Despite Valve’s best efforts to combat speculators, limited supplies for the new Steam Machine console attracted buyers. The popular auction site eBay already has many listings for pre-order queue places. Prices are well above the official retail price of $1,049.

The basic version with a 512 GB storage unit is offered at prices ranging from $1,363 to $2,800, which means a premium of 30 to 167 percent. The appetite of speculators in the case of a top modification to 2 terabytes is even higher: between $2399 and $2899 are asked for it.

Valve foresaw such excitement, recalling the PlayStation 5 and Nvidia video card shortage. To protect regular gamers, the company implemented a random reservation system. Instead of the traditional sales launch, where bots and people with the fastest internet win, applications are accepted within days. This allows for additional verification and precludes bulk purchases.

Participation in the lottery requires a good Steam account, purchases until April 27, 2026 and a strict limit of one console per household. However, some users still decided to monetize their queue. Experts strongly advise against buying consoles from a buyer. The seller’s high ranking at auction is easy to beat, and the risk of facing fraud and losing money remains critically high.

Moreover, haste may not be technically justified. The first batch of Steam Machine will be equipped with only one 16-gigabyte RAM pad, which takes away from the advantages of dual-channel mode. Valve has not ruled out that the configuration may change in future batches, so waiting for next deliveries can be not only safer but also more profitable.