Steam Machine & Frame may have the same reservation program as the Steam Controller, leak suggests
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The Steam Controller launched on May 4, selling out within about 30 minutes. It didn’t take long for scalpers to list the controller on eBay and other platforms for around $300 to $500. To tackle this, Valve later introduced a reservation queue system, prioritizing more trusted Steam accounts, which appears to already be in place for two more upcoming devices.
Scalpers always try to take advantage of a high-demand product launch, aiming to snatch as many units as possible. The reservation system introduced by Valve attempts to solve this problem, as real fans with accounts “in good standing” can secure a spot in advance and get their hands on the controller without worrying about competing against bots and resellers.
Steam Machine and Steam Frame data appear in Steam Tracking
Now, according to Steam’s database, it seems like Valve is planning to introduce the same system for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame, two devices that are expected to be released this year. Valve released an update on Thursday that added the reservation system for the Steam Controller, and in its code, both the Steam Machine and Frame were referenced.
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What’s interesting is that the code referenced four different Steam Machine packages. For those who don’t know, the console will launch with 512GB and 2TB storage options, so the remaining two packages could be bundles that include controllers. There were also two references to the Steam Frame in the same code.
That said, being referenced in the code seems to suggest that Valve already has a reservation system in place for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame. This will prevent scalpers and resellers from securing multiple units so they can later sell them at higher prices. Valve said, “we hate that not everyone” was able to get a Steam Controller during the original launch.
Just like the Steam Controller, users will likely need a Steam account “in good standing” and must have made at least one purchase on their account before April 27. This way, scalpers won’t be able to use new accounts to abuse the system.
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