Recent Steam Deck Update Could Be Bad News for the Steam Machine

When Valve first announced the return of the Steam Machine, many gamers were tentatively excited. The PC/console hybrid could be a massive win for gamers and indie developers. But Valve has still not revealed how much the Steam Machine will cost, leaving many worried it will be well above a standard console price point. Recently, Valve confirmed it still hasn’t set the price or launch date for the Steam Machine due to ongoing shortages of several of its components. And a new update with Valve’s Steam Deck could be bad news on this front.

Not long ago, Valve stopped manufacturing its Steam Deck LCD 256GB. Once these products sell out, the OLED will be the only option available for the Steam handheld. But now, the OLED itself has become hard to find. Recently, Valve updated the Steam Deck sale page. It now includes a note about intermittent stock shortages for the OLED Steam Deck models “due to memory and storage shortages.” Given prior comments about the Steam Machine delay, that could mean we’ll be waiting even longer for the device to launch.

Steam Machine Likely to See Additional Delays Due to Component Shortages

The Steam Machine was initially expected to hit the market early this year. In a recent post, Valve confirmed that it has delayed the Steam Machine and SteamFrame VR due to component shortages. At that time, Valve noted that it still expects to launch both platforms in the first halfof 2026. However, the company still has not confirmed the specific timing or prices for either product. And this recent update to Steam Deck OLED availability doesn’t look like great news on that front.

Apparently, the Steam Deck OLED is currently experiencing shortages in several regions. Though Valve is no longer making the LCD, the company is theoretically still manufacturing the OLED. With the new messaging about intermittent stock shortages, it looks like Valve may have pulled back production due to the rising cost of certain computer components. And with that being the whole reason why Valve hasn’t committed to a price or release for the Steam Machine, it’s not looking good.

Currently, all 3 Steam Deck models show as sold out when viewing the Steam store in the United States. This is accompanied by Valve’s official note that “Steam Deck OLED may be out-of-stock intermittently in some regions due to memory and storage shortages.” With this acknowledgement that these key components are still tough to come by, it’s likely that the Steam Machine won’t be ready to launch for quite some time.

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Of course, it’s also possible that Valve is prioritizing getting ready for the Steam Machine launch, rather than continuing to make its older platform. But with component shortages, the prices for these parts are a lot steeper than they once were. If the company does plan to manufacture and ship the Steam Machine with the current market, Valve would likely have to set a premium price. And that might not align with what many consumers are able to budget for new video game equipment right now. That leads me to guess that Valve might well wind up delaying the Steam Machine launch a bit longer in the hopes that component shortages will ease up.

For now, all we know is that Valve still hopes to launch the Steam Machine in the first half of the year. Pricing and a specific release date are still to come. And it looks like the Steam Deck is going to be a bit harder to come by for the foreseeable future while we wait on the new Steam platform, too.

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