Valve: Steam Machine, Steam Frame to arrive this summer

Valve has now given a brief update on two gadgets it first introduced in November: the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame. Both are still on pace to come this summer, according to a small blog post directed at developers.

The essay was largely on the Verified program, the one that began with the Steam Deck to assist gamers know how well a game performs on the device before they buy it. Valve is now taking that program and applying it to the Steam Machine and Steam Frame. The Verified requirements for the Steam Machine will be pretty much the same as for the Steam Deck. In order to earn the Verified badge for the Steam Frame VR headset, the experience must function out of the box, no other hardware needed.

That’s about it for new information, unfortunately. No release date yet, no price yet. But here’s the scary part: People familiar with the process believe the starting price may be tough, courtesy of growing prices for memory chips. We’ve already seen Valve bump Steam Deck costs – replenished models are now $789 or $949 depending on the setup, which is a hefty $300 leap. So don’t expect these new devices to be inexpensive.