Valve Warns Steam Machine RAM Shortages Are Getting Worse for PC Builders
Valve’s engineers working on the company’s Steam Machine hardware say the broader RAM supply problem is getting worse—and that shoppers are now seeing retail prices and availability that lag behind bulk supply by several months. With Steam Machine pricing already high at launch, the team warns that the next phase won’t bring quick relief for anyone trying to build or upgrade a gaming PC.
Steam Machine engineers: the memory crunch is still worsening
Two key contributors behind the Steam Machine effort, Yazan Aldehayyat and Pierre-Loup Griffais, discussed how the ongoing tech memory crisis is affecting costs and supply. In an interview with Bloomberg, Aldehayyat described the situation as continuing to deteriorate, noting that what buyers see on store shelves is behind what bulk suppliers are able to provide.
Aldehayyat said the retail situation is “lagging” bulk supply “by at least three to six months,” implying that even when upstream supply improves, consumers may not feel it for a long time due to pricing and logistics.
- Valve’s Steam Machine was announced in November 2025, and engineers say the company expected some sourcing trouble at the time.
- Aldehayyat said the scale of the problem has been worse than Valve anticipated.
- Griffais added that Valve has been “building everything we can get our hands on,” but is constrained by memory capacity.
- Valve also indicated that any improvement in affordability would not arrive quickly, with a price reduction for the Steam Machine described as not imminent.
Steam Machine launch pricing highlights the impact
The Steam Machine launched with a base model priced at $1,049 for 512GB. The most expensive version—2TB bundled with a Steam Controller—cost $1,428. Engineers’ comments suggest those numbers are tied to the same RAM scarcity that has been driving up costs across the PC market.
Griffais emphasized that Valve’s ability to ship is limited by the amount of memory the company can secure, while Aldehayyat stressed that sourcing issues have exceeded expectations.
Valve also faces demand pressure from Steam Deck
Beyond the Steam Machine, Valve has also been dealing with memory-related constraints while trying to keep up with demand for the Steam Deck. The company said it would like to make the Steam Machine “more affordable,” but warned that any price drop “wouldn’t arrive any time soon.”
Industry leaders warn the shortage could last for years
Valve’s warning aligns with other high-profile comments from the broader hardware industry. Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said he expects the RAM shortage to continue through 2027. Epic Games chief Tim Sweeney warned in late 2025 that high-end PC gamers could face elevated prices for several years.
In console news, Sony has said it is still deciding when and how to launch the PS6, while Microsoft and Sony move closer to their next generation of systems—another backdrop that could keep pressure on components like memory.
