Despite the high demand for its hardware, the lengthy delays for its launch, and a shortage of computing parts to manufacture them with, Valve is reassuring us that it's staying on pace with Steam Machine orders. In fact, the brand says anyone currently on the reserve list for the best gaming PC alternative will have the option to buy before the year is out.
Conversely, Valve previously said that the Steam Controller is in such high demand that it will be running late until 2027. The brand issued an update via blog post to report its progress on Steam Machine supply and demand.
"We’re fulfilling orders on a daily basis, sending out emails to reservation holders with the option to purchase in the order in which they landed on the list post-randomization", it reads.
"We expect everyone in the reservation queue will have the option to purchase by the end of this year."
Of course, the caveat here is that this changes per region, and per SKU/bundle of the Steam Machine you've reserved. Numbers of all of these configurations will vary from region to region, and so comparing to the pace of orders in different territories probably isn't an accurate marker of how long you'll need to wait.
There's also the waitlist to think about, as not everyone was able to reserve the mini-PC/console right away. "Importantly, no one on the waitlist is leapfrogging over anyone currently holding a reservation;" Valve said on the matter. "We're only dipping into waitlists if and when we reach the end of the reservation queue for that product and region."
Valve says folks on the reservation list should expect an email to offer a chance to purchase, and if they still plan to buy the Machine, they need to act on it within 72 hours or risk being left to the side:
"If you have a reservation, you can expect an email offering you the chance to purchase by the end of the year. If you have a spot on one of the waitlists, there is a chance you could be moved into reservations depending on which product you're on the list for; in those instances we will email you about your new reservation status first, with a purchase email to follow once your spot in that queue comes up."
Elsewhere in the blog post, Valve also said there had been updates to the performance of the Steam Machine, specifically that FSR4.1 is now available on Proton Experimental for titles supporting the FSR upgrade. Moreover, the CAD file for Steam Machine external geometry is available for download.
Valve making optimistic statements about its progress with Steam Machine orders could be a sign of hope for those eagerly awaiting an announcement about the Steam Frame. Although we haven't heard about the new VR headset's price and launch date, we've been seeing similar signposting to that of before the Steam Machine and Steam Controller's launch. If Valve is making progress with the demand of the Machine, maybe its new VR headset isn't too far off.
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