Valve says it still aims to ship the console in the first half of 2026
The Steam Machine has been delayed, Valve announced in a blog post Wednesday evening, citing the rising cost of computer components. So much for that AMD prediction about an early 2026 release date!
Valve revealed the Steam Machine — alongside two other pieces of hardware, the Steam Frame VR headset and the Steam Controller gamepad — in November 2025 for a 2026 release date. The idea of the Steam Machine could upend how people play Steam games: imagine your entire Steam library but accessible through the convenience and comfort of living room gaming. At the time, Valve did not announce pricing for the forthcoming console, leading many to speculate about its potential cost. (The top result in a Polygon reader poll? $599.)
“When we announced these products in November, we planned on being able to share specific pricing and launch dates by now. But the memory and storage shortages you’ve likely heard about across the industry have rapidly increased since then. The limited availability and growing prices of these critical components mean we must revisit our exact shipping schedule and pricing,” Valve wrote in its blog post Wednesday evening. “Our goal of shipping all three products in the first half of the year has not changed.”
Valve did not immediately respond to Polygon’s request for comment.
Elsewhere in the blog post, Valve shared a bit of additional information about its upcoming hardware. Game developers can currently request Steam Frame dev kits, with “limited” supplies that are being sent out on an “ongoing basis,” suggesting a product that’s closer to market than not. Valve also noted that the majority of the games it tested for Steam Machine run perfectly fine at the 4K 60 FPS standard you can find with other home consoles. Also, Valve plans to fully support third-party face plates.
The blog post did not mention anything about Half-Life 3.
