Valve, Steam Machine and Steam Frame Must Wait Due to Memory Crisis

The global DRAM memory crisis continues to heavily impact the technology sector, and Valve is also feeling the effects. The company has confirmed that the release of its new hardware devices will occur in a staggered manner, precisely due to difficulties related to the availability and costs of RAM.

In particular, the new Steam Controller was announced and launched ahead of other planned products, such as Steam Machine and Steam Frame. The reasoning is quite simple: the controller does not use RAM, making it much easier to produce and distribute during a time of significant market instability.

The situation was explained by Valve's hardware engineer, Steve Cardinali, who emphasized that the controller was ready for production and launch without the complications related to memory. In contrast, more complex devices like Steam Machine and Steam Frame depend heavily on memory, which makes it much more challenging to plan their distribution today.

Additional details on Valve's strategy for launching Steam Machine, Steam Controller, and more

Originally, Valve intended to launch all devices around the same time, about May 2026. The company decided not to delay the Controller, given the high public interest and the need to meet demand. Cardinali stated that it made no sense to hold back a ready product just to wait for the others.

The situation appears particularly critical for Steam Machine, the solution most affected by the global shortage since it requires both DDR5 memory and GDDR6 chips for the dedicated GPU. The Steam Frame headset, on the other hand, uses smartphone-type RAM, which seems to be less prone to supply issues, leaving the possibility open for an earlier launch compared to Steam Machine.

This staggered launch strategy highlights how the DRAM crisis is redefining technology companies' priorities. It is not just about delays but a real reorganization of product roadmaps, constantly evolving in response to improvements or worsening conditions.