Rising manufacturing and RAM prices have affected nearly all corners of the gaming and tech markets, and even Valve, the giant behind Steam, isn’t immune. Valve still can’t say when the Steam Machine will start shipping and for what price, but it’s still aiming for the first half of 2026.
Valve has started a new blog series focused entirely on upcoming hardware, because the company can’t exactly nail down the actual launch timing. In the meantime, the post answers a bunch of questions about the Steam Machine and Steam Frame – Valve’s new PC-esque gaming console and VR headset, respectively.
The company ensures that the Steam Machine and Frame are still on track for a release in the first half of 2026, though it admits pricing and timing would have been nailed down by now if not for memory and storage shortages. It says it’s not “confident” in pricing, yet, as it works to get to that point and deliver final numbers.
Before RAM and storage prices were as volatile, and back when the Steam Machine was announced, it was thought the console would come in at a moderately high price. That was an estimate based on Valve’s commitment to offer competent hardware, and it put the device around or above $800. Right now, that ballpark number is looking closer to $1,000, though there’s absolutely zero evidence suggesting either of those price points is correct.
Valve’s blog post answers a few FAQs about the devices, with some reassuring answers. For one, it says the Steam Frame will support other streaming services via a built-in browser, though there is no word on whether official programs will become available. It also notes that Foveated Streaming will be introduced for VR users.
As for Steam Machine details other than price, official in-house test results say 4K 60FPS titles with FSR play “great.” The company notes that some games require more upscaling than others, so a lower frame rate may be needed with VRR to maintain 1080p. Features like ray tracing are still being worked on internally to improve performance. Though the article doesn’t note this, it’s likely there will be further fine-tuning needed after the console is released, whenever that is.
Perhaps more exciting is the news that the Steam Machine’s SSD and memory will both be upgradeable. Valve says they’re accessible, which probably means this would be a user-friendly operation.
Valve’s full FAQ answers a couple more questions, so it may be good to check out. As far as timing goes, customers are still expected to hold out hope for the first half of 2026, though there’s no telling what the price of the Steam Machine or Steam Frame might be now.
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