Yesterday, we reported that AMD appears to be hinting that the next Xbox could be released in 2027, a console that several sources believe will be incredibly powerful (more powerful than the PlayStation 6) but also more expensive. We will hopefully find out more about this towards the end of this year when Xbox celebrates its 25th anniversary, but the fact is that AMD has now also commented on another upcoming console.
PC Gamer points out that in the same quarterly report that gave us information about the next Xbox, we can also read something interesting about Steam Machine. AMD boss Dr. Lisa Su says:
"Valve is on track to begin shipping its AMD-powered Steam Machine early this year."
This is entirely in line with what Valve itself said when the new Steam Machine was announced, but given the company's recent silence, many have begun to fear that there may be delays ahead with spiralling component costs possibly being one explanation. Based on what AMD says, however, it seems we can breathe a sigh of relief... but unfortunately, Valve itself does not seem to agree.
They have now updated their FAQ on Steam (thanks The Verge) and now state that the first half of 2026 is the target, rather than Q1:
"Our goal of shipping all three products in the first half of the year has not changed. But we have work to do to land on concrete pricing and launch dates that we can confidently announce, being mindful of how quickly the circumstances around both of those things can change."
The reason for this is indeed component shortages and skyrocketing prices, which also means that Valve's promised prices for Steam Machine are also delayed:
"When we announced these products in November, we planned on being able to share specific pricing and launch dates by now. But the memory and storage shortages you've likely heard about across the industry have rapidly increased since then. The limited availability and growing prices of these critical components mean we must revisit our exact shipping schedule and pricing..."
Simply put, the hardware seems ready according to AMD, but since there is too much uncertainty surrounding components and prices, Valve wants to hold off for a while longer. We'll just have to wait and see. We're keeping our fingers crossed for an announcement sooner rather than later; after all, technology is a perishable commodity.