Many gamers were less than thrilled when Valve announced staggering price increases for its Steam Deck. Most devices went up by around $300 USD, making the handheld much more difficult to fit into tight budgets. Rising costs and shortages for memory components are likely to blame, along with other market factors. And that has led many to fear for the future of the Steam Machine. Now, though, Valve has given us a concrete update on when we can expect its PC/console hybrid to release. What still isn’t clear is how much it’s going to cost when it does.
On June 4th, Valve shared an update about its Verified program, which included a note that the Steam Machine and Steam Frame VR headset will “launch this summer.” The update was largely geared at helping developers prepare to ensure that their games run well on the Steam Machine nd, if applicable, the Steam Frame. Even so, with summer fast approaching, it’s increasingly concerning that we still don’t have a price tag for the Steam Machine.
Steam Machine & Steam Frame Confirmed For Summer 2026, But They’re Likely Going to Cost You
Since the Steam Machine was first announced back in 2025, price has been an ongoing question. For many, the cost of the new Steam hardware will be the key deciding factor in whether to buy one. And Valve has yet to give us a confirmation of what the Steam Machine, or the Steam Frame VR headset, will cost. Given the recent increase in price for the Steam Deck, though, it isn’t likely to be cheap.
So far, only one piece of Valve’s newly unveiled hardware is out in the world. The Steam Controller launched back in May, with a $99 USD price point. That might feel expensive, but it’s on par with the cost of a pair of Switch 2 Joy-Cons, and just a bit more expensive than a PS5 DualSense. However, there’s a reason the Steam Controller is out already while we’re still waiting on the Steam Machine and Steam Frame. And the need for memory components in a console/PC hybrid and standalone VR headset likely mean we can expect pretty steep prices for both when they do finally arrive.
Courtesy of Valve
Not too long ago, a leak suggested that Valve was planning to charge $1000 USD for the Steam Machine when it was first announced. That was prior to the shortages that have led to price increases on most consoles, including the Steam Deck. As such, it’s highly likely that Valve has had to walk that initial asking price up even more. Given the roughly $300 increase for the Steam Deck, I’m betting that $1300 USD isn’t out of the realm of possibility for the Steam Machine.
At any rate, we now know that Valve does intend to release the Steam Machine this summer. We likely won’t know the price until a pre-order date is set, which is when we first learned the cost for the Steam Controller. As summer is arguably basically here already, I’m betting we’ll hear more in the coming weeks.
What’s the highest you’d be willing to pay for a Steam Machine? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
