The Steam Machine and Steam Frame have been hit by rising component costs even before launch, but Steam still seems committed to bringing standalone PCs to consumers “this summer.”
Steam officially added the Steam Machine and Steam Frame to its Verified program, noting that the devices would launch “this summer.” The new date is not a surprise, but it is much more specific than “before the end of 2026.”
Previous updates It seemed to hint that Steam wasn’t entirely sure SteamOS PC would be a reality this year. This most recent update seems to put an end to that idea.
A Verified badge indicates that certain games and programs are compatible with the corresponding device. It’s one of the key details Steam Deck users look for when installing a new game. When you don’t have that badge, there’s a chance that performance will suffer because Steam hasn’t made sure your factory settings can run that title without a hitch.
There is a high probability that more games will be approved for the Steam Machine than the Deck when it launches. Valve says the Steam machine is six times more powerful running the same software, and to get verified, the requirements are twice as strict. Steam says that games that run well on Deck will run absolutely fine on Steam Machine, which was an unspoken fact.
Steam Frame isn’t as powerful, but Steam confirms that it will be a standalone PC capable of running its own titles without a compatible PC.
The biggest part of this news that seems to be missing is the price of each device. Steam has not set a starting price for the Steam Machine or Steam Frame. The Steam Machine price was originally expected to be around $600, although that estimate has since increased as the company has rolled out regular updates to the production process.
More rumors have emerged as the launch of the Steam Machine has been delayed. Some of the most recent estimates estimate the device at around $1,000. That’s a big demand for users who seemed confident they were going to get a PC-like console for almost half that price.
Still, a summer launch is closer than expected.
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