Valve engineer says RAM shortage is “Still Getting Worse”

The Steam Machine’s rocky launch just got a grim update, straight from Valve itself.

In a chat with journalist Jason Schreier, Valve engineer Yazan Aldehayyat gave a blunt assessment of the memory shortage that’s been driving up prices across the industry. “Honestly, it’s still getting worse,” he said. Not exactly the update anyone hoping for a price drop wanted to hear.

Retail shelves are already months behind

Here’s the bit that stings: what you’re seeing in shops right now isn’t even today’s problem. Aldehayyat said retail stock is lagging Valve’s bulk supply by “at least three to six months.” So the squeeze you’re feeling now started brewing back in early 2026, and whatever’s happening behind the scenes today won’t hit shelves until later this year at the earliest.

That lines up with research from early July, which reckoned memory and GPU prices would keep climbing until 2027, with things not settling down until 2028.

Even Valve isn’t immune

It says a lot that a company the size of Valve is getting hit by the same supply crunch as everyone else. We don’t know exactly how many Steam Machines Valve planned to make, but the console sold out fast even at its elevated price, and it’s clear the AI-driven memory shortage has throttled how many units actually reached buyers.

Pricing issues aside, the Steam Machine is a genuinely appealing pitch: a hybrid device that makes PC gaming more accessible. Had the shortage not got in the way, they could be having a proper moment right now, especially with Microsoft and Sony fumbling their own hardware, workers, and customers lately. Instead, the big two get a two-year head start to sort themselves out.

Use it wisely, lads. The Gabecube isn’t going anywhere.

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