A new leak might have revealed that Valve is going to be taking Steam Machine pre-orders soon. Players have discovered code in Steam’s database that might point toward the PC console having a reservation system to stop scalpers.
Steam Machine Reservations Might Be Announced Soon
When the Steam Controller sold out in 30 minutes, one of the major complaints players had was that Valve should have done pre-orders before its release. The company appeared to listen, as they quickly launched a new reservation system that allowed players to join a waiting list for restocks. However, a new leak might have just revealed that Steam Machine will not only take pre-orders before its release date, but that reservations could be announced soon.
Eagle-eyed players made the discovery when they found mentions of Steam Machine in the reservation system’s code. Interestingly, the pre-order system specifically lists four different Steam Machine SKUs in the backend. The leak was first reported by the r/steamachine subreddit. “Specifically there are references to 4 Steam Machine packages, 2 Frame packages, and the rest Controller and Deck packages.”
This is interesting because it appears that Valve is going to be using this new reservation system for all of its hardware moving forward. For example, the string of code also mentions Steam Deck, which has been sold out for months. Following the leak, this led many players to speculate that Steam Machine pre-orders could also go live soon. However, this could just be Valve preparing for a future date.
Steam Machine Could Have 4 Different Packages
The other major reveal in the leak is that Steam Machine could be sold in four different bundles. In the reservation system, it specifically lists “4 Steam Machine Packages.” Given that Valve has already announced two versions of Steam Machine (a 512GB and 2TB version), players speculated as to what the SKUs could be.
Here is a list of the four bundles Steam Machine could potentially be sold in:
- 512 GB with Steam Controller
- 512 GB without controller
- 2 TB with Steam Controller
- 2 TB without controller
Now, this is of course pure speculation. The reservation system only mentions four packages, but doesn’t specify what each one is. However, since Valve had previously mentioned different memory iterations of the console, players are theorizing they could bundle it with a Steam Controller.
How Steam Machine Pre-Orders Could Work
With Steam Controller reservations already live, we might have a good idea of how Steam Machine’s release date might also be handled. Instead of a typical launch where people are allowed to purchase the console as soon as the store pages go live, they would enter a line queue.
Here is how a Steam Machine pre-order could work based on controller reservations:
- Reservations will be limited to one Steam Machine per user.
- Once you receive an order email, you have three days (72 hours) to make your purchase on Steam.
- Your account must be in good standing on Steam
- You must have made a purchase on Steam prior to April 27, 2026
One of the major issues with the Steam Controller launch is that scalpers were able to purchase two controllers per order with new accounts. As a result, some resellers ended up being able to buy as many as 8 Steam Controllers to flip on auction sites. A reservation system would largely solve this issue with the much-anticipated console. Specifically, Valve would be able to confirm each order more closely.
Lastly, if Valve does take reservations, it also means the console won’t ship right away. Instead, players will get put in a waiting queue. If they are selected, they will be able to purchase the console and have it shipped when Valve is ready. Given the disaster that was the Steam Controller, this would be much more preferable.
The post Steam Machine Pre-Orders Might Go Live Soon As Reservation System Leaks appeared first on VICE.
