Valve Steam Machine (the next-generation living room PC) has received a major update from Valve. Instead of confirming an exact launch date or MSRP, Valve insists that the Steam Machine is still targeting a first-half of 2026 release, but current component shortage situation in memory and SSD stock (which also affected Nvidia, Intel and others) is forcing the company to delay setting specific pricing and ship dates as well. Valve's official blog explains that it originally intended to share the full pricing and availability details by now, but due to limited availability and growing prices of critical components, the company must revisit its launch timing and pricing strategy.
If we look across the tech industry in the year 2025–26, critical shortages of memory (RAM) and SSD storage have emerged as one of the biggest supply chain challenges, which is directly impacting gaming hardware like the Steam Machine. Even companies such as - AMD, Nvidia, Intel, Asus and other are facing huge problem with global memory chip shortage, and have even delayed their products for launch in future.
All these Memory chips and other components are currently and are being heavily demanded by the expanding AI infrastructure sector which has caused these resource prices to double or more. This recent situation is also been termed as "RAMpocalypse".
Despite facing such challenges, Valve has not canceled the Steam Machine; it still plans to ship it in the broad 1H 2026 time frame. This suggests that we might see the pre-orders or availability as early as spring or in early summer. The company also openly cites pricing and dates to industry shortages, specifically in RAM and solid-state storage.
Valve doesn't want to set a price too early only to be forced to adjust it later due to cost fluctuations, so it's pushing back price and date announcements until the market is more stable. Valve isn't just talking about the Steam Machine. Its entire hardware lineup (including the "Steam Frame VR" headset and the refreshed "Steam Controller") is affected by the same supply challenges, leading to a synchronized delay in solid details.
Analysts now expect that the Steam Machine could end up costing more than originally hoped because of rising component prices, possibly well above typical console-equivalent pricing. Valve might also adopt staggered availability if supply remains constrained, meaning some regions could see stock earlier than others.
As tech manufacturing prioritizes AI and the datacenter needs, consumer hardware makers like Valve may need to adjust their hardware cycles permanently, which means future announcements could be earlier or follow industry production trends. Some reports highlight that Valve's design will allow the user-accessible SSD and memory upgrades, which might help buyers to customize the performance and mitigate price concerns as well.
As tech manufacturing prioritizes AI and the datacenter needs, consumer hardware makers like Valve may need to adjust their hardware cycles permanently, which means future announcements could be earlier or follow industry production trends. Some reports highlight that Valve's design will allow the user-accessible SSD and memory upgrades, which might help buyers to customize the performance and mitigate price concerns as well.
Valve's Steam Machine was described as a "SteamOS-powered hybrid" that's more powerful than the "Steam Deck" but it is still designed for the living room and TV gaming experiences. Valve continues the testing performance, emphasizing 4K 60fps capability with upscaling techniques, variable refresh support and more. Initial hardware chatter from leaks and testing suggests upgradable memory and SSD and support for 4K output. Valve has also emphasized the performance alternatives like FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) for higher frame rates and improved driver support for features like HDMI VRR.
Anyways, what are your thoughts on Valve's Steam Machine, Steam Frame VR and Steam Controller? What are your expectations regarding to these products? What are your thoughts on the recent RAMpocalypse? Let us know all your answers in the comments, where you can also provide the latest news so I can make a breakdown of it.