Valve has confirmed that not only will Steam Machine and Steam Frame be released this year, as promised, but both now have a release window of this summer. Valve still doesn't want to tell us how much its new VR headset and PC-console hybrid will cost.
Steam Machine will have verified games like Steam Deck
Valve confirmed the good news about the Steam Machine and Steam Frame in a new blog post that largely focuses on the fact that the two new pieces of hardware will be joining its proven program. Presented with a steam deck, if the game is verified, it means that this deck can be played without significant problems.
A steam machine will still be more expensive than a steam deck
The huge price increase of steam decks is a worrying sign for the steam machine.
Machine and Frame will also be part of that program, with details on the game's Steam pages letting users know that titles for Steam Machine and Steam Frame are certified. A good idea, but many of you who are interested in owning either a frame or a machine should first, but especially the latter, have scanned the blog post for value.
There is no price yet for Steam Machine
Unfortunately, there isn't one for either the machine or the frame. The “this summer” window is a thin silver lining, though. I'd say summer has technically started, which means we can expect pre-orders for Steam Machine and Steam Frame to start any day now.
The Steam Controller, which was originally supposed to be released at the same time as the Machine and Frame, experienced a quick turnaround between the pre-order reveal and the gadget being available to buy. It then sold out almost immediately, which I imagine would be the case for the Steam Machine, regardless of the cost.
Hopes that the machine could be an affordable alternative to other first-party consoles have been in steady decline since its reveal. I foolishly thought it could be as much as $600 for the 512GB model back in the day when Valve first showed it off. Since then, PlayStation has raised the cost of the PS5, Nintendo has announced imminent price increases for the Switch 2, and in the most ominous sign of all, the cost of Steam Decks has risen significantly.
Valve sold out of Steam decks earlier this year, and when it restocked them, it raised the price considerably. The 1TB OLED model of Steam's handheld is now priced at $979, $300 more than it was before the price increase. Valve has already boasted that the machine will be six times more powerful than its deck, and while it won't cost six times as much, it's hard to imagine a world where even the smallest Steam Machine model costs less than $1,000.
- brand
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valve
- operating system
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SteamOS 3 (Arch-based)
- processor
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Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 6C / 12T up to 4.8 GHz, 30W TDP
- resolve
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Up to 4K@240Hz or 8K@60Hz
- HDR support
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yes
- Original release date
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2026
