{"id":789555,"date":"2026-05-11T21:07:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T21:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/789555\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T21:07:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T21:07:13","slug":"valve-has-a-plan-to-stop-scalpers-from-botting-the-steam-machine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/789555\/","title":{"rendered":"Valve Has a Plan to Stop Scalpers From Botting the Steam Machine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Valve, suddenly remembering that scalpers exist, now has a plan to help you get a Steam Machine<\/a> since you likely missed out on the Steam Controller<\/a>. Even if Valve\u2019s PC\/console hybrid costs a ton, it will likely be cheaper to get it directly than from an exorbitant eBay listing.<\/p>\n

Redditors<\/a> first spotted SteamTracking<\/a> code on Steam\u2019s website hinting that there may be four separate versions of the Steam Machine. These likely refer to the two storage configurations listed on Steam\u2014512GB and 2TB SSD options. With four options in total, buyers may be able to purchase a Steam Machine with or without a Steam Controller.<\/p>\n

The code scrapers also found mention of two Steam Frame VR headset<\/a> models. That likely refers to the 256GB and 1TB storage options. Both systems support expanded storage through microSD cards, so there are options if you suddenly realize a quarter- or half-terabyte SSD isn\u2019t nearly enough for modern gaming.<\/p>\n

The original Reddit thread also noted that the code likely relates to a reservation system for the controller. This will likely be akin to the Steam Controller\u2019s recently instituted reservation system<\/a>. You\u2019ll need an active Steam account to get in line to buy Valve\u2019s new hardware. Plus, you can\u2019t just make a dummy account. You need to have purchased something on Steam before April 27.<\/p>\n

\"SteamThere may be Steam Machines that come bundled with a Steam Controller inside. \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo <\/p>\n

Currently, you need to set yourself up for an order and respond to an email within 72 hours to secure a Steam Controller. There\u2019s a limit of only one per customer, and if you already ordered a controller, you can\u2019t simply order another later. Valve will likely institute similar strict procedures for the Steam Machine.<\/p>\n

The scalpers sit on the fringes like needle-eyed predators. They wait for any new hyped hardware to stumble by before snatching up all stock to resell for 200% more than its original cost. When Valve launched its buy page for the Steam Controller on its marketplace, the site suffered mass amounts of traffic that kept many from snagging a unit. Within less than an hour, buyers reported seeing the controller was out of stock.<\/a> Resellers immediately offered \u201cverified preorder\u201d controllers for $200, $300, or more.<\/p>\n

If you were lucky enough to purchase a Steam Controller for yourself, know that you\u2019ll be able to connect up to four controllers to one console or one of the included 2.4GHz wired pucks that double as a charging station.<\/p>\n

Valve has yet to set the price<\/a> or launch date for the Steam Machine. At least it doesn\u2019t seem much longer before the Half-Life maker offers the full details of its latest hardware. Considering the ongoing memory shortage<\/a> and Valve\u2019s comments that it will cost the same as an equivalent PC, expect you\u2019ll need to stretch your wallet pretty wide to afford it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Valve, suddenly remembering that scalpers exist, now has a plan to help you get a Steam Machine since…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":789556,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[7],"tags":[393,180230,158,67,132,68,80980],"class_list":["post-789555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-gaming","tag-steam-machine","tag-technology","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us","tag-valve"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116557988406630371","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=789555"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789555\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/789556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=789555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=789555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=789555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}