Featured Image Credit: Valve / Wontairr
Topics: Steam Machine, Valve, PC
Valve has officially confirmed the Steam Controller’s launch price and date, but it also comes with an inspiring update for the Steam Machine.
Yesterday, Valve confirmed that the Steam Controller will launch on 4 May at a price of $99 / £85, after weeks of rumours that the hardware would drop shortly.
However, considering the company had intended for the controller to launch at the same time as the Steam Machine and Steam Frame, it raises questions surrounding the status of the upcoming hardware.
Fortunately, a few updates that have come in this week seem to imply that the Steam Machine will be arriving much sooner than we thought.
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In an interview with IGN, Valve’s Pierre-Louis Griffais said that “in terms of Steam Machine, yeah, it's really just about the logistics of getting it into the user's hands.”
He added that while Valve doesn’t “have exact details about the timeline,” it’s “hard at work on trying to get them out the door” and is “expecting to roll out some news soon about that.”
Many have speculated that Valve is hoping to release the Steam Machine before Sony and Microsoft reveal their next-gen consoles, which is now rumoured to be later this summer.
With the specs of the Steam Machine firmly rooted in the current generation, it’s intended as an entry-level way for users to get into PC gaming, and therefore would be notably weaker than whatever the PlayStation 6 or Xbox Project Helix offers.
While it’s not a competitor to Sony and Microsoft, the optics of releasing a weaker system at a higher price would not reflect well on Valve.
Meanwhile, Valve has also been updating different packages to the Steam Machine and Steam Frame apps on its backend, essentially meaning new changes are being made to their respective store pages that aren’t public yet.
In total, 10 packages have been added to the Steam Machine app, as noted here. In terms of what this could mean for the hardware, it’d usually signify that multiple SKUs (Stock Keeping Units) are being stored.
So, for example, it could mean that different bundles for the Steam Machine have been added, one each for the 512GB version, the 2TB version, bundling it together with the Steam Controller and/or the Steam Frame.
Valve’s issues with finding the right release the Steam Machine and Steam Frame is all to do with the ongoing RAM shortages which are currently plaguing the tech industry.
One major factor contributing towards this is production being shifted towards AI infrastructure providers, as well as various geopolitical barriers preventing sales of related materials being halted for manufacturers.
The shortage has caused prices to inflate, though it appears as though that inflation is starting to plateau which could spell good news for the tech industry.
As for when to expect news regarding the Steam Machine, our guess would be late May or early June, just before Microsoft and Sony attend Summer Game Fest to discuss the next generation of hardware.
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