I hate scalpers, and Valve’s Steam Machine queue is exactly what we need

Valve is reportedly implementing a reservation system for the upcoming launch of its Steam Machine reboot to protect consumers from scalpers and automated bots. The move follows a distribution failure during the launch of the Steam Controller, where the initial stock sold out in minutes.

According to reporting from HotHardware, the decision to use a reservation queue is likely a response to the secondary market activity seen with the Steam Controller. After that device sold out, listings appeared on eBay with markups often between 2x and 3x the $99 retail price.

Evidence of the new system was discovered in a recent Steam client update. Reddit user pepeizq identified references to the Steam Machine within the reservation system’s code via Steam Tracker on GitHub.

The leaked code includes four specific Steam Machine entries: 1629460, 1629458, 1629446, and 1629447. These entries were added during the same update that implemented the reservation system for the next wave of Steam Controller units.

While the full product lineup has not been detailed, Valve has already confirmed two base models for the hardware. One configuration features a 512GB NVMe solid state drive, and the other features a 2TB SSD. Both versions include a high-speed microSD card slot.

The appearance of four distinct entries in the code suggests that Valve may launch four separate stock keeping units (SKUs). Analysis from Reddit suggests the company could offer the Steam Machine as a standalone system as well as a bundle featuring a controller for both the 512GB and 2TB storage options.

By baking scalper protection directly into the pre-order process, Valve aims to avoid the immediate depletion of stock by resellers. This strategy is already being deployed for the current wave of Steam Controller units to ensure a more equitable distribution of hardware to end users.