Valve has finally opened reservations for the Steam Machine, and it’s not exactly cheap.
The new Steam Machine starts at $1049/£879 for the 512GB model, and that price does not include Valve’s new Steam Controller. If you want the controller bundled in, the price rises to $1128/$938.
That gives buyers a small discount on the controller, which normally costs $99/£85 on its own. However, ordering the controller separately may not be the best move right now, as Valve is currently prioritising stock for Steam Machine bundles. Separate controller orders may not arrive until 2027.
There’s also a 2TB version of the Steam Machine, which costs $1349/£1149 on its own or $1428/£1208 with the controller. That model also includes alternate red fabric and solid walnut faceplates, giving it a slightly more premium feel.
Valve is handling the first batch through a lottery system rather than a normal first-come, first-served launch. To enter, users need a Steam account in good standing and must have bought something on Steam before April 27. The company says this should help stop scalpers and make the launch fairer.
“We underestimated customer interest when we recently released the new Steam Controller, and we wanted to create a system that would be less frustrating and more fair for everyone,” Valve wrote.
Sign-ups are open until 1PM ET on June 25, and Valve will start sending reservation emails from June 29. Also note that Valve is running separate reservation lists for North America, the UK/EU and Australia, while Komodo will handle Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong. South Korea, however, is not included in the rollout.
Outside of storage, every Steam Machine configuration is the same. It has a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 CPU, AMD RDNA3 graphics, 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM. Storage is expandable via microSD too, which should make it easier to move game files between this and the Steam Deck.
Opinion
At more than $1000 without a controller, the Steam Machine sits closer to a compact gaming PC than a traditional console. That could still work in Valve’s favour but only if it offers the ease of a console with enough power to justify the price
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