The Steam Machine, once thought to be targeting the first quarter of 2026, was pushed back earlier in the year to an indefinite date – even if maker Valve continued to insist the PC-in-console-clothing remains on track for release in 2026. The new target instead shifted to the first half of the year.
In case you haven’t noticed, we’re very quickly running out of days in 2026’s first half, and the window is very much closing. It appears, however, that the hybrid PC-console may actually make it before the end of June. Potentially.
Valve-watchers recently got tipped off about a shipment of “game consoles” on its way to the developer, but all that ended up being was a new batch of Steam Decks. The company seemingly wanted to replenish its stock of the handheld, shortly before it announced staggering price hikes for the Steam Deck. Whether or not that shipment included Steam Machines is unclear, but it’s plain to see that we’re nearing the big day.
The latest development in this saga comes from Brad Lynch, who shared on Twitter that a Steam Machine ‘welcome tour’ of sorts was recently added to Steam’s backend. This could be a tutorial-as-game experience, likely designed to help new owners learn the ins-and-outs of the Steam Machine.
Valve, of course, is no stranger to these types of minigames, having previously shipped Aperture Desk Job alongside the Steam Deck, and The Lab for its VR headsets before that.
Steam Machine’s welcome tour was added to Steam’s Backend last night pic.twitter.com/draQoA4Fba
— Brad Lynch (@SadlyItsBradley) May 30, 2026
As Lynch points out, Valve updated Steam’s backend with the Steam Controller’s own New User Experience just a few weeks before the controller’s launch. In other words, this is the best piece of evidence we have so far that the Steam Machine’s release date – and price – are closer than ever to getting revealed.
Part of why there’s so much anticipation for the release date and price of the Steam Machine is all the chaos brought on by the global shortage of RAM and SSDs. Thanks to the unsubstantiated demand for AI, memory manufacturers have multiplied their prices in recent months, and because they have a long list of clients happy to pay up, their factories are fully booked for years to come.
That has caused the prices of most consumer electronics to rise, including game consoles. Xbox, Sony, and Nintendo have all increased the prices of their consoles in recent months. For many of the companies, we’ve seen the prices increase multiple times.
All of that has meant that the Steam Controller is the only one of the trio of devices the developer-publisher announced in November last year to actually get released. Neither the Steam Machine, nor the Steam Frame VR headset, have been priced or dated.
Millions are eager to hear just how much the two remaining devices are actually going to end up costing. Many fear the worst, with prices potentially reaching – and exceeding – $1,000 for the base Steam Machine.
As analysts have remarked, we’re witnessing “quite the squeeze” in most areas of life when it comes to the cost of goods, so Steam Machine price news likely won’t make people happy.
