Steam Machine Price and Pre-Order Date: It's $1,049 and Launches June 30, 2026

Valve has confirmed the Steam Machine price and release date: the 512GB model starts at $1,049 and the console-like PC launches June 30, 2026. Pre-orders run through a randomized lottery, with registration closing June 25. Here’s the full pricing, how to actually get one, and why the number landed well above what most people expected.

How much does the Steam Machine cost?

The Steam Machine comes in two storage sizes, each available with or without the new Steam Controller. The controller adds about $79 to either model. In US dollars, the confirmed prices are:

Stepping up from 512GB to 2TB adds $300. The 2TB models also include two extra swappable faceplates — a “red fabric” and a “solid walnut” finish — alongside the standard black. Prices vary by region, and not every country can order directly through the Steam store.

When is the Steam Machine release date and pre-order date?

The Steam Machine launches June 30, 2026. But you can’t simply buy one on day one — Valve is running a reservation lottery, and the registration window is already open and closes June 25 at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET).

After registration closes on June 25, Valve randomizes the queue. Selected buyers start receiving purchase-invitation emails on June 29 and get a 72-hour window to complete the order before it passes to the next person in line. Notably, pre-orders opening June 25 puts the Steam Machine head-to-head with another huge launch: it’s the same day Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders begin.

How does the Steam Machine pre-order lottery work?

Rather than first-come, first-served, Valve uses a randomized system designed to keep scalpers and bots from hoarding units. To be eligible, you need a Steam account in good standing that has made at least one purchase before April 27, 2026, and only one reservation is allowed per household. The reservation lists are split by region, covering North America, the UK, the EU and Australia.

Demand is intense: the store page reportedly sold out within ten minutes of going live. Valve says it aims to work through the full reservation queue by the end of 2026 — so if you miss the June 25 window and land on the waitlist, you may be waiting until 2027 to buy one.

Why is the Steam Machine so expensive?

The short answer is a global memory shortage. Valve had reportedly planned a starting price closer to $750, but the cost of RAM and storage rose sharply between the November 2025 announcement and launch. Company engineers have said the increase the Steam Machine absorbed is similar to what happened with the Steam Deck, which itself saw a steep price rise. In its announcement, Valve acknowledged the timing directly, calling it “a strange time to launch hardware” and saying today’s prices “reflect the current state of the manufacturing industry.”

There is a silver lining on value. Because pre-built PC prices have climbed industry-wide, assembling a desktop with broadly equivalent performance from off-the-shelf parts currently runs around $1,072 — which makes the $1,049 entry price genuinely competitive, even if it stings against the expectations set a year ago.

What are the Steam Machine’s specs?

The Steam Machine is a compact six-inch cube running SteamOS, built on semi-custom AMD silicon and positioned as a living-room gaming PC rather than a budget console:

It’s designed to sit under your TV and play your existing Steam library at the kind of performance you’d get from a mid-range gaming PC, without building one yourself.

The bottom line

After months of speculation, the Steam Machine is real and pricier than hoped: $1,049 for 512GB, $1,349 for 2TB, launching June 30, 2026. The catch isn’t just the price — it’s getting one at all, since the June 30 launch runs through a lottery you must register for by June 25. If you want a shot, sign up with an eligible Steam account now; if you miss it, the waitlist could stretch into 2027.

For more on the year’s biggest releases, see our GTA 6 pre-order guide and the most anticipated games of 2026 — whose pre-orders, fittingly, open the very same day.

This article reflects pricing and dates confirmed by Valve on 22 June 2026. Prices are in US dollars and vary by region; check the Steam store for details specific to your country.