Valve has confirmed that everyone currently on the Steam Machine reservation list will be given the option to purchase the hardware by the end of 2026. Despite launching to middling reviews citing a high price point and patchy 4K graphics, the PC hardware remains sold out across all storage sizes and controller options on Valve's storefront.

Quick Facts

  • Purchase Window: Valve expects everyone in the current reservation queue to receive a purchase option by the end of 2026.
  • Order Fulfillment: Orders are fulfilled daily in the order reservation holders joined the post-randomization list.
  • Pricing: The base Steam Machine unit without a controller costs $1,049 / £879.
  • Purchase Window Limit: Buyers have 72 hours to complete their purchase after receiving their email invitation.

How the Queue and Waitlists Work

Valve is working through the randomized reservation list daily, sending out emails to reservation holders in the exact order they landed on the list. In some regions, the developer has already reached the end of the initial reservation queue and begun inviting new buyers from the waitlist.

Valve clarified that waitlist movement will not disrupt existing reservations. Nobody on a waitlist will leapfrog current reservation holders; waitlists are only accessed once a specific region's reservation queue has been fully cleared. If you are on a waitlist and move into a reservation spot, Valve will email you about your updated status first, followed by a purchase email when your turn arrives.

Once an email arrives, buyers must complete their transaction within 72 hours. Failing to purchase within this timeframe results in the offer moving to the next person in line.

Reception and Pricing Context

Reviews for the hardware have been mixed. In a review for PCGamesN, Ed awarded Valve's system a middling 6/10, praising its ease of use while calling the price a non-starter that suits only certain games. Critics and buyers alike have pointed to the $1,049 / £879 baseline price tag—without a controller included—as exceptionally high, especially amid ongoing RAM supply constraints and expensive gaming PC parts.

While the Steam Deck also recently received a $300 price increase and remains out of stock, players with cash to spare who secured a spot on the Steam Machine reservation list can expect their chance to buy before the year concludes.