If they got the deal secured, you bet your table the ordering website is gonna get slammed.

I'm pretty sure they likely did what they did with the steam LCD, which was order an absolutely insane amount of units that they had stock for years. The semi-custom AMD chip they're using likely needed a minimum order of millions of units.

I have the first generation, and once I learned how to properly use it and set up the pads and gyro, it quickly became one of my favorite controllers of all time.

I hope this next one will be even better.

Yes this. 100%

I'm pretty sure they're going to wait to release the controller alongside the Steam Machine.

Unfortunately that would mean that if RAM/etc prices cause a Machine delay, we'll probably see the controller get delayed as well.

Same for me! I'm waiting on the new controller.

If I were wealthy, I'd be all about the Frame and Machine as well, but at a minimum, I'd love to have the controllers assuming they live up to my expectations, which as this point are basically, does it work and does the battery last more than a year or two?

Same bro!!

I really want the Frame. The Index is one tech and cords suck. Oculus actually did a lot of things right but I just can't justify throwing my money at Meta...

I can imagine RAM scavengers marauding the wastelands.

But they might be able to make a similarly powered device with older style ram, it would take a significant re-work though, one that would delay release.

So this basically confirms they didn't go that route.

SteamVR/OpenXR has been a standard for a long time, so pretty much all headsets can work on the platform (and by extension, there are plenty of vr games that run both on Steam and off of steam using the standard, such as the Vivecraft Minecraft Java edition mod :D). As a happy Valve Index owner for several years I am definitely looking forward to upgrading to the Steam Frame and selling my old headset, although I'm not sure when that'll make sense for me personally (since the index still works and plays games well).

Oh yeah some recommendations for good VR games:

• Into the Radius 1 and 2 (STALKER/Metro like experience but VR)
• Half Life Alyx (the one and only)
• Pavlov VR/Contractors (if you like Counterstrike/Battlefield style gameplay)
• VRChat (meeting so many cool people and exploring some crazy worlds)
• Way too many good mods that bring VR gameplay to desktop games (best ones are Vivecraft and SPT VR in my current experience)

the ability to obtain games… lets say from “less trusted sources”

This has been a big reason that I like the Steam Deck that nobody talks about. Which is probably a good thing! It's also led me to get legit games on Steam I otherwise wouldn't have.

My CV1 died a few weeks ago. I fancy the Steam Frame, but I'll wait for release before deciding. I hate Meta, but do I hate them for several times the price of a Quest...

This is what I've been theorizing and hoping would be the case, and I feel like valve deserves a W like that coming in hot when gamers need it most.

I can't imagine they would announce/launch something without having at least a couple years locked in.

I'm laughing so hard at this. It's like they're beefing.

I figured the announcement for preorders would have been two or three weeks ago. We will see I suppose.

Feels like it's been 2026 for years already. Can't bear the thought of there being even more of it.

Valve just announced they're still targeting a release in the first half of 2026, but they don't know when and it's uncertain due to component pricing.

There's a dedicated post about it in this community that went up a couple hours ago.

Steam Machine is better for SEO I imagine

Steam engine has nothing to do with hardware

As I already have a Playstation 5 for demanding games (and my kids playing Fortnite and Roblox sadly) and a Steam Deck for less demanding games, I really don’t know for sure if I’m gonna get a Steam Machine.

That makes sense. I sometimes forget that not everyone shares my deep burning despise for Sony...yet.

Anyway, it'll be good to have a better option when the Playstation 6 does whatever bullshit Sony pulls out of their asses next.

One good thing if you purchase this and ditch the PS is you don't have to pay for a membership, which is insane that console players still put up with that. A quick search (without actually checking if it's correct) is that it's $160 per year, on top of what you're paying for your internet. The Steam Machine would pay for itself in just a few years, even with no other advantages.

Owning a steam deck and a gaming PC, the deck integration is amazing. The cross saves just work and I’ve had no problem, even when I have a save conflict.

Despite what everyone says, it's probably not going to be cheaper than building your own system, especially since building your own you can skip stuff you don't need and prioritize parts you really want. This just has whatever it has. You don't get to pick and choose. At best, it's going to be about the same price as if you purchased the hardware yourself.

It will be less effort though, so there's that.

I think price estimates are somewhere sub $600. That's all just speculation though.