Steam Machine ready for launch: Valve shipments increase expectations

Valve sends shipments described as game consoles, signaling the Steam Machine is ready for launch, with uncertainties regarding price and content.

New shipments described as game consoles have reached Valve in the US, suggesting that the Steam Machine may be close to launch.

The information comes from a leak-tracking community, with Brad Lynch citing the records and the Club386 team verifying the observed data.

What the evidence shows

The most recent shipment occurred on April 23, with two additional entries on April 18. On April 4, there was a shipment of wireless controllers, weeks before the launch of the Steam Controller.

• The shipments appear with the description just game console in the shipping record.
• Among the hypotheses, Steam Machines, Steam Decks, or Steam Frame headsets are circulating; the discussion is not yet conclusive.
• Brad Lynch stated, in a reply, that it is a safe assumption that they are Steam Machines, not Steam Frames.

Implications for price and market

If the Steam Machine arrives, the price will need to be competitive with the latest-generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft. The GPU cited for the machine would be an entry-level RDNA 3 chip, similar to the RX 7600, which reinforces the need to control memory costs.

It is worth remembering that Valve has already indicated that memory cost has been a critical factor; the reason pointed out for the Steam Controller being released earlier was precisely because it did not require RAM. Even so, the company seems to be betting on stocks of something resembling a console.

About the author

Ben Hardwidge is the editor-in-chief of Club386 and has been covering PC hardware for over 25 years. He started his career in 1989 with the Sinclair PC200 and has reviewed everything from the Voodoo3 to the RTX 5090; when he is not discussing hardware, he likes to play guitar, paint Warhammer, and walk his dog.

Let us know in the comments: do you believe the Steam Machine is actually coming? What is the ideal price to compete with the latest consoles? Share your opinion below.

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