As reported by The Verge, Valve has responded to confusion about its release schedule for the Steam Frame, Controller, and Machine, reaffirming that the devices will come out in 2026 despite the AI-driven squeeze on PC hardware. Valve's 2025 year in review post initially made it sound like a 2027 delay was in the cards for the much-anticipated new tech.
Valve communications lead Kaci Aitchison Boyle told The Verge that "nothing has really changed on our end," while the year in review post at the heart of the story has been updated to have more definitive, confident language about a 2026 release window for the hardware.
Original wording: "We hope to ship in 2026, but as we shared recently, memory and storage shortages have created challenges for us. We'll share updates publicly when we finalize our plans!"
Updated wording: "We shared recently that there have been challenges with memory and storage shortages, but we will be shipping all three products this year. More updates will be shared as we finalize our plans."
I'm hoping Valve can deliver. The Steam Machine feels like a godsend in the current dog-eat-dog PC hardware space, one where some analysts are predicting the end of entry level machines altogether. But it's not unreasonable to fear that the Steam Machine could fall prey to the very trends that make it so attractive. The AI datacenter-driven RAMpocalypse feels like the grim reaper knocking on our hobby's door.
In addition to Steam Machines, a revival of Valve's console-PC hybrid idea from the early 2010s, Valve is revising the Steam Controller with a more Deck-adjacent design, and also offering the Steam Frame, a wireless VR headset to finally compete with Meta's offerings.
