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Valve Refuses To Back Down: Steam Machine And Steam Frame Still Slated For Summer Launch
Valve is playing chicken with the global supply chain, and it looks like the gaming giant has no intention of swerving. Despite soaring component prices and brutal hardware shortages, Valve insists that both the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame are still on track for a late summer release. The company just doubled down on this promise by expanding its famous Steam Deck Verified program to include these upcoming consoles.
The expanded Verified program goes live today, laying the groundwork for a unified Linux gaming ecosystem powered by Proton. Interestingly, game developers are being told to use the Steam Deck for testing because Steam Machine dev kits do not actually exist yet. Valve claims that if your game runs well on the Deck, it will run flawlessly on the Machine with zero extra effort.
Here is what we know about Valve’s ambitious hardware push:
- The Verified program now officially covers the new Steam Machine and Steam Frame.
- Devs must use Steam Deck units to test compatibility due to a lack of Steam Machine dev kits.
- Steam Frame dev kits, however, are already out in the wild.
- Massive price hikes on DRAM and NAND memory are heavily impacting production costs.
- Original price estimates of $529 have ballooned to $899 or higher for the 512GB model.
We can thank the current AI boom for making our future gaming habits way more expensive. With the AI industry hoarding DRAM and NAND memory, even gaming giants like Sony and Nintendo have had to raise prices on their consoles. Valve’s Lawrence Yang admitted that the component crisis is challenging, but promised they are doing everything possible to keep prices competitive.
If you want to see if Valve will finally drop the official release dates and pricing, mark your calendars. The PC Gaming Show returns on Sunday, June 7 at 12 PM PDT. You can head over to the Steam page now to wishlist your most anticipated titles and prepare for some massive reveals.
The Nerd Bureau Take:
Valve is making a massive gamble by launching premium hardware during a historic component drought. While asking developers to test games on Steam Deck instead of actual Steam Machine dev kits sounds risky, it highlights the incredible flexibility of the Proton compatibility layer. If Valve can actually pull this off without charging us a literal arm and a leg, they might just secure their spot as the kings of living room PC gaming.
