Valve's Steam Machine may not launch this year

"We hope to ship in 2026, but as we shared recently, memory and storage shortages have created challenges for us. We'll share updates publicly when we finalize our plans! Right around its original November reveal, it became clear that memory costs were starting to skyrocket as AI companies started buying up as much of the chips as they could."

"Hardware makers of all sizes are having to grapple with what that means for their products, and many of the biggest hardware players aren't immune; even Apple is reportedly being forced to pay higher prices for memory."

Valve has postponed its hardware launch timeline, moving from a specific early 2026 target to a vaguer 2026 shipping goal for the Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller. The company attributes this delay to ongoing shortages of memory and storage chips. These shortages stem from AI companies aggressively purchasing chips, driving up costs across the industry. Multiple hardware manufacturers face similar challenges, with even major companies like Apple experiencing increased memory expenses. Valve plans to share updated timelines once it finalizes its plans.

Read at The Verge