Steam Machine preorders could start in days as consoles arrive and potential launch date slips
Valve's long-awaited PC games console will reportedly be available to order next week
Quick Summary
Preorders for the Steam Machine could start early next week, according to two separate clues we've recently seen.
We might even find out more details in the coming days.
There's been a lot of talk about the Steam Machine this year – mainly in a "Will it? Won't it?" kind of way. The ongoing RAM crisis (lovingly called "RAMageddon") has had an impact right across consumer technology, and Valve is far from immune.
However, after confirming that it was still on course for a summer release, it looks like the console might only be days from launching – from preorders being accepted, anyway. Two clues have dropped into our laps that give us hope that we'll hear more very soon.
For starters, import listings have been found that suggest Valve has received tons of new product units in the last week. Posted on X by EOZ VR's Brad Lynch it claims that the company has taken in tonnes of "Game Consoles".
It has also received a huge selection of "Virtual Reality Devices", thought to be the Steam Frame.
The first Steam Frame imports arriving in Valve’s USA Warehouses pic.twitter.com/TfEO9SPo0bJune 12, 2026
On top of this, T3 has heard through the grapevine – not from Valve directly, though – that we could get an announcement early next week.
It might even be that we hear more this week about an imminent registration phase, in preparation.
It is already assumed Valve will adopt a similar preorder format to the recent Steam Controller sale period. Only existing Steam account holders who have bought items over the years will be allowed to order one, and even then it's like a ticketing system where you register your interest and will be invited to purchase later.
This was introduced to reduce the likelihood that they'd all end up in the hands of scalpers. It worked for me, as I got my Steam Controller about a week or so after I successfully registered my interest.
The big difference will be price, of course. While we still have no official confirmation, the current speculation is that the Steam Machine could be around $950 (around £707 at today's exchange rate). And while that might seem steep, it's around the same as a PS5 Pro, so it's all relative.
If Valve has managed to keep component costs down enough to hit $950, while RAM and storage is two to three times more expensive today, I'll be pleasantly surprised, in fact.
After all, the Steam Machine is targeting AAA PC gaming at 4K 60fps, while my current Steam Machine-like build using a Geekom A7 Max can only safely handle 1080p 60fps – although that has recently been slashed in price.
Thankfully, it doesn't look like we'll have too much longer to find out either way.
