The Steam Controller is now available for preorder, as we mentioned last week, along with Steam Link, the wireless gizmo that gives you access to your Steam stuff on any television in the house, and a couple of Steam Machines, too. Initial quantities will be limited, however, and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning on October 16, "weeks in advance of our official launch." And the numbers are already ticking down.
"The 'get it early' preorder offer is available to everyone who preorders, but only while supplies last," Valve warned in an update sent out today. "As of this writing, we have sold over 35 percent of the limited quantity available for early delivery in October."
The implication is obviously that these things are going quickly, and if you don't lay your money down soon, you could well find yourself out of luck. Valve hasn't released the actual numbers, though, nor how the percentage of preorders came about—if there was a massive flood on the first day that's dwindled to a trickle, or if it's been a steadily increasing rate since preorders began. It also bears mentioning that the usual risks of preorders apply; it's not likely that Valve will churn out flimsy crapola, but we won't be able to say for sure what they've cooked up until this hardware is actually on the market.
Valve also clarified that all Steam Machines will support In Home Streaming, in addition to native Steam OS games. "This means they can transmit and receive In Home Streams, and allows them to play all the games on Steam when paired with Steam PC," Valve said. Steam Machines won't officially go on sale until November, but Valve added that preview and review units will be made available later this summer.
