Valve’s highly anticipated Steam Machine, along with the Steam Frame and Steam Controller, is facing delays in its launch schedule originally planned for early 2026. The company now aims to ship the products in 2026, citing ongoing shortages of memory and storage chips as the primary reason for the setback.
Despite earlier assurances that all three hardware products would be shipped in the first half of the year, Valve’s new timeline represents a significant delay from its initial targets. The uncertainty surrounding the Steam Machine’s release in 2026 raises questions about its availability.
Valve acknowledged the challenges posed by memory and storage shortages, stating, ‘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!’
Memory costs have surged, driven by increased demand from AI companies, leading to difficulties for hardware manufacturers in securing essential components. Notably, even tech giant Apple is grappling with rising memory prices, indicating the widespread impact of the crisis on the industry.
Valve’s recent announcement also highlighted that the RAM crisis would impact the stock of the Steam Deck OLED, further emphasizing the pervasive nature of the supply chain challenges faced by hardware makers.
Source: The Verge