Valve’s Steam Machine ships June 29 for $1,049, but you probably can’t buy it yet.

Pray to the RNG gods

According to Valve, the global memory and storage shortage is not just a cost issue. The company, at times, was unable to find the parts it needed to build the Steam Machine each one cost, which has affected the number of machines they have. It will come as no surprise to anyone who has been there trying to find a Steam Deck in 2026but that means you can’t just buy a Steam Machine on a whim.

In order to deal with sellers and keep things in order, Valve will use random booking. There’s no way to guarantee that someone will get a Steam Machine in the first batch, but this ensures that people with super fast connections and bot armies can’t get all the units out.

If you want to try your luck, that’s it book a reservation before Thursday, June 25, at 10 am Pacific. Valve says that anyone with a valid Steam account who has purchased anything by April 27, 2026, is allowed to reserve, but there is a limit of one house.

Once reservations are complete, all registrations will be processed once to create a final waiting list. Later on June 25, Valve will send an email to all those who have booked a place with the results. If the RNG gods are kind, an email will tell you that you are in the “reservation queue,” meaning that the Steam Machines in the first batch have been delivered and will be shipped as soon as they are ready. Alternatively, an email will notify you that you have been added to the waiting list, and Valve will contact you when future batches are made.

The lucky winners of the Valve lottery will have the opportunity to pay $ 1,049 for the Steam Machine, but even then, you can wait. Valve says the first orders should go out on June 29, and will continue to ship them as units are ready.