Valve might be making four versions of its new Steam Machine – including a 512GB and 2TB option – if a software update to the Steam Controller’s reservation system is to be believed.
Spotted by user Pepeizg on the Steam Machine Reddit, last Thursday’s Steam update seemingly included references to four Steam Machine packages, two Frame (VR headset) packages, as well as Steam Controller and Steam Deck packages. Packages, in layman terms, are folders containing specific kinds of files.
This update was focused on Steam’s reservation system, which has led to a growing belief that these four new packages refer to different versions of the Steam Machine. But if there are four separate packages for the Steam Machine, what could they be?
In an interview with Digital Foundry last year Valve indicated it wanted four different versions of the PC-console blend. This includes a 512GB version, a 2TB version, and bundles of each option that come with a Steam Controller. The new packages found in the update code align with these earlier plans.
If true, it would come at a time when memory is an expensive commodity, with the AI-driven hardware crisis causing many PC components to shoot up in price as a result of intense demand.
Valve has already noted that dwindling Steam Deck supplies were due to this component shortage, and the Steam Machine itself may have been delayed due to this hardware shortage. Valve is not alone, with Xbox’s Asha Sharma hinting that the AI-driven memory shortage may lead to limited supply and a higher price.
