Valve suggests memory crisis is "still getting worse," admitting, "we're limited by memory capacity, for sure"

Valve is warning that the memory and storage squeeze affecting Steam Machine production is not easing up. Engineers say the company expected AI-driven demand to tighten supply, but the scale of the shortage has been far beyond expectations.

Pierre-Loup Griffais said Valve is “building everything we can get our hands on” and that the company is “limited by memory capacity.” Yazan Aldehayyat added that the situation is “still getting worse,” and that what’s on retail shelves is trailing bulk supply by three to six months.

For developers, this is another reminder that hardware pricing and availability can be shaped as much by component markets as by product design. Valve says the shortage will not change the Steam Machine roadmap, but the company also expects pricing to eventually normalize, either through lower costs or through the market adapting to current levels.

Steam announced the Steam Machine’s pricing and limited availability last month. The device ships in 512GB and 2TB versions at $1049 / £879 and $1349 / £1149, with initial sales handled through a lottery and current buyers directed to a waiting list. Analysts are already calling it a niche device, citing both the price and the form factor.