Valve has good news (and bad news) on Steam Machine and VR headset release
Valve updated its Steam Hardware FAQ to share some good news and bad news about the highly anticipated Steam Machine, Steam Frame VR headset, and Steam Controller. The new Steam products were originally announced in November.
Let's start with the good news for gamers: Valve confirmed that it still plans to ship all three products in the first half of 2026.
And the bad news: Due to the global memory shortage, the company still can't share any specifics on pricing or launch dates.
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From the Steam hardware FAQ:
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 (especially around Steam Machine and Steam Frame).
Our goal of shipping all three products in the first half of the year has not changed. But we have work to do to land on concrete pricing and launch dates that we can confidently announce, being mindful of how quickly the circumstances around both of those things can change. We will keep you updated as much as we can as we finalize those plans as soon as possible.
A lot of gamers are excited about the upcoming launches. But without knowing the price, it's hard to know how excited to get.
The global memory shortage has caused huge price increases on critical memory components, as AI data centers buy up RAM. The shortage is complicating releases in the mobile, laptop, and gaming markets.
The Steam Machine is an alternative to both gaming consoles and expensive gaming PCs. It's a new type of console that offers the versatility of a gaming PC, only with a much lower price. As Mashable previously reported, the Steam Machine will be "six times more powerful than the Steam Deck and is able to play your entire Steam library, including AAA and indie titles."
As for the Steam Frame, it's a new VR headset and an alternative to the Meta Quest. The Steam Controller is an update to Valve's previous controller.
Topics Virtual Reality Gadgets Video Games
Timothy Beck Werth is the Tech Editor at Mashable, where he leads coverage and assignments for the Tech and Shopping verticals. Tim has over 15 years of experience as a journalist and editor, and he has particular experience covering and testing consumer technology, smart home gadgets, and men’s grooming and style products. Previously, he was the Managing Editor and then Site Director of SPY.com, a men's product review and lifestyle website. As a writer for GQ, he covered everything from bull-riding competitions to the best Legos for adults, and he’s also contributed to publications such as The Daily Beast, Gear Patrol, and The Awl.
Tim studied print journalism at the University of Southern California. He currently splits his time between Brooklyn, NY and Charleston, SC. He's currently working on his second novel, a science-fiction book.
