Valve Begins Sending Steam Machine Reservation Emails Ahead of June 30 Launch
Valve has officially started sending out Steam Machine reservation emails, giving selected buyers their first real step toward securing the upcoming gaming system. The Steam Machine is scheduled to launch on June 30, but unlike a standard product release, customers cannot simply add it to a cart and check out immediately.
Instead, Valve used a registration-based reservation system for early buyers. Anyone interested in purchasing the Steam Machine had to sign up before registrations closed on June 25. When confirmation emails did not arrive right away, some fans began to wonder whether the reservation process had been delayed. Now, Valve has begun contacting selected users and explaining what happens next.
According to the emails being sent out, receiving a reservation confirmation does not mean buyers can purchase the Steam Machine instantly. Valve will send a separate purchase email when the reserved unit is ready. Once that purchase email arrives, customers will have a three-day window to complete their order.
If a customer does not finalize the purchase within those three days, the reservation will be canceled. The available unit will then move to the next eligible person in the queue.
Valve has also addressed what happens to users who registered for more than one Steam Machine model. Rather than allowing one person to hold spots for multiple versions, Valve has automatically placed eligible users into the reservation list for the highest-end model they selected. Their entries for other versions have been removed.
Not everyone who registered has received a successful reservation. Some users are being notified that they were not selected for the current production run because demand exceeded the number of available units. However, those users may still have a chance. If selected buyers cancel their reservations or fail to complete their purchases, people on the waitlist may move forward in the queue.
For those who successfully complete their order, the wait should be short. Since the Steam Machine launches on June 30, early buyers are expected to begin receiving their systems during the first week of July.
Valve has not yet confirmed when the next Steam Machine registration period will open. For now, anyone who signed up should keep a close eye on their email inbox, as missing the purchase window could mean losing their place in line.
