Valve has begun sending out Steam Machine consoles to customers who entered the recent pre-order draw, but only if they act fast. The company is urging all participants to check their email inboxes immediately to avoid missing their chance to purchase.
How the Steam Machine Reservation Queue Works
Customers who wanted a Steam Machine were required to sign up for a randomised draw to determine who could buy a console and when. Successful applicants were added to an official reservation queue last week. They will receive a separate email once a unit becomes available, giving them just 72 hours to complete the purchase before the reservation is cancelled and passed to the next person in line.
Those not selected in the draw have been placed on a waitlist and will be contacted at a later date if a slot opens up—for example, if someone in the reservation queue declines their purchase opportunity.
Check Your Email or the Steam Store Page
According to Valve, customers should now check their email or the Steam Machine store page to see the status of their order. Successful applicants received an email stating: "You're officially in the reservation queue for Steam Machine. When your Steam Machine becomes available, we will send you a separate email with the option to purchase. You'll then have 3 days to complete the purchase before we cancel your reservation and move on to the next person in the queue."
The email also clarifies: "This is the only email you will receive about the results of the randomisation. If you ended up with a reservation queue spot for more than one model, you were allocated a reservation for the highest end model, and were removed from all the others."
Orders Open Today – Act Fast
With orders officially opening on June 29, Valve emphasises that customers must keep a close eye on their email. The 72-hour purchase window begins the moment the availability email is sent. Failure to respond in time will result in losing the spot to someone on the waitlist.
Steam Machine Specs and Pricing
The Steam Machine is designed to deliver a gaming experience comparable to the PS5 and Xbox Series X. It supports 4K gaming at 60 frames per second with FSR technology, powered by a discrete semi-custom AMD desktop-class CPU and GPU.
Valve offers two storage configurations: a 512GB model and a 2TB model. Both come with expandable storage via microSD, and bundles are available that include the official Steam Controller.
However, the consoles come at a premium price. The 512GB model costs £879 without a controller and £938 with one. The 2TB version is priced at £1,149 without a controller and £1,208 with the gamepad.
Warning About Scams
Valve also cautions customers to be aware of potential scams, such as the recent GTA 6 pre-order scam that has been targeting gamers. Official communications will only come from Valve via email or the Steam store page.
