Valve expects everyone currently holding a Steam Machine reservation to receive the option to buy one by the end of 2026. The company is processing orders every day and sending purchase emails based on each customer’s place in the randomized reservation queue.
The reservation system opened in June, with signups closing on June 25. Valve then randomized the entries into a reservation order, giving customers near the front reservations while placing the remaining entries on waitlists, according to PC Gamer.
That update came through a Steam announcement from Valve, which confirms that reservation holders should receive their purchase opportunity before the year is over. The process is still underway, so an email may not arrive immediately for everyone. Receiving a purchase invitation also does not mean the Steam Machine will immediately be in the customer’s hands, as the order and fulfillment steps still have to follow.
Waitlist invitations will depend on the region and product
Valve has already reached the end of the reservation queue for some products and regions. In those cases, it has begun inviting people from the relevant waitlists. A waitlist customer does not automatically move ahead of someone with an existing reservation, though.
Valve said it only uses a waitlist after a product and region have reached the end of their reservation queue. Anyone moved from a waitlist into the reservation process will receive an email confirming that change before getting a separate message with the chance to purchase.
There is also a short deadline once the purchase email arrives. Customers will have 72 hours to complete the order. If they miss that window, Valve will offer the unit to the next person in line.
Other Steam Machine updates
Valve’s announcement also says that FSR4.1 is now available through Proton Experimental for games that support the upgrade. The company has additionally made a CAD file covering the Steam Machine’s external geometry available for download.
The Steam Machine is still difficult to buy
The update comes as the Steam Machine remains unavailable for immediate purchase through Valve’s storefront. The base model costs $1,049 in the United States and £879 in the United Kingdom, without a controller, which has become one of the main points of discussion around the device.
Valve has also dealt with higher memory costs and other component pressures while preparing the hardware. Those conditions have made the company’s living-room PC more expensive than many buyers expected. Our recent coverage of the Steam Machine’s $1,049 price covers the reasoning behind that figure.
For anyone already on the reservation list, the main takeaway is straightforward: Valve expects to send a purchase opportunity by the end of 2026. Waitlist customers may also get a chance if Valve clears the reservation queue for their selected model and region.
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