New details on the Steam Machine have leaked, pre-orders could begin soon
Source: Mashable Tech
Overview
New details suggest that Valve is preparing a reservation queue system for the Steam Machine ahead of launch. This could be a direct response to the chaos that followed the Steam Controller’s release, which sold out almost immediately and ended up largely in the hands of scalpers.
Reservation Queue System
According to Wccftech, users digging through a recent Steam update uncovered code pointing to:
- Four distinct Steam Machine packages
- Two Steam Frame packages
- Existing entries for the Steam Controller and Steam Deck
The four‑package breakdown strongly implies multiple models will be available at launch. The reservation queue mirrors the system Valve introduced for the Steam Controller, designed to give actual buyers a fair shot before scalpers can clean out launch inventory.
Known Configurations
Two configurations are already known:
- 512 GB storage
- 2 TB storage
The nature of the remaining two packages is still unconfirmed.
Timeline and Shipping
Earlier this year, Valve acknowledged in a blog post that soaring memory and storage costs had forced the company to reassess its pricing and shipping timeline, particularly for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame.
Since then, Valve has taken a more confident tone, updating its Steam Year in Review to confirm that all three products — the Steam Machine, Steam Frame VR headset, and Steam Controller — will ship this year.
No price or launch date has been confirmed, but the appearance of four packages and a scalper‑prevention system in a Steam update suggests the pieces are falling into place faster than Valve has publicly disclosed.