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- Some retailers have begun listing the Steam Machine for pre-order, despite Valve not yet officially announcing a firm release date or final price as of January 12, 2026.
- Valve first announced the Steam Machine in 2013 as a way to bring the Steam gaming experience to the living room.
- on December 29, 2025, retailer ShopTo listed the Steam Machine (specifically, a model manufactured by Alienware) for pre-order at £999.99.
Steam Machine Availability and Pricing
Some retailers have begun listing the Steam Machine for pre-order, despite Valve not yet officially announcing a firm release date or final price as of January 12, 2026.
Valve first announced the Steam Machine in 2013 as a way to bring the Steam gaming experience to the living room. The device is essentially a PC built for gaming, running Valve’s SteamOS operating system. Multiple manufacturers were initially slated to produce different versions of the Steam Machine,offering a range of hardware configurations and price points. However, the project faced delays and a shifting strategy, with Valve ultimately focusing on the Steam Deck as its primary handheld gaming device.
on December 29, 2025, retailer ShopTo listed the Steam Machine (specifically, a model manufactured by Alienware) for pre-order at £999.99. ShopTo listing. This listing was quickly removed, but screenshots circulated online, confirming the pre-order availability. valve has not commented on the accuracy of this price or the legitimacy of the pre-order.
SteamOS and Compatibility
SteamOS, the operating system powering the Steam Machine, is based on Debian Linux and designed for gaming.
Initially, a key selling point of the Steam Machine was its compatibility with the existing Steam library. Valve aimed to make it easy for users to play their purchased Steam games on the device. Though, compatibility issues with some Windows-exclusive titles were a significant challenge. SteamOS utilizes Proton, a compatibility layer, to allow many Windows games to run on Linux, but not all games are fully supported.
As of January 12, 2026, ProtonDB, a community-driven website tracking game compatibility on linux, reports that approximately 70% of the 100 most played games on Steam are rated as “platinum” or “Gold” for compatibility with Proton. ProtonDB. This indicates a significant advancement in compatibility since the Steam Machine’s initial conception.
The Steam Deck’s Influence
The release of the Steam Deck in February 2022 substantially altered Valve’s approach to hardware.
The Steam Deck, a handheld gaming PC, proved to be a commercial success, offering a more focused and affordable entry point into the Steam gaming ecosystem. Its success led Valve to prioritize the Steam deck and, seemingly, de-emphasize the original Steam Machine concept. The Steam Deck runs SteamOS and shares many of the same goals as the Steam Machine – bringing Steam gaming to a wider audience.
In a statement released on November 15, 2023, Valve spokesperson Robin Walker stated that the company was “re-evaluating the long-term strategy for Steam machines in light of the Steam Deck’s success.” steam News Release.This suggests that the future of the Steam Machine remains uncertain, and any new models may differ significantly from the original vision.