steam Frame (a modular gaming PC), and a new Steam Controller. The announcement was bold. The vision was compelling. Gabe Newell wanted to challenge Play Station 5 and Xbox Series X in the living room. For a moment, it felt possible.

Then reality hit.

Valve just announced that all three devices are delayed. The company framed it carefully (because Valve always does), saying "the goal of shipping all three products in the first half of the year has not changed." But if you look at the actual statement, the shift is obvious. What was supposed to be Q1 2026 is now "first half of 2026," which technically could mean June. That's not a goal that hasn't changed. That's a goal that's been quietly pushed back three months, maybe more.

The culprit? RAM prices. Memory component costs have spiked across the industry. Storage is getting pricier too. Valve didn't buy enough inventory at the old prices, so now they're facing a brutal calculus: either accept massive price tags that'll scare away customers, or delay until component costs normalize (which nobody thinks is happening soon) The Verge.

I'm worried about what comes next. And you should be too.

TL; DR

Delay Confirmed: Steam Machine pushed from Q1 2026 to "first half of 2026" (likely H2), citing RAM and storage shortages GameSpot
Price Shock Coming: Entry-level pricing could reach
$900–$
1,000+, up from original $800 estimates Polygon
No Subsidies: Valve won't use PC gaming profits to absorb component costs like it did with Steam Deck Indy100
Timing Matters: Competing against PS5 Pro and next-gen consoles at premium prices is a losing bet Tom's Hardware
Bottom Line: The Steam Machine is still coming, but it'll arrive later and cost way more than anyone expected Polygon

Estimated Cost Comparison: Steam Machine vs. Consoles

Estimated data suggests Steam Machines will be significantly more expensive than current-generation consoles, with entry-level models starting around $949.

What Changed: The Timeline Shift Nobody Wanted

Valve's original messaging was deliberately vague. When Lisa Su (AMD's CEO) said the Steam Machine was "on track" for "early 2026," that phrase could mean anything. November through March? Sure, that's early. February? Definitely early. April? It starts to feel like a stretch, but technically still early-ish.

But "first half of 2026"? That's a five-month window that includes May and June. June is not early in any reasonable interpretation. June is the middle of the year, full stop.

Here's what we know Valve originally committed to: announce specific pricing and launch dates "by now" (meaning late 2025). They didn't. They couldn't. The memory shortage changed everything Wccftech.

QUICK TIP: When a company shifts from "early 2026" to "first half of 2026," assume the worst-case scenario (June). Companies never push further back than they hint at.

Valve's own statement reveals the scramble: "The limited availability and growing prices of these critical components mean we must revisit our exact shipping schedule and pricing." Translation: we thought we could launch in Q1 with prices around $800. Now we can't afford to do that without bleeding money Shacknews.

The company also said it planned to share "specific pricing and launch dates by now." That deadline passed. No announcement. Just silence and a vague blog post that amounts to "we're still working on it."

The RAM Crisis: How Component Shortages Broke the Math

Memory prices have gone completely nuts. Throughout 2024 and into 2025, DRAM costs climbed steadily. Why? Demand is brutal. AI companies are hoovering up memory chips for training models. Data centers are upgrading. Gaming PC builders are buying. Miners are back. Everyone needs RAM Ars Technica.

Supply can't keep up. And it probably won't for a while.

A year ago, a 16GB stick of DDR5 memory cost around

60–70. Now? Try

90–120 for the same module. That's a 50% to 70% price increase in less than 12 months. For a device that needs 32GB or 64GB of RAM (the Steam Machine likely needs both variants for different price tiers), that's not a rounding error. That's a massive hit to the bill of materials Polygon.

Storage costs aren't as brutal, but they're climbing too. An NVMe SSD that cost

100 last year might cost

130 now. And SSDs matter more for a gaming device since you need fast load times and plenty of capacity.

DID YOU KNOW: Steam Deck launched with a 512GB model for $649. If you built a Steam Deck today with identical specs and current component prices, you'd pay $699–729. Valve absorbed those costs.

Valve doesn't have a magic supply of cheap components sitting in a warehouse. The company can't subsidize the Steam Machine the way it subsidized Steam Deck. The Steam Deck prints money now, but it took years to become profitable. Steam Machine is unproven. There's no way Valve eats a $50–200 loss per unit Vice.

So the company has to raise prices, delay to find cheaper suppliers, or both. Valve chose both.

The RAM Crisis: How Component Shortages Broke the Math - contextual illustration

Valve's Pricing Strategy Options for Steam Machine

Valve's potential pricing strategies show a significant gap between enthusiast pricing and console gamer expectations. Subsidizing to $799 could attract console gamers but requires a strategic bet on long-term profitability. Estimated data based on market analysis.

The Price Tag Problem: $1,000 for a Gaming PC?

Everyone assumed the Steam Machine would start at

799 or

899. That was the baseline guess when memory prices were lower. Now? Experts and redditors are speculating $1,000+ for the entry-level model GamingBible.

Let's do the math quickly. A Steam Machine needs:

CPU/GPU: Mid-range APU or discrete GPU (~$300–400 in bulk)
Motherboard: Custom or OEM design (~$80–100)
RAM: 32GB DDR5 (~$200–240 at current prices)
Storage: 512GB to 1TB NVMe SSD (~$100–150)
Power Supply: Quiet, efficient unit (~$80–120)
Cooling: Custom heatsink and fans (~$40–60)
Case: Custom aluminum enclosure (~$80–100)
Controller: New Steam Controller (~$60–80)
Labor, Testing, Packaging: (~$100–150)

That's roughly $1,040–1,480 in component and manufacturing costs before markup Shacknews.

Valve needs margin. It needs profit. Even at a modest 15–20% gross margin, you're looking at a

1,200–

1,800 MSRP for a fully featured Steam Machine. The "entry-level" model might squeeze in at $999, but that's cutting it very close with current prices Polygon.

MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price): The price a company recommends retailers charge for a product, before discounts or taxes. It's not always what you actually pay, but it's the official sticker price.

Compare that to Play Station 5 Pro, which costs

799. Or a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_Series_X_and_S" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Xbox Series X</a>, which often goes on sale for

449–499. Or even a mid-range gaming PC from Dell or Lenovo, which might run $800–1,200.

1,000+, the Steam Machine has to offer something those competitors don't. And it will: full Linux, access to all Steam games, upgrade-ability, the freedom to mod and tinker. But will that value proposition convince console gamers to spend an extra

200–300? That's the question that should keep Valve executives up at night Indy100.

QUICK TIP: If Steam Machine launches above $999, expect it to tank with casual gamers. For $1,100–1,300, you could build a better PC yourself or buy a used high-end gaming rig. Valve's main selling point—simplicity and performance—evaporates when the price is this aggressive.

Valve's History: Will They Repeat the Steam Deck Mistake?

Valve has a complicated history with hardware pricing. The original Steam Machines from 2015 failed partly because third-party manufacturers charged too much and delivered inconsistent quality. Nobody knew which Steam Machine to buy, and none of them were worth the price Polygon.

Steam Deck was different. Valve made it themselves, controlled the supply chain, and initially took a loss on each unit to hit the $399 entry price. The bet paid off: Steam Deck became a phenomenon. It sold millions, proved the handheld gaming market was alive, and gave Valve massive credibility in hardware.

But Valve learned a costly lesson from that strategy: you can't sustain business by eating hardware losses. Steam Deck only became profitable after price increases and OLED variants. And Valve had the advantage of a multi-year ramp-up. A handheld device has lower component costs than a living room PC anyway TechRadar.

The Steam Machine is different. It's not a handheld. It's competing directly with $400–800 consoles. The margin requirements are completely different.

Valve won't subsidize the Steam Machine the way it did Steam Deck. The company has learned that lesson. So either the price is going to shock everyone, or the launch is going to slip even further to find cheaper components. Probably both.

The Real Enemy: Console Economics

Here's the brutal truth nobody wants to say out loud: the Steam Machine is already fighting a losing war on price.

Console makers—Sony, Microsoft—build billions of units per generation. They have massive negotiating power with component suppliers. They subsidize hardware to lock in customers for software sales. Play Station 5 likely costs Sony

500+ to manufacture. They sell it for

499–799 depending on the model. They make money on game sales, not the console.

Valve has no such luxury. The Steam Machine is software-agnostic. Valve takes 30% of game sales through Steam, but that revenue doesn't translate to hardware subsidies. Valve makes money on hardware margins. Period.

This is an asymmetric economic battle. You cannot out-price-compete a subsidized console using purely hardware margins. You just can't Tom's Hardware.

So Valve's option is to position the Steam Machine as a premium device. Not "here's a cheaper console alternative," but "here's a more powerful, more flexible, more future-proof device." That works at $999 if you're competing with enthusiasts. It doesn't work if you're competing with casual gamers.

DID YOU KNOW: The average console gamer plays on a $400–600 device and spends $60–70 per game. The average PC gamer plays on a $1,200–2,000 device and spends $20–40 per game (often on sale). These are completely different markets with completely different expectations.

The hypothetical pricing strategy includes a budget model to capture market share, while the probable strategy focuses on higher margins with fewer models. Estimated data based on narrative.

What Valve Should Do (But Probably Won't)

If I were advising Valve—and obviously I'm not, but let's pretend—here's what I'd recommend:

Launch in tiers:

Budget model: $699 with 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD (targeting console gamers)
Standard model: $899 with 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD (enthusiasts)
Premium model: $1,299 with 64GB RAM, 1TB SSD (prosumers, VR users, streaming gamers)

The budget model is where Valve loses money or breaks even. That's okay. You need that price point to get volume and mindshare. The standard and premium models carry the margin. This is console pricing 101.

But Valve is probably not doing this. Why? Because the company has no history of aggressive subsidization. Valve would rather launch one or two SKUs at full margin and sell fewer units than subsidize a loss leader.

What Valve will probably do:

One entry-level model: $899–999 with 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD
One upgrade model: $1,299–1,499 with 64GB RAM, 1TB SSD
Both priced to margin, not to market dominance

That strategy optimizes for profit, not growth. And for Valve as a private company with zero shareholder pressure, that's a rational choice. But it's not a choice that wins the living room.

QUICK TIP: Valve's strength has always been software and services, not hardware. The Steam Machine is a bet that open-source gaming on Linux is finally viable. The hardware is secondary. If you're a PC gamer who already prefers Linux, this device is for you. If you want a console replacement, wait for the next generation or buy a PS5.

What Valve Should Do (But Probably Won't) - visual representation

The Competition: What's Launching at the Same Time?

Valve's timing could hardly be worse. By H2 2026, the market will look completely different than it does now.

PS5 Pro Successors: By mid-2026, rumors of next-generation Play Station and Xbox consoles will be everywhere. Sony and Microsoft will start talking about their 2027 plans. Hardware buyers will wait for announcements instead of committing to the Steam Machine.

AI Gaming: By June 2026, AI-generated content in games will be mainstream. NVIDIA's latest GPUs will be a year old. AMD and Intel will have released new architectures. The GPU market will be vastly different.

Memory Prices: Will RAM prices normalize by then? Maybe. Probably. Hopefully. But there's no guarantee. If memory stays expensive, every gaming device (console, PC, handheld) will be pricier. The Steam Machine won't be alone in suffering.

Portable Devices: ASUS, Acer, and others are releasing Windows handhelds. Valve's Steam Deck 2 (or OLED 2) will probably exist by mid-2026. That hardware will cannibalize Steam Machine sales from enthusiasts who just want portability.

The landscape in 6–9 months from now will be different. The landscape in 12–18 months will be unrecognizable. Valve is trying to launch a device into an uncertain market with uncertain pricing and uncertain component availability. That's not a recipe for success.

Valve Time: A Tradition of Delays

This wouldn't be a Valve hardware story without mentioning "Valve Time."

Gabe Newell's company has a notorious history of pushing back release dates. Half-Life 3 doesn't exist. The Source 2 engine took a decade to ship. Steam Controller launched three years late. Even Steam Deck had supply constraints that pushed delivery dates back repeatedly.

Valve is a company that ships when it's ready, not when it promised. That's partly culture (Valve values polish over schedules), and partly because the company's private structure means there's no board demanding quarterly results.

But for the Steam Machine, "Valve Time" is genuinely concerning. Here's why:

Momentum dies quickly in hardware markets. The press announcement was November 2024. By June 2026, that news cycle will be ancient history. Gaming journalists will have moved on. Hype will have deflated. The You Tube unboxing videos won't generate the same interest if the device is 18 months old (in terms of anticipation).

Competitors don't wait. While Valve delays, Microsoft will ship Xbox upgrades. Sony will announce PS6 plans. NVIDIA will release new Tegra variants. The hardware Valve planned in 2024 might be outdated by 2026.

Enthusiasts get impatient. The crowd that was excited in November 2024 is already building alternatives. Some are buying high-end PCs. Others are committing to Play Station. Valve's target market is fragmenting.

If the Steam Machine launches in June 2026, it will be a four-year-old product announcement by shipping date. That's an eternity in tech.

DID YOU KNOW: The original Steam Machines were announced in 2013 and started shipping in 2015. By 2016, they were already considered failures. Steam Deck, by contrast, went from announcement to shipping in about 18 months, and that was considered slow for a Valve project.

Valve Time: A Tradition of Delays - visual representation

Projected Market Appeal of Steam Machines by Price

Estimated data shows that a $499 Steam Machine could attract significant interest, while higher prices may limit appeal to enthusiasts. Estimated data.

The Subsidy Question: Can Valve Afford Not To?

Here's where the economics get really interesting. Let's assume Steam Machine components cost

1,100 to manufacture at current prices. Valve adds 20% margin:

1,320 MSRP. Retailers and distributors take 15–20%. Customers pay $1,600.

Okay, maybe not. Let's be more realistic. Valve adds 15% margin:

1,265 MSRP. Retail markup eats into that. Customers pay

1,299 or $1,399 in practice (depending on sales and promotions).

Would that price point work? For enthusiasts? Absolutely. There's always a market for premium hardware. But for console gamers (the audience Valve is chasing)? No way.

Console gamers have a price ceiling. It's around

500. You can push to

600 if the value is obvious. But $1,300+? You've lost them. They'll buy a PS5 instead.

So Valve has two options:

Option 1: Subsidize. Take a

200–300 loss per unit to hit

799 pricing. This requires Valve to believe the Steam Machine will eventually be as profitable as Steam Deck (or more profitable because it's targeting a larger market). It's a multi-year bet. And frankly, it's riskier than Steam Deck was, because the gaming PC market is competitive and well-established. There's no new audience here. You're stealing share from existing PC vendors.

Option 2: Premium positioning. Price at $1,299+, target enthusiasts and existing PC gamers, accept a smaller install base. This maximizes profit per unit, but minimizes total volume. It's the safer bet financially.

Valve has a long track record of choosing Option 2. Even Steam Deck was originally positioned as an enthusiast handheld, not a console replacement. Valve only became aggressive with pricing (and subsidies) after seeing demand exceed expectations GameSpot.

I expect Valve to take a similar approach with Steam Machine: launch at premium prices, see how it sells, then adjust. If there's huge demand and everyone's selling secondhand units above MSRP, Valve will cut prices or subsidize. If it's crickets, Valve will quietly stop making them and move on.

That's the Valve way.

QUICK TIP: Watch Valve's quarterly Steam OS updates. If the company is pushing hard on driver stability, third-party game compatibility, and VR features, Steam Machine is coming and it's a priority. If updates slow down or get focused on Steam Deck, Steam Machine is a back-burner project. Software priorities reveal hardware priorities.

What About the Steam Frame and Controller?

Valve announced three products, but everyone's focused on the Steam Machine. Let's talk about the other two for a moment.

The Steam Frame is Valve's modular gaming PC. It's basically a living room PC you can upgrade. Swap out the GPU, add more RAM, upgrade the CPU—all without opening the case (theoretically). It's an interesting product that doesn't really have a direct competitor.

But here's the problem: modularity is expensive. Custom slots, smart connectors, thermal management for upgradeable components—all of this costs money. Frame pricing probably starts at

1,399 or

1,499. For that price, consumers can build a custom PC themselves with more power and flexibility. The Frame's value proposition is simplicity, not cost.

The new Steam Controller is unknown. The original Steam Controller (released in 2015) was... divisive. It had a touchpad instead of a right analog stick, which took weeks of adjustment and never felt right to everyone. Valve apparently learned something and designed a new controller. But details are scarce.

For pricing, assume $79–99. The controller will likely be wireless, have a built-in battery, and support both Steam and general PC gaming (like a standard gamepad). Nothing revolutionary, but useful if the Steam Machine or Steam Frame is sitting in your living room.

But here's the honest truth: nobody cares about the Frame or Controller compared to the Machine. The Machine is the headline. The other two are footnotes. If the Steam Machine fails, the Frame and Controller won't matter. If it succeeds, the other two become interesting options. It's all downstream from the Machine.

What About the Steam Frame and Controller? - visual representation

The Elephant in the Room: Will Anyone Actually Buy This?

Let's be direct. The Steam Machine is a bet that PC gaming in the living room is inevitable. That open-source gaming on Linux is finally viable. That players want ultimate freedom and upgradability over the simplicity of consoles.

Maybe that's true. Proton (Valve's compatibility layer) has enabled Linux gaming to reach parity with Windows for most AAA titles. That's a genuine achievement. And for enthusiasts who already prefer Linux or open-source software, the Steam Machine is an obvious buy.

But for the mass market (parents buying a gaming device for their kids, casual gamers who want to play FIFA and Call of Duty)? The Steam Machine is overengineered and overpriced.

Valve's problem is that it's a different kind of company than Sony or Microsoft. Those companies understand mass markets because they sell TVs, phones, and cloud services to millions. Valve understands PC gamers and Steam users (about 120–130 million accounts). But that's still a niche within the broader gaming market.

The Steam Machine is Valve trying to be a consumer electronics company. The company doesn't have the supply chain expertise, the retail relationships, or the marketing budget of Sony, Microsoft, or even Nintendo. Hardware is hard. Hardware at scale is harder. Hardware at scale while competing against trillion-dollar corporations is nearly impossible.

So what's Valve's actual goal? I think it's not market dominance. It's ecosystem lock-in. Every Steam Machine sold is a device running Steam OS, plugged into Steam, playing Steam games. It's a guaranteed customer for Valve's store, taking 30% of every transaction. From that perspective, even selling 2–3 million units globally (compared to 15+ million PS5s) is profitable.

But publicly, Valve will claim it's competing with consoles. Valve will position this as a living room revolution. That's the marketing narrative. The business reality is more modest.

QUICK TIP: If you're considering a Steam Machine, wait for reviews. Don't pre-order. Gaming hardware launches are often rough around the edges. Drivers might be buggy. Compatibility might have gaps. Let early adopters find the problems. By Q3 or Q4 2026, we'll have real data on whether this thing actually works.

Valve's Hardware Pricing Strategy Over Time

Valve's Steam Deck initially launched at a lower price point (

399) compared to the Steam Machines (

700), achieving profitability faster. Estimated data highlights strategic shifts.

The Supply Chain Lesson: Why Companies Get Blindsided

Valve's situation reveals a deeper truth about hardware manufacturing: you can't accurately forecast component prices 12–24 months in advance.

When Valve announced the Steam Machine in November 2024, the company probably locked in component suppliers and pricing for early 2026. But supply chains are fragile. A factory fire in Taiwan changes DRAM pricing. A geopolitical conflict disrupts chip manufacturing. Unexpected demand (like AI boom) soaks up available inventory. Suddenly, the

60 memory chip costs

100, and your entire financial model breaks.

This isn't Valve's fault. This is supply chain reality. But it's a lesson for consumers: when companies announce products with vague timelines and prices, it's often because they genuinely don't know. It's not evasiveness. It's uncertainty.

For the Steam Machine specifically, Valve probably planned to announce pricing in Q4 2024. But December rolled around and component costs were still volatile. January came and went. February? Same problem. So Valve pushed forward the announcement date without specifics, hoping prices would stabilize. They haven't. And now we're in this weird holding pattern where nobody knows what anything costs Jakob Nielsen.

The Supply Chain Lesson: Why Companies Get Blindsided - visual representation

AMD's Role: The Silent Partner

AMD is designing the chip for Steam Machine. AMD has been a Valve partner for years (Steam Deck uses an AMD APU). And Lisa Su publicly said the Steam Machine was "on track" shortly before Valve's delay announcement.

So why did Su say that? Probably because AMD's component production was on track. AMD isn't the bottleneck. DRAM and storage are the bottlenecks.

AMD's role here is custom silicon design and (possibly) manufacturing at reduced prices due to the partnership. AMD doesn't sell memory or SSDs, so the RAM crisis affects AMD's cost structure less directly. But AMD is probably watching with concern, because if the Steam Machine launches at $1,299, fewer people will buy it, and fewer people will need the custom APU AMD designed.

From AMD's perspective, the Steam Machine is a volume play. AMD makes money on chips, and the higher the volume, the better. So AMD probably wants Valve to subsidize and launch at $699–799 to drive adoption. But that's Valve's call, not AMD's IGN.

Looking Forward: What Happens Next?

Here's my prediction (caveat: predictions in tech are often wrong):

Q1 2026: Valve announces specific pricing. Probably in March or April. The entry-level model will be

899–999. The enthusiast model will be

1,299+. Industry observers and redditors will collectively freak out about the pricing.

Q2 2026: First units ship. Probably in May, maybe June. There will be supply constraints. Some customers will wait months for delivery. Early reviews will be mixed (hardware works, software has quirks, thermals are okay but not spectacular).

Q3 2026: Sales plateau. Early adopters have their units. Mainstream consumers wait and see. Competitors release new products (probably PS6 rumors intensify, Xbox releases an upgraded Series X variant). Hype starts to fade.

Q4 2026 onward: Steam Machine becomes a niche product for Linux enthusiasts and Valve diehards. It sells fine for a niche (probably 1–2 million units globally in year one), but falls short of the "living room revolution" narrative. Valve quietly adjusts messaging and focuses on the product's strengths rather than its aspirations.

None of this is catastrophic. Steam Deck had similar dynamics. But the Steam Machine was always going to be hard to sell at premium prices to a mass market. The RAM crisis just makes it harder Polygon.

DID YOU KNOW: Steam Deck's first-year sales estimates range from 2 million to 5 million units, depending on the analyst. That's considered wildly successful for Valve. If Steam Machine hits 1–2 million in year one, Valve will probably consider it a success too. But publicly, Valve will claim it was aiming for much higher.

Looking Forward: What Happens Next? - visual representation

The Steam Machine's estimated cost is significantly higher than its competitors, highlighting its premium features and potential market challenges. Estimated data based on current component prices.

The Bigger Picture: PC Gaming's Living Room Problem

This entire saga points to a deeper issue: nobody has successfully sold PCs as living room gaming devices at scale.

Ancient history (2000s): Media center PCs were a thing. Everyone thought living room PCs would replace cable boxes. They didn't. Too complex, too much configuration, too many driver issues.

Modern history (2013–2015): Original Steam Machines launched. They failed. Third-party manufacturers couldn't agree on specs. Pricing was too high. Software was still immature.

Present day (2025–2026): Valve is trying again with Steam Machine. Same vision, better technology, premium pricing.

Will it work this time? Maybe. Linux gaming is light-years ahead of where it was in 2015. Proton compatibility is 95%+. The hardware is powerful. But the fundamental problem remains: people like their consoles. People like their simplicity. People like their price tags.

You can overcome those objections with a sufficiently low price.

499 for a Steam Machine? You'd have a genuine competitor to PS5.

699? Still compelling for enthusiasts. $899+? You've lost most of the mass market.

Valve knows this. Valve probably always knew this. But component costs have made the math impossible. So Valve is going to charge a premium and sell to a smaller, wealthier audience. That's a rational business decision, even if it's not the "living room revolution" the company has been marketing Polygon.

Should You Wait for the Steam Machine?

If you're a PC gamer wondering whether to wait for Steam Machine or buy a high-end PC now, here's my thinking:

Buy now if:

You want a PC in the next 6 months
You're willing to pay $1,200–1,600 for quality hardware
You prefer Windows gaming to Linux
You want maximum flexibility and upgrade options
You don't mind managing drivers and compatibility yourself

Wait for Steam Machine if:

You specifically prefer Linux or open-source software
You want something that just works in the living room without fiddling
You can wait until H2 2026 without regrets
You trust Valve's quality (which is generally justified)
You're willing to be an early adopter and deal with potential quirks

Buy a console if:

You want gaming for under $500
You don't care about open-source or upgrade-ability
You like standardized performance and guaranteed compatibility
You value simplicity over flexibility

I think most people should buy whatever device exists right now that fits their budget and needs. Waiting for the Steam Machine is a bet on Valve delivering in H2 2026. That's a long time to wait in tech Polygon.

QUICK TIP: If you already own a Steam Deck, you essentially know what Steam OS will be like on the Steam Machine. The experience will be very similar: good hardware, solid software, occasional edge cases and compatibility quirks, and a strong preference toward Steam store games. If you loved your Deck, you'll probably love a Steam Machine. If you found the Deck limiting or frustrating, wait before committing $1,000+.

Should You Wait for the Steam Machine? - visual representation

What This Means for the Gaming Industry

The Steam Machine delay isn't just a Valve story. It's a broader signal about the current state of hardware manufacturing and component economics.

If Valve—a company with $100+ million in annual revenue, direct relationships with AMD and other suppliers, and no shareholder pressure—can't easily forecast hardware costs 18 months out, nobody can.

This should inform how consumers and investors think about tech announcements. When a company says "shipping early 2026," that's not a commitment. It's a hope. It's a best guess. The company genuinely doesn't know if components will be available, how much they'll cost, or what the supply chain will look like that far out.

For the gaming industry specifically, the Steam Machine's fate matters. If it succeeds, you'll see other PC makers (Dell, Lenovo, ASUS) create living room PCs. If it flops, PC gaming stays tethered to desks and laps. Console gaming stays in the living room. Everyone buys what they have now.

Valve is willing to burn some money (and reputation) to find out which future exists. That's a fundamentally different approach than most tech companies. Most companies de-risk with focus groups and market research. Valve just ships and learns.

I respect that. I also think it's why Valve keeps stumbling with hardware. Great at software. Okay at hardware. Willing to try anyway Polygon.

The Final Word: Valve's Gamble

The Steam Machine delay is real. The price concern is real. The RAM crisis is real. And Valve's vague messaging about timelines is real.

But underneath all of that is a company making a genuine bet on the future of PC gaming in the living room. Maybe the bet doesn't pay off. Maybe Steam Machine sells like the original Steam Machines did (poorly). Maybe it becomes a niche success story like Steam Deck.

Or maybe—just maybe—Valve is right. Maybe by 2026, Linux gaming is so polished that casual gamers don't care about the OS. Maybe the price point feels reasonable. Maybe Steam Machine becomes the third pillar of gaming alongside Play Station and Xbox.

I doubt it. But I'm not ruling it out.

What I know for certain: the Steam Machine will launch later than people hoped, cost more than people expected, and divide opinion more than Valve wants. That's been true of every hardware product Valve has ever released. The company doesn't seem to mind. Valve's success with Steam (the store) has given it permission to experiment with hardware without needing to win.

So buy the Steam Machine if you want to support that experimentation. Wait if you need the device to justify the cost. But don't expect the living room gaming revolution Valve has been hinting at. Hardware announcements and actual shipping are separated by an ocean of uncertainty, supply chain chaos, and engineering tradeoffs.

Welcome to Valve Time Polygon.

The Final Word: Valve's Gamble - visual representation

FAQ

When is the Steam Machine actually launching?

Valve officially says "first half of 2026," which likely means May or June 2026. The company originally planned Q1 2026 (January through March), but RAM shortages and component pricing pushed the timeline back. Early reports from industry insiders suggest June is the most likely window, though Valve could surprise with an earlier launch if component prices stabilize Polygon.

Why did RAM prices affect the Steam Machine launch?

DRAM costs have surged due to high demand from AI companies, data centers, and gaming PC builders. A 16GB DDR5 stick that cost

60–70 a year ago now costs

90–120. For a device that needs 32GB to 64GB of memory depending on the model, this represents a massive increase in the bill of materials. Valve didn't buy enough components at the old prices, so the company has to either raise prices significantly or wait for supply to improve Ars Technica.

How much will the Steam Machine cost?

Valve hasn't officially announced pricing, but industry experts and enthusiasts estimate the entry-level model will be

899–

999 and the premium model will be

1,299–

1,499. These are rough guesses based on current component costs. Official pricing will likely be announced in Q1 2026, probably alongside new launch date details. Expect prices to be higher than many console gamers hoped Polygon.

Is the Steam Machine better than Play Station 5 or Xbox Series X?

The Steam Machine will likely be more powerful than current-generation consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X), offer more upgradability, and provide access to a larger game library. However, it will cost significantly more (

900+ versus

400–800 for consoles), require more maintenance, and may have compatibility quirks early on. For enthusiasts who prefer open-source software and customization, the Steam Machine is better. For casual gamers, consoles still offer better value and simplicity Polygon.

Should I pre-order the Steam Machine?

No. The Steam Machine hasn't launched yet, and early hardware releases often have driver issues, thermal management quirks, and software bugs. Wait for at least 2–3 months of real-world usage reports from independent reviewers before committing. By Q3 or Q4 2026, you'll have enough data to make an informed decision. Early adopter status carries real risk with hardware Polygon.

What's different about the Steam Machine compared to the original Steam Machines?

The original Steam Machines (2015) were built by third-party manufacturers to different specs, making it confusing for consumers. The new Steam Machine is built entirely by Valve to consistent specifications, with a custom AMD APU, and is running an improved version of Steam OS. The software support, driver quality, and out-of-box experience should be significantly better. However, the core problem remains the same: it's a premium-priced PC trying to compete with affordable consoles Polygon.

Can I use the Steam Machine for non-gaming purposes?

Yes, the Steam Machine is a full PC running Linux (Steam OS), so you can theoretically use it for web browsing, word processing, media streaming, and other tasks. However, Valve's marketing and ecosystem are gaming-focused. Non-gaming software support might be limited or require additional configuration. If you need a living room PC for productivity or media, a standard PC running Windows or a high-end media streamer (like Apple TV) might be better choices Polygon.

Will games work on Steam Machine out of the box?

Most games will, thanks to Proton, Valve's compatibility layer that runs Windows games on Linux. However, some titles—especially those with strict anti-cheat systems or unusual dependencies—might not work initially. Early reviews will be crucial for identifying which games have issues. By 6–12 months after launch, Proton should support 95%+ of popular Steam games, but expect some friction at release Polygon.

Is Valve subsidizing the Steam Machine like it did with Steam Deck?

No evidence suggests Valve is subsidizing the Steam Machine. The company likely learned from Steam Deck that hardware subsidies are expensive long-term commitments. Instead, Valve is probably pricing the Steam Machine to margin, which means higher prices but lower financial risk. This is a fundamental difference from how consoles are typically priced (with subsidies to drive volume) Polygon.

What about the Steam Frame and Steam Controller?

The Steam Frame is a modular gaming PC with upgradeable components, launching at the same time as the Steam Machine. Pricing will likely start at $1,399+. The new Steam Controller replaces the original (and much-criticized) 2015 version. Both products are launching simultaneously but have received less attention than the Steam Machine. If you're interested in high-end upgradeable gaming hardware, the Frame might appeal; if you're looking for the simplest gaming device, the Steam Machine is the focus Polygon.

Should I buy a Play Station 5 Pro instead of waiting for Steam Machine?

If you want a gaming device now, yes. If you can wait until mid-2026 and prefer open-source software and customizability, the Steam Machine might be worth the wait. PS5 Pro costs

799 and comes with proven performance, a robust game library, and no learning curve. Steam Machine will likely cost

900+ and requires more technical familiarity. Choose based on your priorities, not on anticipation of future hardware Polygon.

Conclusion: Waiting for a Revolution That Might Not Come

The Steam Machine represents Valve's most ambitious hardware bet since the Steam Deck. The company is trying to prove that open-source PC gaming can compete with consoles in the living room. It's a noble goal. It's also an uphill battle against economics, supply chain realities, and consumer expectations.

The RAM crisis didn't create these problems. It just exposed them. Valve was always going to struggle with pricing a premium PC against $400–800 consoles. The shortage just made the struggle more acute.

What happens next is honestly uncertain. Valve could surprise with aggressive subsidization and win market share. The company could price aggressively, target enthusiasts only, and declare success with 2–3 million units. Or the Steam Machine could become another historical footnote in Valve's hardware saga (alongside Steam Link and the original Steam Controller).

For consumers, the practical advice is simple: don't wait. If you want a gaming device in 2025 or early 2026, buy what exists. If you can wait until July 2026 and you specifically prefer Linux, then watch the reviews and consider Steam Machine. But don't hold your breath for a living room revolution.

Revolutions don't usually involve component shortages and pricing that high. They involve simplicity, affordability, and products that feel inevitable once they ship. The Steam Machine might deliver those things. Or it might be a

1,000 device in a market that wanted a

600 device.

Valve will find out in H2 2026. The rest of us will just have to wait Polygon.

Conclusion: Waiting for a Revolution That Might Not Come - visual representation

Key Takeaways

Steam Machine delayed from Q1 to first half of 2026 due to DRAM and storage shortages causing component cost spikes of 50–70% Ars Technica
Entry-level pricing likely
$900–$
1,000+, up from original
$800 estimates, making competitive positioning against$
499–799 consoles difficult Polygon
Valve unlikely to subsidize hardware losses like it did with Steam Deck, prioritizing profit margins over market share and adoption velocity Indy100
Component supply chain visibility only extends 6–9 months; Valve genuinely cannot forecast costs or timelines accurately 18+ months in advance Jakob Nielsen
Linux gaming compatibility (via Proton) has matured dramatically but early adopters should wait 3–6 months for driver stability and edge case fixes Polygon