Valve has issued a new update on Steam Machine sales, stating that it is "fulfilling orders on a daily basis" and expects everyone currently in the reservation queue to have a chance to purchase their machine by the end of 2026.
The reservation system, announced in June, worked essentially as a lottery. Signups were accepted until June 25, after which entries were randomized into a reservation order. Those near the top of the list were placed into a reservation queue with a machine set aside for them, while everyone else was placed on a waitlist to wait for more stock to become available.
Valve explained that because each reservation queue and its corresponding waitlist are organized per-product and per-region, they can move at different speeds depending on demand. For some products in some regions, Valve said it has already reached the end of the reservation queue and started inviting people from the waitlist. However, Valve clarified that this does not mean waitlisted customers will leapfrog those already holding a reservation — waitlists are only tapped once a region's reservation queue for a given product is exhausted.
Being added to the reservation queue is not the final step in getting a Steam Machine. According to Valve, once a customer receives an email notifying them they've moved into the reservation queue, they have three days to complete the purchase, or the reservation passes to someone else. This means that not everyone will necessarily have their Steam Machine in hand by the end of 2026 — rather, purchase-enabling emails are expected to go out to reservation holders by that time.
Valve said: "If you have a reservation, you can expect an email offering you the chance to purchase by the end of the year. If you have a spot on one of the waitlists, there is a chance you could be moved into reservations depending on which product you're on the list for; in those instances we will email you about your new reservation status first, with a purchase email to follow once your spot in that queue comes up."