Key Highlights
- Valve’s Steam Machine and related products have been delayed due to a RAM shortage.
- The company is revisiting its shipping schedule and pricing plans for the affected products.
- RAM prices have tripled or quadrupled, making it difficult to offer competitive pricing.
- Valve aims to ship all three products in the first half of 2026 but needs to adjust expectations.
The RAM Crisis Hits Valve’s Hardware Plans
Valve, the tech giant behind Steam, is facing a reality check with its latest hardware lineup. The company, which promised to launch the Steam Machine and related products in early 2026, has had to delay these plans due to a significant shortage of RAM—a key component for any gaming machine.
“We planned on being able to share specific pricing and launch dates by now,” Valve says. “But the memory and storage shortages you’ve likely heard about across the industry have rapidly increased since then.”
The Impact of Rising Prices
The RAM crisis is no small matter. As reported, PC gamers have seen the price of RAM triple or even quadruple in early 2026, with memory makers diverting supplies to more profitable AI server markets. This has created an uphill battle for Valve and other tech companies trying to balance costs with product affordability.
“The market is kind of weird,” Valve admitted to Tom’s Hardware. “Memory prices are going up like right as we speak.” For the Steam Machine, a console positioned closer to the entry-level PC space, and the Frame, aiming for a price lower than its previous $999 Index model, these rising costs present a significant challenge.
Valve’s Adjusted Expectations
Despite the setbacks, Valve remains committed to launching all three products in the first half of 2026. However, they are resetting expectations for pricing and launch dates. Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, echoed this sentiment when she said on an earnings call that “Valve is on track to begin shipping its AMD-powered Steam Machine early this year.”
“We have work to do to land on concrete pricing and launch dates that we can confidently announce,” Valve stated. This means staying mindful of the rapidly changing circumstances around both availability and costs.
A Wider Industry Impact
The RAM crisis extends beyond just Valve’s plans. It’s a symptom of broader industry issues, including supply chain disruptions and increased demand for AI infrastructure. For gamers and tech enthusiasts alike, this means waiting longer than initially expected for new hardware that could have significantly impacted the competitive landscape.
“This is not an isolated incident,” commented an industry analyst. “The entire technology sector faces these kinds of challenges as we transition into a more data-driven world.”
You might think this is new, but it’s part of a larger trend that will continue to shape the tech industry in the coming years.
