Valve has reaffirmed that the Steam Machine and Steam Frame, previously targeted for release within the year, are now scheduled for a summer launch.

On the 5th, Valve unveiled the 'Verified' program for its stationary PC, the Steam Machine, and its VR headset, the Steam Frame. The Verified program, first introduced for the Steam Deck, is a compatibility system that rates the gaming experience. It provides compatibility grades based on whether a game can be played within the default configuration and OS without additional setup, and whether graphics settings run smoothly.

By implementing the same compatibility review features as the Steam Deck, Valve is enabling developers to create games optimized for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame in advance.

As Valve has updated Steamworks with additional details on game optimization, verification requirements, and hardware development recommendations, it is clear that the actual launch is drawing near. In fact, Valve mentioned twice on this day that the Steam Machine and Steam Frame are scheduled for release this summer.

Valve previously announced three hardware products with a target release of the first half of 2026. However, due to global memory and storage shortages, only the Steam Controller was released first. The launch of the Steam Machine and Steam Frame was pushed back to within 2026, leading some to speculate that even that timeline was unlikely.

However, with Valve explicitly mentioning a summer release for the remaining two hardware products in this announcement, it appears they will be hitting the market in the near future.

Meanwhile, pricing for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame was not disclosed. However, given that Valve recently significantly increased the price of the Steam Deck, it is expected that the two upcoming hardware products will also be priced higher than initially anticipated.