Steam Machine pre-order guide

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Valve opened Steam Machine pre-orders on the back of its price and release date announcements for the PC-console hybrid. The situation is much like it was for the Steam Deck, with limited availability and a first-come-first-served waitlist. Valve has a strict one-order-per-household rule in place to, in theory, limit people from hoarding them for resale later. Landing a reservation doesn't guarantee when you'll get a Steam Machine, though.

Below, we break down how Steam Machine pre-orders work, which bundles are available, and what to expect once you get your waitlist notification.

How to pre-order the Steam Machine

A Steam Machine with wood-colored front panel, that's enveloped in greenery.

Before you can pre-order the Steam Machine, you must meet a few eligibility requirements:

Have a Steam account in good standing
Made at least one purchase on that account before April 27, 2026

To pre-order the Steam Machine, you'll need to sign up for an initial waitlist on the official Steam Machine page. You can sign up now through June 25 at 10 a.m. PDT. After that point, Valve will put all the initial signups in a randomized order and start sending out notices. Depending on where you end up on that list, you'll get one of two notices.

You have a Steam Machine reserved in your name and, when stock becomes available, will receive an email letting you know you can purchase it. You'll have 72 hours from the time you receive that email to place your order.
You'll receive a notice that Valve's put you on a waitlist, and as more units become available, you'll have one reserved for you.

Anyone who signs up after the initial window closes will be put at the back of a waitlist. Availability timing is anyone's guess, though, as Valve offered no timeline for when shipments might begin to go out or how long customers will have to wait between waves.

Valve will only allow one purchase per household, using delivery and billing addresses, among other things, to try and weed out potential hoarders.

How much does the Steam Machine cost?

Valve has four Steam Machine configurations: a 512 GB version and 2 TB version and then bundles for both that include a Steam Controller.

Steam Machine 512 GB: $1,049
Steam Machine 512 GB with Steam Controller: $1,128
Steam Machine 2 TB: $1,349
Steam Machine 2 TB with Steam Controller: $1,428

These prices don't include sales tax in the U.S., which will be calculated at checkout and varies depending on where you live, the same as when you buy anything on Steam. The 2 TB Steam Machine includes extra decorative faceplates: red fabric and solid walnut.

Steam Machine specs

Valve's Steam Machine, placed next to a goldfish tank.

Valve revealed the Steam Machine's specs when it announced the hardware in late 2025. You can check out the full spec list breakdown we did at the time, but the gist of it is that you're getting a mid-range computer with enough RAM and VRAM built in to competently run most games at 1080p. Upscaling options reportedly let Steam Machine run games at 4K resolution without issue as well.

This is what Steam lists on the product page: