Valve will launch its home PC gaming console, called the Steam enginebut it won’t be cheap, due to the persistent lack of memory called ramageddonwhich has already increased the price of Steam bridge. The company has finally revealed the price of the Steam Machine, and it’s not for the faint of heart.
The Steam Machine will start at $1,049 for the 512 GB version which does not come with a Steam controlleraccording to the listing page released by Valve on Monday. Adding a controller to the package will bring the price to $1,128. Ready to spend even more? With 2TB of storage, the cost jumps up to $1,349 without a controller. The 2TB model with a Steam controller will cost you $1,428.
If these prices don’t scare you away, join the waitlist by visiting the listing page and selecting the model you want before 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. on Thursday June 25. After this time, the list will be randomized and individuals will be given a time and date to purchase the unit, which begins Monday, June 29.
Those on the waitlist who aren’t selected for the first batch of consoles will receive an invitation to purchase their Steam Machine whenever Valve restocks, similar to how the Steam Deck launch worked and the Steam Controller’s upcoming release. Valve says this way of handling the console launch is its way of preventing scalpers from buying up all the initial stock to resell later. Those who do not register on the waitlist by the June 25 deadline will be added to the end of the waitlist.
The Steam Machine is Valve’s gaming PC, built into a roughly 6-inch cube designed to connect to a living room TV. The goal is to bring a simplified PC gaming experience to a wide audience and for game developers to optimize a single spec, as they did with the Steam Deck.
Here’s everything we know about the steam engine.
When is the Steam Machine released?
The Steam Machine will be available for purchase starting June 29, but only to those selected to purchase it on the launch date.
Make room in your living room for the steam engine.
ValveCan I pre-order the Steam Machine?
Valve opened its pre-orders for the Steam Machine on Monday, and it follows a similar process to the launch of the Steam Deck and Steam Controller.
Those interested in the Steam Machine can visit the listing page and select which waitlist to add to for the model they want. Valve will close this waitlist on June 25 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. The list will be randomized and those selected will be able to purchase the Steam Machine on June 29. There is a 72 hour window to purchase the Steam Machine. If the selected person does not purchase the console during this window, this reservation will go to the next person in queue.
Valve has certain criteria for being added to the waitlist:
- Customers must have a Steam account in good standing.
- Customers must have made a purchase on Steam before April 27, 2026.
- Limit one registration per household. Payment method, shipping address and other information will be used by Valve to eliminate multiple entries.
Anyone not selected to purchase the Steam Machine on June 29 will be placed on a waiting list. When Valve restocks more units, another group from the waitlist will be invited to purchase their Steam Machine. Valve has not provided an indication of how long it will take for those on the waiting list to purchase a Steam Machine. Those who wait after the June 25 deadline will be placed at the end of the waiting list.
Watch this: Valve’s Steam Controller Gets Major Design Changes
How much will the steam engine cost?
The Steam Machine will start at $1,049 for the 512GB version without a Steam controller. Other options include controllers or more storage:
- 512 GB with Steam controller: $1,128
- 2TB without Steam controller: $1,349
- 2TB with Steam controller: $1,428
What are the specifications of the steam engine?
Valve released the final specifications for the Steam Machine on Thursday with the news of the console’s official launch.
Steam Engine Specifications
| Processor | AMD Zen 4 6C/12T, up to 4.8GHz, 30W TDP |
|---|---|
| Memory | 16 GB DDR5 and 8 GB GDDR6 VRAM |
| Chart | Semi-custom AMD RDNA3 28CU, 2.45 GHz maximum sustained clock, 110-watt TDP |
| Storage | 512GB NVMe SSD or 1TB NVMe SSD, high-speed microSD slot |
| Ports | USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (x2), USB-A 2.0 (x2), USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort 1.4 (up to 4K @ 240 Hz or 8K @ 60 Hz, supports HDR, FreeSync and streaming), HDMI 2.0 (up to 4K @ 120 Hz, supports HDR, FreeSync and CEC), Gigabit Ethernet |
| Wireless network | 2×2 Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Operating system | SteamOS 3 |
| Weight | 5.7 pounds (2.6 kilograms) |
| Size | 6 inches tall (5.8 inches without legs), 6.4 inches deep, 6.1 inches wide |
What is unique about the steam engine?
Valve does much more than just make a small gaming PC. The company offers some features not found on the PS5, Switch 2, or Xbox Series consoles.
For starters, there are removable faceplates for the steam engine. This is similar to the Xbox 360 faceplates, which offer a bit of customization for the console.
An e-ink screen can be used as a front panel on a Steam Machine (used for testing by Valve, will not be for sale) https://t.co/NIO6m4qm5o pic.twitter.com/Gd30STsifs
– Wario64 (@Wario64) November 12, 2025
Steam engines are scalable. You can increase storage by adding a microSD card to the console’s microSD card slot or replacing the solid-state drive. There is also the option to upgrade RAM, but this will require a few extra steps compared to swapping storage.
The Steam Machine will also just be a computer when needed. Connect it to a monitor with a mouse and keyboard and the console will act as a Linux desktop. There’s also the option to install Windows instead of SteamOS, which would allow one to still play PC games, although the experience won’t be as smooth as SteamOS.
The Steam Machine is also a PC.
ValveThe Steam Machine’s Steam controller will seamlessly connect to the console. And, for multiplayer games, four controllers can connect to a console very easily.
Wait, didn’t Valve already have steam machines?
Type of. In 2013, Valve unveiled a new operating system called SteamOS. This is what powers the Steam Deck and creates Big Picture mode, which allows players to play their PC games in a mostly console-like experience instead of the typical desktop experience of using a mouse to double-click a game to start.
Alongside the operating system, Valve also released its Steam Engine Platform. This allowed hardware manufacturers to develop computers shaped more like a home console rather than a desktop computer. Alienware and Dell were among the notable companies that developed their own Steam machines, but none of them really took off, in part due to the fact that many games were not compatible with Linux-based SteamOS.
Steam machines collapsed in the mid-2010s because making games compatible with SteamOS was not a priority for game developers at the time. It wasn’t until 2018 that Valve developed Proton, a compatibility layer for SteamOS to make most Windows games easier to run. Proton currently supports over 20,000 Windows games.
Valve also ended up offering an alternative to purchasing entirely new hardware. In 2015, the company launched Steam linka device that allowed PC games to be streamed directly to a television.
