How Valve's Steam Machine Preorder System Works

Steam Machine reservations opened today across four configurations: the 512 GB console at $1,049, the 512 GB bundle with a Steam Controller at $1,128, the 2 TB console at $1,349, and the 2 TB bundle with a controller at $1,428.

No deposit is required, and making a reservation does not guarantee you a console or obligate you to purchase one.

To qualify, you need a Steam account in good standing and at least one purchase on the platform before April 27, 2026. You can place a reservation for multiple bundles, but if selected, you will only be able to purchase one unit of the highest-tier bundle you requested.

Reservations placed before June 25 will be selected in random order to build the waitlist, and reservations placed after this date will be added to the very back of the line. Effectively, this is a lottery system if you place your reservation prior to the one-time randomization on June 25.

Valve is explicit that this randomized setup exists to keep bots and resellers from monopolizing supply, while also admitting plainly that there won’t be enough units to go around at launch.

Valve picked the absolute worst time to start prototyping a new console. The spec sheet for the Steam Machine was fully built out by 2023, but surging hardware prices for RAM and SSDs have inflated the price for the console.

Most people were expecting this, but it comes as a blow to gamers hoping to pick up a Steam Machine at prices comparable to a standard console.

Ultimately, this a blog for scalpers, not a tech review site. We’re not going to dig into the specs. For the price and the current market, this is a pretty decent offering.

This is a green light, though not an unlimited one. Valve’s last hardware launch, the Steam Controller, sold out in 30 minutes at $99 and has been trading in the $275 to $300 range on eBay since, a clean profit even after fees.

The Steam Machine carries the same scarcity signals and brand loyalty, but at a much higher price and with a deliberately slow, randomized rollout meant to blunt exactly the kind of flipping that worked so well on the controller.

The specs are solid for a compact gaming PC, but $1,049 is a solid chunk of change that could result in a sluggish market for resellers. Expect early reservation slots, especially the controller bundles, to move for a few hundred dollars over MSRP once the first wave gets purchase emails. A four-figure markup is possible if demand runs hot, but it’s not a clear-cut layup like the Steam Controller.

With the Steam Machine close and the Steam Controller already in customers’ hands, the Steam Frame is the final release scheduled for Valve’s 2026 hardware calendar. Details are still slim, but we’ve written a comprehensive guide to the VR headset based on the available information.

Q: Can you preorder multiple Steam Machines? A: You can place a reservation for all four Steam Machine bundles, and we recommend that you do. If your reservation is selected, you will only be able to purchase a single unit of the highest-tier bundle you reserved.

Q: When does the Steam Machine go on sale? A: Valve will begin emailing Steam Machine purchase links on June 29 to customers at the front of the allocation queue. Customers will have 72 hours to make a purchase or they lose their reservation.