Valve has postponed the launch of the Steam Machine indefinitely, while the Steam Controller will be available for pre-order starting May 4th. The company cites the current market situation for hardware components as the reason for the delay.
According to Valve developer Pierre-Louis Griffais, the Steam Machine is now complete. The system is based on the Steam Deck architecture, but delivers significantly higher performance for stationary use thanks to a more powerful GPU. The software environment and hardware design are finalized, meaning the device is theoretically ready for mass production.
The decisive factor for the delayed release is the global price development of RAM. Due to high demand in the AI sector, DRAM prices have risen by 170 percent year-on-year. Valve engineer Steve Cardinali explained to Polygon that, unlike a PC, the Steam Controller does not require RAM and can therefore be produced unaffected by these supply bottlenecks. An artificial coupling of the two products was discarded in favor of early peripheral availability.
"The device has no RAM, and it's not that complicated for us to bring it to market," explained Cardinali: “We are ready for it. We wanted to produce enough units to be able to serve everyone who wants one at launch, but it is possible that demand will far exceed our expectations.”
Uncertainty regarding the publication period
Although Valve still plans a release within the year 2026 aimsA concrete date remains elusive. The company is making the sales launch contingent on stabilizing procurement costs in order to guarantee a price point suitable for the mass market. Pierre-Louis Griffais emphasized that the primary focus is on logistics, getting the product into users' hands at reasonable prices.
The company is foregoing a launch under adverse economic conditions and is putting its most powerful hardware unit on hold for the time being. Valve is therefore waiting for lower raw material prices rather than releasing a console with a price tag inflated by market speculation.
We've tested how the Steam Controller performs in initial trials. summarized here.
Valve doesn't care when the device is released because, unlike Microsoft and Sony, it's not a publicly traded company and therefore doesn't have to answer to anyone. The longer they wait, the cheaper they'll be able to offer the outdated hardware later. I can't imagine they'll improve the specs for it. I can easily imagine them aiming for a price of €500 without a controller. Selling it separately is actually a smart idea; if necessary, you can use a PS or Xbox controller, or a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard.