In just a few days from the time of this writing, players across the world will be able to get their hands on Valve's new Steam Controller when it launches on May 4, 2026. It's the first of the three devices Valve revealed last year to make it to players, and while we've previously heard that all three - the Steam Controller, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame - would arrive at some point in 2026, a new bit of information spotted by a reliable Valve insider points to the next device, possibly the Steam Machine, launching sooner than later.
Known Valve insider Brad Lynch shared on X (formerly Twitter) that Valve has been receiving "a ton of 'Game Consoles' these past couple weeks in their USA distribution warehouse." He explains in another post that he tracks import records to certain companies, Valve included, through a bot. He then shares this link, which does indeed show a lot of items marked 'Game Console' getting sent to Valve.
Of course, the obvious guess from that is that we can expect the Steam Machine to be the next of the three new bits of hardware to get a proper release, but the loose descriptor could also apply to the Steam Frame. So while we can't be sure which between the two it is, we can be sure that Valve is gearing up for its next hardware release now that the Steam Controller is practically out the door.
Though Valve quelled any theories that the plan was to always release all three of its new Steam devices with the official reveal of the Steam Controller's release date earlier this week, it was very clear that it wanted to get the Steam Controller out before the Steam Machine.
So, now that the Controller is almost here, it would still count as 'not at the same time' if the Machine was given a date that's a month, or even a little less than a month, away. At least we can only hope that's the case.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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