Valve is preparing to re-enter the home gaming console market with a second iteration of its Steam Machine, announced on November 12, 2025, and anticipated for an 'early 2026' release, likely within the first quarter. Recently, the device reportedly surfaced on a Czech retailer's website, Smarty.cz, revealing what appear to be placeholder prices. The leaked figures suggest the 512GB model could cost around $950 USD and the 2TB version approximately $1070 USD. These prices are notably higher than anticipated by many gamers and surpass the cost of popular current-generation consoles like the PlayStation 5 Pro or Xbox Series X, leading to disappointment and skepticism about the new Steam Machine's market viability. The 'placeholder' nature of these prices is a significant point of discussion, with Valve not yet confirming official pricing. Industry analysts suggest that surging costs for PC components, particularly DDR5 RAM due to high demand from AI data centers, and potential GPU price hikes, could be impacting Valve's pricing strategy. Some reports even indicate that these component shortages could lead to a delayed release or the initial availability of a 'barebones' version without pre-installed RAM or storage. Valve's new Steam Machine is a core component of its expanded hardware lineup for 2026, which also includes a new Steam Controller and the Steam Frame VR headset, showcasing the company's renewed commitment to its hardware ecosystem following the success of the Steam Deck. This strategic move aims to leverage improved SteamOS and the Proton compatibility layer, which addresses previous criticisms of the original 2015 Steam Machines regarding limited game support.