Valve is warning that its upcoming Steam Machine hardware may not arrive as quickly as originally expected. In a recent update shared with the community, the company revealed that a global shortage of memory and storage components has caused it to reexamine both the launch timing and pricing of its new hardware lineup.
The announcement includes Valve’s entire suite of upcoming hardware, including the Steam Machine, Steam Frame VR headset, and the new Steam Controller. When the company first revealed these products in late 2025, it had planned to provide specific launch dates and pricing details by now. Instead, Valve says the rapidly changing RAM and storage markets have made these decisions more difficult to confirm.
Schedule delayed, but signs of life
Importantly, Valve did not suggest a new release year. Some reports have speculated that Steam Machines could be delayed until 2027, but the company itself acknowledged that the situation is still uncertain, saying only that it “hopes to launch in 2026.” At the same time, there are signs that the hardware is still evolving behind the scenes. As several users on X discovered, a database listing for Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller recently appeared in Steam’s “Coming Soon” section. There’s no confirmed launch window, but it does suggest that Valve is actively preparing store infrastructure for the device.
The bigger unknown right now might not be the release date. That’s the price. Valve originally expected to reveal pricing along with launch details, but the company now says rising component costs have caused it to reconsider those plans. Demand from AI infrastructure and data centers has caused memory prices to skyrocket across the industry, making hardware plans much more difficult to predict.
For now, Valve’s next hardware finds itself in a strange middle ground. In other words, it’s officially delayed, but behind the scenes it’s quietly moving forward. What we don’t know yet is when it will be released and how much it will cost. And until those two questions are answered, Valve’s ambitious foray into living room gaming remains a waiting game.