Steam Machine launches after Steam Controller, Valve confirms reason for delay

Valve has today confirmed that the Steam Controller will be launched on May 4 and will be offered for a recommended retail price of $99. However, there is still no sign of the Steam Machine; the official word is still that the Linux console will be launched in the course of 2026. In an interview with Polygon Valve's hardware engineer Steve Cardinali has now commented on the delayed launch of the Steam Machine.

According to him, the reason why the Steam Controller is being launched earlier than the Steam Machine is that it has no RAM and there is therefore no reason to wait any longer for the launch. Valve has thus once again confirmed that the DRAM crisis is the reason for the delayed launch of the Steam Machine, as not only are the prices for RAM currently extremely high, but availability is also severely limited, meaning that smaller customers such as Valve are having difficulty finding sufficient stock to manufacture products such as the Steam Machine.

However, Valve is said to have never planned to bring the Steam Controller and the Steam Machine onto the market at the same time. The only internal requirement was that the gamepad should not launch after the console. As the Steam Controller is also compatible with the Steam Deck and with Windows PCs and Macs with Steam, the gamepad is not only aimed at buyers of the Steam Machine. According to Valve, the development of the Steam Controller took over ten years, the angular design is a result of Valve placing more emphasis on ergonomics than design.