Valve to Use Queue System for Steam Machine Launch to Prevent Scalping
▼ Summary
– Valve introduced a reservation queue system for new hardware to prevent scalpers, following the Steam Controller launch issues.
– Code for four Steam Machine packages and two Steam Frame packages was found, suggesting the queue will be used for all new hardware.
– The four Steam Machine packages imply multiple models at launch, with two confirmed (512 GB and 2 TB) and two unconfirmed, possibly including controller bundles or a 1 TB option.
– The reservation system aims to hinder scalpers, but the Steam Machine’s price remains uncertain due to rising component costs.
– Former Xbox executive Mike Ybarra views the Steam Machine as the only real challenge to PlayStation’s dominance.
Following the rocky rollout of the Steam Controller, where inventory vanished within minutes and landed squarely in the hands of scalpers, Valve is taking no chances with its next hardware wave. The company has already implemented a reservation queue system for the new controller, and data miners have now confirmed the same safeguard will apply to both the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame.
Through analysis of the latest Steam update, users on Steam Tracker have identified code entries for four distinct Steam Machine packages and two Steam Frame packages, sitting alongside the existing entries for the Steam Controller and Steam Deck. This strongly indicates that the queue-based ordering system will be active at launch for all of Valve’s upcoming hardware this year.
The discovery of four separate Steam Machine SKUs suggests Valve plans to offer multiple configurations from day one. Two are already known: the 512 GB and 2 TB storage models. The other two remain a mystery, though given the recent launch of the Steam Controller, they could be bundles that include the accessory. That said, a 1 TB option would make sense as a middle ground, especially as modern game file sizes continue to balloon, making the base 512 GB model feel increasingly cramped.
While the reservation system should effectively curb scalper activity, the biggest question mark remains pricing. Valve announced the Steam Machine just before component costs for RAM and SSDs began climbing sharply. That price pressure has reportedly forced the company to rethink its original cost structure. Former Xbox executive Mike Ybarra has called the Steam Machine the only genuine threat to PlayStation’s market dominance, but whether Valve can deliver a competitive price remains to be seen.
(Source: Wccftech)
