Steam Frame and other Valve hardware may miss first half 2026 launch

Valve recently published its Steam Year in Review 2025, and the initial wording around its upcoming hardware plans created some confusion. The original post included the phrase “we hope to ship in 2026,” which quickly sparked speculation across the internet that Valve might be delaying its next wave of hardware.

However, Valve later updated the post to clarify the message. The revised wording now states that the company “will be shipping all three products this year.” While this confirms that the new devices haven’t been pushed back to 2027, it still suggests that players may need to wait longer than expected before they arrive.

The broader tech market is currently facing turbulence as well. Surging demand from the AI industry is putting significant pressure on memory and storage supply chains, leading to shortages and rising prices. Valve acknowledged earlier in February that it cannot yet provide final pricing or release dates for its upcoming hardware products.

Among the rumored devices, the Steam Machine may be the most vulnerable to delays. Increasing costs for RAM, storage, and GPUs could make the system less competitive if its launch slips too far, especially if higher production costs force Valve to raise the retail price. The situation appears less problematic for the Steam Frame, which targets a different market segment, while the Steam Controller remains highly anticipated regardless of timing.

Valve is far from alone in dealing with these supply chain challenges. Strong demand for AI infrastructure has created shortages of both DRAM and NAND memory, driving up prices and pushing many device manufacturers to increase system costs. So far, Valve has managed to avoid major price hikes on its products. However, the company recently discontinued the Steam Deck LCD 256GB model, effectively raising the entry price for the Steam Deck lineup.

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