Published Mar 7, 2026, 8:17 PM EST
Michael Ingram is a Senior Contributor from the United States of America. Michael has been writing for GameRant since 2021, writing both analytically and fiction for years beforehand.
Michael is a lifelong gamer whose first memories with video games come from being a four-year-old playing Sonic the Hedgehog on his brother's Sega Genesis and Pokemon Red on his Game Boy Color. He is a noted RPG buff whose lists some of his favorite franchises as Persona, Tales, and Fire Emblem.
Alongside his lifelong love for video games, Michael is a passionate fan of anime, hockey, and card games, particularly Yu-Gi-Oh. Michael has over 1,000 hours on Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel on Steam alone, peaking at Master 4. Michael is also a Level 1-certified judge for the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game.
Michael is also an avid hobby writer, regularly posting his fiction to his "lordtakuro" Twitter page. Michael has written a full novel, currently in the post-writing stage, and is in the process of writing his second.
A new update from Valve has reaffirmed that multiple planned Steam releases, including the highly-anticipated Steam Machine, are still on track to launch in 2026. The online gaming marketplace founded by the Counter-Strike and Half-Life studio has grown into one of the most recognizable storefronts in the gaming industry, with millions of players logging into the platform each day. Steam stands significantly ahead of much of its competition as well, with a player base more than double that of the Epic Games Store. Steam is also gearing up to make a big foray into the console market in the near future.
Steam officially revealed its newest home console in late 2025, teasing the Steam Machine for a 2026 launch. The Steam Machine is set to boast next-gen specs, packed with 16 GB of DDR5 system RAM and 8 GB of GDDR6 RAM alongside a semi-customized version of the AMD RDNA 3 GPU. The Steam Machine is said to support 4K gaming with 60 FPS alongside ray tracing functionality, offering two models with 512 GB and 2 TB of storage. Steam has now denied rumors of another delay for the Steam Machine and other peripherals planned for 2026.
Steam launches a new feature that is a potential game-changer for early access titles, and likely to be welcomed by developers and players alike.
The Steam Machine is Still On Track to Release in 2026
Steam recently released an updated version of its Year in Review statement, confirming some major plans for the next calendar year. The company confirmed that "all three products" planned for 2026 are still scheduled to launch before the end of the year, including the Steam Machine, a redesign of the Steam Controller, and the VR-centric Steam Frame. Steam addressed the ongoing "memory and storage shortages" that have plagued the industry within the post, citing non-distinct challenges that have arisen as a result. Steam also reiterated its previous claims about the Steam Machine being more than six times as powerful as the Steam Deck.
While the Steam Machine serves as the biggest release on Valve's calendar for 2026, the platform's other hardware releases are nothing to scoff at. The new Steam Controller iterates on the original controller from Valve with a plethora of helpful new features, including a pair of touchpads and redesigned magnetic thumbsticks aimed at better "responsiveness and long-term reliability." Valve also marketed its Steam Frame headset for both VR and non-VR gaming, featuring wireless connectivity to both PCs and the Steam Machine. Valve did not share specific release dates for any of its new hardware beyond the 2026 launch window.
The Steam Machine's impending release has elicited plenty of speculation about the final price point for the console. Recent leaks have suggested that the Steam Machine could sell for nearly $1,000 following its full release, based on information from an authorized Czech retailer. Fans have also speculated that the ongoing RAM shortages could drive the price of the console even higher, with companies struggling to get their hands on RAM chips. Steam has confirmed that the console is still intending to release within the first half of 2026, though the company has confirmed that exact pricing will not come until a later date.
Questions about the Steam Machine's release come as Valve has been struggling to keep the Steam Deck in stock. Supply of the Steam Deck has been a major issue for Valve throughout the recent shortages, with the console selling out in the US and throughout much of Europe. Valve also recently confirmed a price hike for the Steam Deck in several Asian markets, with Japanese, South Korean, and Taiwanese gamers needing to pay up to $100 more for the popular platform. Fans can only hope that the Steam Machine's launch will be a success, even as RAM and chip shortages plague the industry.
