Steam's database suggests Valve already has a reservation queue system ready for the Steam Machine

The Steam Controller was released on May 4, and demand for it was so high that it sold out within less than an hour. Soon after the controller went out of stock, scalpers and resellers started listing it on third-party platforms like eBay at absurd prices, with some listings reaching hundreds of dollars above the original price.

To deal with the situation, Valve later introduced a reservation queue system for the Steam Controller, which opened on May 8. The system was designed to give real users a better chance of getting the controller while also limiting reseller activity. Now, it looks like the upcoming Steam Machine could launch with a similar reservation system already in place.

Steam Machine referenced in Thursday's update

In one of the recent Steam updates that was released on Thursday (as spotted by user Pepeizq), references to multiple Steam Machine packages appeared inside the reservation system code. Specifically, references were reportedly found in the file “steamcommunity.com/public/javascript/applications/community/chunk~b1f9f17fd.js” on line 18597. The code mentions four Steam Machine packages (1629460, 1629458, 1629446, and 1629447), two Steam Frame packages, alongside existing Steam Controller and Steam Deck package references.

The update focused on the new reservation system for the Steam Controller. Because of this, we believe Valve is preparing to use the same system for the Steam Machine, but at launch. 

The four Steam Machine package references could point toward multiple models and bundles. For example, Valve has already confirmed the 512GB and 2TB models, while the remaining two packages could be bundles that include a Steam Controller.

For the controller, reservations were limited to one unit per user, and Steam accounts had to be in good standing. Valve also required users to have made at least one Steam purchase before April 27, 2026, preventing brand-new accounts from jumping into the queue. If the same system is used for the Steam Machine, real users could have a much better chance at securing a unit at launch instead of competing against bots and scalpers.