Yesterday, Valve announced some disappointing news via a blog post. The upcoming release of its Steam Machine console has been delayed. The culprit behind it: the industry-wide memory and storage shortages.
Valve unveiled its Steam Machine, alongside the Steam Controller and Steam Frame VR headset, back in November, with an anticipated launch sometime early this year for all three products. The console is a 6-inch cube that can be used like a normal PC, installing apps and games, and supports 4K 60 fps gaming. While the Frame is a VR gaming headset with 4 cameras and hi-fi audio, the controller resembles the layout of its portable Steam Deck console.
The blog post also answers several FAQs about the upcoming Valve products. Can you wear glasses while using the Frame? Yes, you can. But it ultimately comes down to the width of your glasses. You can also use streaming services with their VR glasses thanks to the built-in browser from SteamOS. And can you upgrade parts of the Steam Machine? Yes, both its SSD and RAM are accessible and upgradeable.
Valve will ‘revisit’ the shipping schedule for the Controller and Frame. Unfortunately, the update also includes rethinking the pricing for the products due to escalating costs and limited memory supply. However, the company’s goal of shipping all three products sometime during the first half of the year hasn’t changed. We’ll see if Valve can pull it off without charging an arm and a leg for the Steam products.
