A problem was indicated on the Steam Machine itself with a red light on the LED line in the chassis. It is currently unknown whether this is simply a software problem that can be fixed by flashing the system with a fresh install of SteamOS, or if it’s a hardware failure that would require the user to send it back to Valve. It is also currently unknown whether this is a widespread problem or if it is isolated to just a few users.

The Steam Machine makes use of its LED line to reveal to the user whenever it faces problems. The entire bar being red, for example, means that the system is overheating. According to Steam’s support website, the error seen by the Reddit user – a red LED on the second half of the line – indicates a GPU failure. The support website also notes other possible fault codes: a blinking red LED in the fourth quadrant means that the system isn’t detecting RAM, and a blinking LED in the second quadrant indicates that it isn’t detecting an SSD.

The user was apparently playing No Man’s Sky for a bit on their Steam Machine. After playing, they noted that a firmware update was available. The issue has seemingly persisted since then, with the Steam Machine being entirely unusable.

Users on Reddit have begun referring to the indicator as the “red line of death”. The title is a reference to the infamous red ring of death suffered by early Xbox 360 consoles. The name came about due to the console’s use of four blinking lights around the power button that would indicate hardware problems if they started blinking red. When three of the four red lights were blinking, the console was essentially reporting a “general hardware failure”. The name itself was, in turn, a reference to Windows’ “Blue Screen of Death”.

In the meantime, the Steam Machine has been faced with plenty of criticism concerning its price. Valve revealed just last month that the base model, which comes with only 512 GB of storage, is priced at $1,049. The best model available costs $1,349 and comes with 2 TB of storage.

While some industry insiders had noted that the prices are too high even with the current state of the market, with component shortages going around. Valve has since confirmed that it lacked any real bargaining power when it came to making deals with memory companies.

“Look, there’s no contract; there’s nothing,” explained engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais. “Like, those guys… they give us a price every month, or something, and they say, ‘You can buy that many, and it’s yes or no.’ And if we say no, then they never talk to us again.”

However, its price tag puts it at a premium over even the PS5 Pro, and that’s a cause for concern. At $1049 for a 512GB variant that functions on par with the base PS5 and Xbox Series X, it’s made our thoughts wander to what the next generation of gaming hardware could bring to the table and has us wondering what such offerings could cost. As always, there’s more to the issue than meets the eye, and we’re going to come at this from multiple angles. Let’s get started.

Leaving Traditions Behind

The old console model is the first thing that comes to mind, as it’s what the Steam Machine aimed to tackle before component shortages and the subsequent increase in prices forced Valve to pass on additional costs to its players. When you put that against how consoles have often absorbed losses they take on expensive hardware only to earn that back via game sales, subscriptions, peripherals, and platform fees, the Steam Machine’s disruptive potential becomes a little clearer.

However, that isn’t the only variable to consider. The PlayStation and Xbox have traditionally been closed-off ecosystems, with both Sony and Microsoft using all the factors we’ve mentioned above to try to surge ahead of their rivals. Throw in other gaming systems like the Switch into the mix, and the pattern becomes clearer. Big brands have used exclusivity and their unique USPs to ensure consumer loyalty and recoup the losses from discounted entry points over the duration of a console generation.

That means it can be hard for gamers to switch over to a rival, considering that they’ve had around seven years to build a library of games that would then become redundant if they were to give another system a try. Valve’s arguing against that route with the Steam Machine, bringing a PC/console hybrid that’s about as open-ended as they come thanks to a Linux-based operating system with a SteamOS overlay.

Yes, you’re paying a premium, but you also get the flexibility of a PC in a machine that gels pretty well with your living room setup thanks to its compact size and an approach to heat management that we must tip our hat to. That’s a more open-ended alternative to the PS5 or Xbox that could also run as a reasonably powerful PC if the need arises, since you could even run Windows on it and plug in a keyboard and mouse to get some work done from the comfort of your couch.

There’s value in both approaches, no arguments there, but there is the pressing concern that both Sony and Microsoft must now think long and hard about what they’re going to do about pricing their next-gen offerings. Absorbing hardware costs heavily in the interest of subsidization, both companies risk losing out on profit margins. Not doing so could raise prices, which isn’t going to make a lot of console gamers happy. It’s a frying pan and fire kind of situation that needs careful navigation if the next generation of consoles is to sustain the value that they offer to gamers.

The Rising Tide Of Prices

It’s probably a good idea to think about the price hikes on Sony’s PS5 lineup at this point. As of March 2026, the PS5 Disc Edition now sits at $649.99, while the PS5 Digital is at $599.99, and the PS5 Pro is pushing dangerously close to the thousand-dollar mark, with its retail price at $899.99. While it’s all well and good to support Sony, a manufacturer known for its quality gaming hardware over many years, and say that there was no choice but to hike up prices, that still doesn’t address worries about what the PS6’s price could be when it comes out.

Things are equally troubling with the Xbox Series. The Xbox Series S is now $100 dearer if you’re looking at a 512GB model, while the 1TB versions of both the S and X are now $150 more expensive. What’s worse, the 2TB models are now discontinued. Heck, even Lenovo has stated that memory prices may never return to normalcy.

Microsoft might be facing a tricky situation, all things considered, as Project Helix seems to be shaping up quite well, although it’s deep in development. However, as it’s being built to play both Xbox and PC games, that could put its value proposition quite close to what the Steam Machine is currently offering, and that’s without considering the promise of “leading performance” from the brand’s upcoming next-gen powerhouse.

With plans to ship out alpha hardware to developers in early 2027, it’s clearly getting closer to its final launch, as is the PS6. In the case of Project Helix, the PC/console hybrid angle could likely be a very justifiable reason for a higher price, especially for enthusiasts, but we’re concerned that such a situation could affect the mass-market relevance that it so clearly needs if it’s to take on the PS6. Exclusive games are a great way to get that going, but are they going to be enough to justify paying a high price for them? That’s something that remains to be seen. Either way, it’s a possibility that Project Helix’s goals may come into conflict with each other and be an obstacle to its success.

We’re aware that all of this is a tad speculative at this stage, but the Steam Machine has given us valid reasons for our concerns thanks to its price. But what could be done about them?

A Smart Way Forward

Well, you might not like what’s on our mind, but allow us to explain. We think delaying both the PS6 and Project Helix could be a smart choice for Sony and Microsoft. It isn’t because we think none of us are ready for a generational leap that could make modern gaming even better than it is today, not in the slightest. But at this point, with hardware prices and supply being what they are, it’s going to be a tall order to match retail prices with the value that’s on offer.

Both the PS6 and Project Helix need to come in at a time when a higher price tag is justified by an undeniable value proposition. Without it, we don’t see too many people looking to buy new consoles since their PS5s and Series X consoles, along with handhelds, the Switch 2, cloud gaming and other libraries, let them enjoy the best of whatever gaming is offering, albeit at a slightly lower performance that still works just fine since it’s what they’re already used to.

It’s going to be very easy to just wait out an upgrade, forcing Sony and Microsoft to either lower prices or weather low demand for new consoles. For the past few generations of consoles, upgrading to whatever next-gen offerings were available was a matter of better graphics, improved loading times, better frame rates, ray tracing in the case of the PS5 and Xbox Series, and bigger, more ambitious worlds that pushed the boundaries of what a modern gaming experience could achieve.

That’s the way it should be if you ask us, with each iteration of the PlayStation and Xbox working to give gamers a solid reason for an upgrade that goes past being an enthusiast, for whom a new console is a must-have, day-one purchase. Nothing wrong with that per se, but there’s a risk of alienating gamers who would like nothing more than a shiny new console but are priced out of joining in on the fun when the PS6 and Project Helix come along.

The Steam Machine has shed light on a facet of gaming hardware that console owners aren’t fully aware of yet, but the current situation has shown us all what those hidden bills look like. It brought the question of price and affordability to next-gen consoles, and we worry that launching either or both models too soon runs the risk of turning console gaming into a luxury purchase instead of a convenient, mass-market solution. It isn’t going to be entirely on the manufacturers, given the current cost-component environment, but it’s sure as hell going to be a factor if the prices are too high for the average gamer to make the leap to next-gen consoles.

We’re hoping to tell you that we were wrong to worry at some point, but all the evidence now points to a late 2027 to early 2028 launch for the PS6 and Project Helix. And while it’s certainly going to be interesting to see how Sony and Microsoft try to offset price increases, it’s going to be pretty saddening to know that so many of us won’t be playing the best games of the next few years in the best possible ways that they’re meant to be enjoyed.

And that would definitely be a disappointment all around.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organizati

However, Hiegl’s use of the word “never” during a talk at ISC 2026 has been reported as being an exaggeration, and the executive was apparently talking about the state of the hardware industry for the next five years.

Recent surges in memory pricing largely come down to the fact that the major companies that make memory, like SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron, have signed large deals with AI companies to fabricate components and sell directly to them. This has left the rest of the world that relies on computer hardware in the lurch, with even Apple recently having announced a price hike for several of its devices.

Interestingly, just as the memory shortages had started ramping up, Micron had announced that it was pulling out of the consumer market entirely, and essentially shuttered its consumer line-up of storage and memory components sold under the Crucial brand. More recently, Micron’s chief business officer, Sumit Sadana, blamed companies like Apple for the current situation due to their aggressive pricing practices when sourcing components. “A lot of the industry investments got shut down in 2023 because of really poor pricing and really poor margins,” said Sadana.

In the meantime, Microsoft recently announced that its Xbox Series X/S consoles will be getting another price hike. Kicking on from August 1st onwards, the Xbox Series S 512 GB model will be priced at $499.99, compared to its previous $399.99 price tag. The digital version of the Xbox Series X is going up from $599.99 to $749.99, while the disc drive version of the console is going up from $649.99 to $799.99. The Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black is being discontinued entirely.

“The entire consumer electronics industry is struggling with the current components crisis, but the effects are particularly hard on consoles,” said the company when it announced these latest price hikes. “Unlike phones, computers, speakers, and other consumer devices, consoles are typically not sold at a profit, but instead for less than they cost to make.”

In an effort to soften the blow for potential customers, Microsoft is also introducing a “Buy Now, Pay Later” option that gives buyers the ability to purchase an Xbox console and pay it off in interest-free monthly instalments.

Valve recently also admitted to not quite having the bargaining power it needed to negotiate better prices for the Steam Machine’s components. Engineers Pierre-Loup Griffais and Yazan Aldehayyat spoke about how they “would love to be able to make the Steam Machine more affordable and reach more people.” However, they noted that a price drop isn’t likely to happen soon.

Nintendo isn’t immune to these market conditions either, with price hikes hitting the Switch 2 in August.

But Valve engineers Pierre-Loup Griffais and Yazan Aldehayyat seem to disagree, expressing regret over the studio being forced to price its latest offering as high as it is, with the bargaining power to do so being out of its hands, while the Steam Machine’s very purpose has also been a contributing factor. Speaking to Digital Foundry, the duo have now revealed that there is definitely an intent to bring the company’s console-PC hybrid to a lower price point, but that’s dependent on the lowering of hardware and storage prices, which might take a while.

Griffais pointed out that the high price is, in fact, counterproductive to the Steam Machine’s intended goal, arguing that a cheaper price point would work in its favor. Aldehayyat has also expressed similar sentiments, though that comes with a warning that things aren’t likely to improve in the near future.

“Obviously, we would love to be able to make the Steam Machine more affordable and reach more people, but I don’t want to promise to people that it’s coming soon. I wouldn’t say that this is something that’s going to resolve very soon. It’s obviously hard for us to predict the future, but we’re not optimistic it’s going to happen any time soon.”

Well, all we can do is try and hold out hope that the Steam Machine manages to weather this storm and become what it was meant to be at some point. In the meantime, reservations ended on June 25th, with Valve shipping the first batch out on June 29th.

We’re here to give you a few details to consider that could help you make up your mind. Let’s get right to it!

1. An Eye-Watering Price Tag

Let’s begin with the elephant in the room. You’ve got four options if you’re looking to pick this one up, with the lowest option being a 512GB console at $1,049, while adding in a bundled Steam Controller sets you back by $1,128. A 2TB standalone unit costs $1,349, and getting that with a controller jacks the price up to $1,428.

That’s a steep asking price for a machine that sits somewhere between a traditional console and a compact gaming PC, and you could understandably be thinking about building or buying a small-form-factor PC instead. There is an explanation for those gargantuan numbers, though, and we’re getting to it in just a minute.

2. Regional Pricing Confirmed

Although we’d like to be the bearers of good news, that sadly isn’t the case here. The 512GB standalone model comes in at €1,039 / £879, and adding a controller to that takes it up to €1,108 / £938. On the 2TB variant, that goes up to €1,359 / £1,149, and €1,428 / £1,208 respectively. If you’re in either the UK or Europe, you know that those asking prices are quite steep, and the Steam Machine carries quite the premium price tag for a console.

3. Extra Faceplates

If you’re the type who likes to add a bit of style to their gaming setups, you might be disappointed to learn that the 512GB model doesn’t come with extra faceplates. Those are reserved for the 2TB models, which include both red fabric and solid walnut faceplates. That’s a tad limited, although we’re pretty sure there are going to be third-party options cropping up fairly quickly. It’s still quite disheartening to see the lower-end models not get the option to spruce things up, though.

4. What’s Behind Those Price Tags?

If you’re a regular, you probably already know the answer to this one, as we touched upon it less than twenty-four hours ago. But for those of you who might have missed that bit of news, know that Valve’s explanation is simple: RAM and storage costs rose sharply, and the company says that made its original pricing target impossible. As a result, the Steam Machine is launching at a much higher price than many buyers expected. RAM and storage prices have pushed costs up across the board, and you might want to hurry up getting your new unit since Valve has also confirmed that its launch inventory isn’t where it would have liked to be.

5. Still A PC (Sort Of)

The Steam Machine sits at a unique position between a console and a PC, with Valve treating it like an open PC and not a locked console despite its spec sheet matching the PS5 and Xbox Series instead of a premium PC at that price. Of course, the original $750 price tag it was rumoured to be mulling would have made sense in this context, but alas, it’s been forced to deal with some harsh realities. As per The Verge, Valve is not treating this like a subsidized console, though. Its argument is that the Steam Machine should remain part of the open PC hardware space rather than a locked-down ecosystem, even if that makes the upfront price harder to swallow.

6. Potentially Different RAM Configurations

A shortage of RAM has Valve scrambling to maintain uniform configurations across the board for the Steam Machine. Units might ship with either single-channel or dual-channel 16GB RAM, and while in an article on The Verge, Valve argues that the difference is negligible in terms of real-world gaming impact, it’s still an important detail that we think matters to someone choosing to splurge on a console that’s as expensive as it is.

7. The TDP Figures

Aside from RAM, the Steam Machine packs a 30W semi-custom Zen 4 CPU alongside a 110W semi-custom RDNA 3 GPU, 16GB of DDR5 system RAM, and 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM. That configuration explains its compact form factor and its performance ceiling. The concern here is not really whether the system can stay cool, but whether that 110W RDNA 3 GPU and 8GB of VRAM will have enough headroom for demanding games over the next few years.

8. Resolution and Frame Rate Targets

If you’re expecting 4K/60 fps across the board, you might want to know that achieving that target usually requires lowering settings and leaning on FSR upscaling. As per LTT Labs, for demanding modern games, 1080p or 1440p is the safer target, while 4K is more realistic in older titles, lighter games, or scenarios where you are willing to make compromises. Your mileage might vary depending on the game you’re playing, but we’d pick a more consistent experience anytime, anywhere.

9. How Does It Fare Against The PS5?

Digital Foundry has weighed in on this all-important question, and the verdict is that the Steam Machine achieves largely similar results to what the base PS5 offers. The PS5 even beat it in games like Black Myth Wukong and Alan Wake 2, although the margins were quite tight. With that being said, the Steam Machine did pull ahead in some CPU-limited scenarios, but again, the difference was quite negligible. Considering the lower price tag on one of its biggest rivals, this is something you’re going to have to think about, because the choice between an open PC-style setup and a traditional console is a big one.

10. Storage Upgrades

512GB might seem like a lot, but we do know that the file sizes on some current-gen experiences are enormous. You might want to account for an SSD upgrade a little later down the line, once your budget allows for it, if you’re thinking about going for the 512GB variant, although the good news is that you can easily get to and replace the M.2 SSD that’s on board. As per Tom’s Hardware, just be sure you’ve got the right tools to work with a Torx screw, and you’re golden.

11. Suspend/Resume Is A Tad Unreliable

Valve did take a while to get this all-important feature right on the Steam Deck, and it looks like that might be the case here. Early reviews like the one from The Verge have pointed out that leaving a game suspended worked well enough, but there were still a few kinks to be ironed out as sessions sometimes vanished into the digital ether while TVs would suddenly turn on in other instances. That’s probably going to be fixed as the days go by, but we’d advise you not to expect a perfect suspend function right off the bat with this one.

12. Support For 3D Printable Faceplates

Yes, the lack of customization options out of the box on the 512GB model is a bummer, but Valve is at least leaving the door open for user-made alternatives. It’s releasing CAD files to make 3D printing your own faceplates possible, which means custom and third-party faceplates could be closer than we think. It’s still not as cool as having more official options available separately, but it is a step in the right direction. We can’t wait to see what players come up with as they spruce up their units over the next few months.

13. FSR4 Support Is On The Way

Valve has confirmed that FSR 4 support is being worked on for the Steam Machine in partnership with AMD. That should eventually give the system a better upscaling option than the FSR version available to reviewers right now, though buyers should treat it as a future improvement rather than a day-one guarantee.

14. The Growth Of SteamOS Desktop Support

If you’re still on the fence about the Steam Machine, you might want to hold off on picking it up until we see what SteamOS 3.8.10 has to offer, since it’s slated to bring improved support for Intel/AMD CPUs while Valve works with NVIDIA to ensure better GPU compatibility across the board. That’s important since you could ideally build your own Steam Machine at some point, although the official one is still likely to be the most unobtrusive and console-like option if you’re planning on a gaming system for your living room.

15. The Front Plate Attaches Magnetically

If the thought of customizing your unit has you drooling with anticipation, as per LTT Labs, the front plate can be removed quite easily and swapped out for something that’s more aesthetically pleasing to you.
That’s a great option to have since this one is meant to blend into your living room, and having the option to switch things up helps the Steam Machine integrate into a variety of setups without sticking out like a sore thumb. We’re still quite liking the no-nonsense design it ships with, though.

And there you have it! The Steam Machine has been a long time coming, and while things might not have gone entirely to plan for Valve in this particular instance, we’d like to believe that things can, and perhaps will, get better over time. But if you’ve decided you’re picking one up, we’d like to say congrats on the new addition to your gaming setups, and happy gaming!

“Look, there’s no contract; there’s nothing,” he said. “Like, those guys… they give us a price every month, or something, and they say, ‘You can buy that many, and it’s yes or no.’ And if we say no, then they never talk to us again.”

This shouldn’t really come as much of a surprise to anyone paying attention to the current state of computer hardware. Companies like Crucial, for instance, have outright stopped manufacturing consumer RAM, opting to instead sell to other businesses that want to use the hardware to build up new AI data centers. Similarly, other memory companies like Samsung and SK Hynix have seen most of their stocks being bought up by AI giants like Nvidia, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.

Interestingly, hardware industry insider KeplerL2 had said on social media earlier this week that “Either Valve has a fat profit margin on the Steam Machine, or they’re getting absolutely rinsed by their suppliers.” Another leaker, Moore’s Law is Dead, believes that the former might be the case, noting that PC gamers should simply opt for making their own systems for the same price. This way, they get PCs that can outperform the Steam Machine.

The Steam Machine is priced at $1,049 for its lowest-end model, which comes with 512 GB of storage and lacks a bundled Steam Controller. The most expensive version costs $1,349 for just the Steam Machine with 2 TB of storage, and $1,428 if you also want a Steam Controller included.

Griffais had previously spoken about why Valve couldn’t simply subsidize the Steam Machine’s price. It largely came down to the fact that the system is a general-purpose PC that runs on Linux. This means that there’s no real guarantee that a buyer would then make up for the losses Valve sees with each unit sold if it were to be subsidized through game purchases on Steam. While the company could have opted to make it a closed system like a console, Griffais noted that this ran counter to Valve’s values.

“The openness of the PC ecosystem in particular has enabled it to be the primary driver of hardware and software innovation, because anyone with an idea for a way to do something better was able to take a shot at it. When companies sell their hardware under cost for competitive advantage, or buy exclusive content for it, they’re doing that to build a more closed system, one where you don’t get to choose what software you want to use.”

“We don’t want that for PC hardware, and we don’t think you should want it either. You shouldn’t feel like you have to buy Valve hardware; you should be able to view it as just one option alongside all the devices for playing games, and select the one that makes sense for you. This means you get to decide which device fits your personal tradeoffs around things like price, performance, form factor, peripheral support, and everything else you care about. That’s the strength of the open PC platform, and subsidizing hardware runs counter to it.”

“Either Valve has a fat profit margin on the Steam Machine, or they’re getting absolutely rinsed by their suppliers,” they wrote. For his part, Moore’s Law is Dead believes that Valve has intentionally set the pricing to give it a larger profit margin. In a video, he discussed how potential PC gamers could simply build their own gaming PCs for similar prices that could outperform the Steam Machine. The YouTuber also said that the Steam Machine is simply “not even a good PC.”

“It’s not just that it’s expensive; it’s not just that the price is not what we wanted. This thing is horribly weak. It is not problem-free. And therefore, it is not ‘just a console for your Steam games.’ It is a PC that you cannot upgrade, and it’s priced like Apple built it,” he said.

“Gabe [Newell] didn’t price this thing above a thousand dollars because ‘he had to’ due to RAM prices that are out there. It’s way higher than just blaming that. He priced it this way to make sure that he could afford that $70 million mansion in Florida he bought.”

The Steam Machine is priced at $1,049 for the 512 GB version, and the price doesn’t include a Steam Controller. At the highest end, a 2 TB Steam Machine is priced at $1,349, with the price going up to $1,428 if you want to also get your hands on the new Steam Controller with it. To pre-order one, a reservation queue has been opened up, with potential buyers getting notified that they can get one completely at random. Buyers that sign up for pre-orders after June 25th won’t be part of the random pool, and will simply be added to the end of the queue.

The company said in a statement that it couldn’t subsidize hardware costs for the Steam Machine due to the openness of PC as a platform, which meant that potential buyers could end up never spending a single dime on Steam games. While it could have subsidized it by making it a closed system, Valve simply isn’t interested in doing so.

“We don’t want that for PC hardware, and we don’t think you should want it either. You shouldn’t feel like you have to buy Valve hardware; you should be able to view it as just one option alongside all the devices for playing games, and select the one that makes sense for you. This means you get to decide which device fits your personal tradeoffs around things like price, performance, form factor, peripheral support, and everything else you care about. That’s the strength of the open PC platform, and subsidizing hardware runs counter to it.”

The open nature of the Steam Machine means that it would be easy for someone to buy it and then just never use it to purchase or play any games on Steam. Valve wanted to ensure that the system could be used for just about any computing task that a user might want. “If there’s anything we’re religious about at Valve, it’s our belief that open systems are better in the long run, for ourselves and customers,” said the company.

“The openness of the PC ecosystem in particular has enabled it to be the primary driver of hardware and software innovation, because anyone with an idea for a way to do something better was able to take a shot at it. When companies sell their hardware under cost for competitive advantage, or buy exclusive content for it, they’re doing that to build a more closed system, one where you don’t get to choose what software you want to use.”

“We don’t want that for PC hardware, and we don’t think you should want it either. You shouldn’t feel like you have to buy Valve hardware; you should be able to view it as just one option alongside all the devices for playing games, and select the one that makes sense for you. This means you get to decide which device fits your personal tradeoffs around things like price, performance, form factor, peripheral support, and everything else you care about. That’s the strength of the open PC platform, and subsidizing hardware runs counter to it.”

This runs in stark contrast with how the console industry used to be run, with console makers often selling their hardware platforms at a loss and then making revenue in the long term thanks to the sales of games and services like Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus. Interestingly, even on the console side of things, this practice has largely been left behind, and both Sony and Microsoft have been able to sell their consoles at a profit since at least the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One. Both companies also have the advantage of the economy of scale, which means that the large number of consoles they manufacture and release means that they can often source components for cheaper, since they’re buying in bulk. Valve, on the other hand, doesn’t quite have that advantage, since its hardware business is still small by comparison.

The company reiterated this stance in its announcement post. It is also worth noting that the Steam Machine would have likely been quite a bit cheaper if it weren’t for the ongoing memory and storage shortages that have led to their prices skyrocketing. Even the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2 haven’t been able to avoid price hikes due to this.

We’re not too shocked about the revelation that it could have been up to 33% cheaper, as revealed by Valve engineers Pierre-Loup Griffais and Yazan Aldehayyat to IGN. They noted that it would have “probably” been similar to the Steam Deck OLED before the recent price increase.

The latter becoming costlier by quite a big margin was a fairly bitter pill to swallow. But that didn’t stop many customers, apparently, since the handhelds’ latest batch of inventory was sold out fairly quickly despite the revised price tags on them.

While it remains to be seen whether the Steam Machine will fly off the metaphorical shelves as quickly as its portable pals, it still rankles to know it could have been closer to $750, which would have made it quite a strong competitor. Valve clearly thought so too, and it looks like it couldn’t find a way to avoid passing on those additional costs to its consumers. What a time to be alive and to be a gamer.

The first wave of Steam Machines will be dispatched on June 29th, and you can currently reserve your own until June 25th. Unlike previous reservations, those chosen are completely randomized to avoid issues with bots, scalpers and whatnot.

Though the platform officially launches today, Valve has opened up a reservation queue for customers. There is a twist, though – it’s completely random. Available until June 25th, anyone can reserve either SKU. After this, Valve will randomize the order of reservations.

The lucky few will then be notified via email that they can purchase the Steam Machine. However, you may also join the wait list instead. And if you sign up after June 25th, then you’re automatically added to the back of the list.

The idea behind reservations and randomness is to avoid rewarding “bots, people with fast internet connections, talented gaming fingers for quick F5/refresh reactions, and those who can schedule their life around that moment.” “The longer time frame also allows us to do some extra validation on the signups to make sure they’re real accounts, with only one per household.”

Oh, and make sure that your Steam account is in good standing and that you’ve purchased something on the platform before April 27th, 2026. Otherwise, you won’t be eligible for reservations. The first batch of consoles will be sent out on June 29th and Valuve will “continue to go through the reservation queue as units become available.”

Stay tuned for more updates on the hardware, and whether the alleged Half-Life 3 is actually arriving alongside it.