Despite rumours that an announcement was inevitable, the highly anticipated Half-Life 3 was still not revealed at this year’s The Game Awards, leaving fans crestfallen.
However, hope is not all lost as, according to journalist Mike Straw during the recent episode of the Insider Gaming Weekly podcast, Half-Life 3 may just launch alongside the brand-new Steam Machine.
Why, you may ask?
Well, according to Straw, Valve is planning on keeping the Half-Life 3 announcement on the back burner as a result of the ongoing price hikes for RAM.
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PC owners will know that the price for RAM has increased exponentially in recent months, and as a result, it will inevitably affect the price of the Steam Machine which is expected to launch in early 2026.
With Half-Life 3 expected to be the first major title to launch alongside the hardware, it would make sense that Valve is hesitant to announce it until it has more information regarding the retail price of the Steam Machine.
“Now, everything I have, everybody I talked to, is still adamant that Half-Life 3 will be a launch title for the Steam Machine,” Straw explained.
“There is a concern, however, that they haven't made a decision on price, which is holding back the announcement of anything else.
The reason is because of PC RAM prices. They're up 200%, 300%, 500% of what they were in October, and it's only getting worse.
The window that I was told was Spring 2026, for the Steam Machine, for the Steam Frame, for the Steam Controller, for Half-Life 3.”
A Possible Steam Machine Delay
However, Straw also believes that, as a result of these issues, the Steam Machine will be delayed from that early 2026 release window, which could see Half-Life 3 also get pushed back.
The other bad news is that, again relating to the ongoing RAM price hikes, the Steam Machine could arrive with a hefty price tag which seems a shame for a piece of hardware which is expected to be more cost efficient than buying a full gaming PC.
On the bright side, Half-Life 3 is still waiting in the wings with insiders adamant that it will be released in 2026.
However, when exactly in 2026 remains the burning question.
With Half-Life 2 launching way back in 2004, it is safe to say that fans have waited long enough for Half-Life 3 so hopefully that official announcement will arrive sooner rather than later.
Topics: Half Life, Steam, Steam Machine, Valve