Valve has just provided an update regarding its planned hardware launches this year, originally announced for a vague “early 2026” launch. In an update post, the company now states that all three products will be shipping “in the first half of the year”. Additionally, the Steam creator has confirmed the reason why nothing more specific has been announced so far – ongoing memory and storage shortages are to blame, as many suspected.

If you didn’t already know, Valve announced three new pieces of hardware in November last year: the Steam Machine, the Steam Frame VR headset, and a new Steam Controller. We think it’s fair to say that the Steam Machine mini PC has generated the most interest so far, shipping with SteamOS to deliver a console-like experience with “six times the horsepower of Steam Deck”.

Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller possibly delayed?

Just recently, AMD’s earnings report revealed Valve was still on track for an early 2026 launch with the Steam Machine, though now this seems to have shifted slightly to a more generic (and perhaps delayed) “first half of the year” window. This means we might have to wait a few more months for these hardware launches, which probably falls outside of what most people imagined ‘early 2026’ to mean. Valve suggests that a 1H 2026 launch window is what it has targeted all along.

Our goal of shipping all three products in the first half of the year has not changed. But we have work to do to land on concrete pricing and launch dates that we can confidently announce, being mindful of how quickly the circumstances around both of those things can change. We will keep you updated as much as we can as we finalize those plans as soon as possible.

Valve, via Steam Community

RAM and SSD shortages and price hikes have caused industry-wide disruption, so it’s no surprise to see Valve affected by this. “Limited availability and growing prices” of these components mean going back to the drawing board as far as shipping schedule and pricing details are confirmed, at least for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame.

One leaker even suggested the company might have to release a “bare bones” version of the Steam Machine without these two components. Valve reiterates in its post that the SSD (NVMe 2230 or 2280) and RAM (DDR5 SODIMMs) are “both accessible and upgradeable”. While we wait for launch, Valve says it plans to deliver more content about its hardware in video and blog form.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.