Valve's Steam Frame VR headset went on sale September 15, 2026 in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong through KOMODO, priced from 199,980 yen, while the Steam Machine remains sold out since its June 23 launch. The company is working through memory and storage shortages that delayed hardware, and Steam itself marked 23 years on September 12.
Valve's hardware push in 2026 ran into the same memory and storage shortage across every product. The Steam Machine launched June 23 at 189,980 yen for a 512GB model and 249,980 yen for 2TB, priced close to component cost rather than as a loss leader. The 16GB of memory is a single-channel configuration because 8GB modules could not be procured, and a Valve engineer said in July the shortage was getting worse with suppliers predicting it could last until 2028 to 2030. The Steam Deck OLED got an overseas price increase of up to $300 in May. The Steam Frame shipped September 15 at 199,980 yen for 256GB and 244,980 yen for 1TB, after Valve told Automaton the launch slipped from early 2026 because securing memory and storage was difficult.
Reviewers praised the Steam Frame's comfort and weight but questioned standalone play. PC Gamer and The Verge rated the fit highly; CNET called it extremely cramped with glasses. The headset's standalone promise rests on a compatibility list that overstated what the hardware does. The Steam Controller, launched May 5, sold out repeatedly, and new orders are scheduled to ship in 2027.
Steam itself marked 23 years on September 12. The platform drew attention for an adults-only rating applied to Nighthawks on September 13 and lifted on September 15 after the developer objected, with no clear explanation from Valve. A 12TB leak of Steam2-era files surfaced August 29, exposing early builds for Portal 2, Left 4 Dead, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and the cancelled Half-Life 2: Episode Three. Steam also expanded wishlists and email gifting in July, and ended physical gift card restocking worldwide with retail inventory expected to deplete by the end of 2026.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.
Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/valve.
CC BY 4.0.
When a claim about Valve was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.
Valve revised the Steam Subscriber Agreement for Japan on April 20, adding a clause that funds added to the Steam Wallet expire if unused within 6 months of the date of addition. The change appears tied to Japanese prepaid payment rules that exempt instruments with a 6 month expiration. Credits are sold from 500 yen, and it is unclear whether existing balances are covered or when the display will appear.
CropFactor Team has released a teaser video for Project Capture, a Portal 2 mod built on F-Stop, a scrapped early concept for the game. Players use the ASQRA Quantum Camera to capture objects and relocate them into physical space instead of carrying a portal gun. Portals remain in the environment as fixed elements, and the final stage unlocks the ability to move them between designated frames. Release is scheduled for 2028.
Valve released the "City Never Sleeps" update for Deadlock, adding six heroes, a reworked map, neutral creep changes, and a merchant NPC called The Broker. SteamDB recorded a peak concurrent player count above 220,000 after the update. The heroes arrive on a schedule: the first on October 2, then two every Tuesday and Friday at 2 PM Pacific Time, bringing the roster to 44.
Valve announced on September 30 that it will overhaul the "Discounts & Events" section of the Steam store in early 2027, moving away from manual calendar based curation to a dynamic, personalized system. Currently, that section is a curated slot in which sales partners schedule promotions through Steamworks or the Steam team schedules them independently. Valve says the manual calendar approach is less meaningful now that user tastes have diversified and relevant deals are always available. Over the past few months Valve tested replacing part of the curated slots with dynamic recommendations. The company says the number of games shown per day in that section increased more than tenfold, and store page views, wishlist additions, and cart additions rose significantly. Scheduling for weekly and daily deal slots has already been paused, and existing scheduled curation will end completely in early 2027. Valve will provide updated tools for developers to manage discounts and events on Steam.
Gabe Newell, the Valve co-founder and Steam figurehead, spent about five months practicing throat singing inside the company's offices, according to former Valve staffer and Counter-Strike co-creator Minh Le. Le discussed Newell's habits in a conversation with game consultant Indie Game Joe. Newell took up the Mongolian vocal technique khoomei after watching a documentary, then sang it while walking the hallways, prompting employees to close their office doors, Le said. He recalled that many staff were annoyed. Le also described Newell as "really eccentric" and said Newell throws himself into anything that sparks his curiosity. Le cited a separate phase in which Newell collected medieval swords and axes and eventually took lessons to make his own knives, and he pointed to Steam's creation as evidence of Newell's long-term vision.
Valve started the Steam Autumn Sale at 2:00 AM Japan time on October 2, and the sale runs until 2:00 AM on October 9. Pocketpair put Palworld at 30 percent off for 2,380 yen and Craftopia at 40 percent off for 1,680 yen, with the publisher saying every eligible title sits at its lowest price yet. Capcom's BIOHAZARD requiem is 30 percent off at 6,293 yen and PRAGMATA is 20 percent off at 6,392 yen. Square Enix and Atlus opened their own sales ahead of Valve's start, listing Persona 3 Reload at 70 percent off for 2,303 yen and FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH at 70 percent off for 1,973 yen. 4Gamer.net reported Pocketpair's discounts and Automaton listed titles including ARC Raiders at 50 percent off and Monster Hunter Wilds at 25 percent off.
Valve released the Steam Frame, its official Steam VR headset, on September 15, 2026. In Japan it is sold by KODOMO, at 199,980 yen for the 256GB model and 244,980 yen for the 1TB model. The headset weighs 440g with the head strap, lighter than the Meta Quest 3 at 515g and the PICO 4 Ultra at 580g, and puts the battery at the back of the head. Reviewers consistently praised the fit. PC Gamer said hours of wear left no marks on the face, and The Verge rated the comfort above any headset it had tried. The Steam Frame runs an Arm-based Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with Steam OS, and can stream from a PC wirelessly through an included 6GHz adapter with foveated streaming. Glasses wearers fared worse. CNET called the fit extremely cramped with glasses, and found the Quest series more compatible.
KOMODO began selling Valve's Steam Frame on September 15 in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong through the online store KOMODO STATION. The wireless VR headset and controller system ships in two models: 256GB at 199,980 yen and 1TB at 244,980 yen in Japan, with Taiwan prices at NT$38,888 and NT$47,888 and Hong Kong at HK$9,388 and HK$11,388. The headset runs SteamOS on a Snapdragon 8 series processor with 16GB of RAM, carries two 2160x2160 LCD panels per eye at refresh rates from 72Hz to 144Hz, and uses four monochrome cameras for tracking. Supported titles run standalone without a PC, and the included 6GHz wireless adapter streams both VR and non-VR games from a gaming PC. Sales at authorized retail stores are undecided, and KOMODO plans a Korea release with timing to be announced.
Valve's PC storefront Steam marked its 23rd anniversary on September 12, 2026, having launched on September 12, 2003. It began as a delivery system for updates to Valve's own games, then expanded with Half-Life 2 in 2004 and third-party distribution in 2005. Over time the platform's user base grew alongside releases such as Portal, Team Fortress 2, and Left 4 Dead, and PC games shifted from packaged sales to digital distribution.
Publisher Wadjet Eye Games was preparing to release the vampire adventure game Nighthawks on September 23, 2026, when Steam applied an adults-only rating on September 13. The rating removed the game from default search results and made it unavailable for sale in some countries, including Germany, according to writer and designer Richard Cobbett. Dave Gilbert of Wadjet Eye Games posted on Bluesky that Valve was treating the game like a porn game and said Valve believed the game was sexier than it is. Cobbett told PC Gamer that the nudity and sexual elements are mild and mostly comedic in tone, with sex scenes amounting to a fade-out after characters go on a date followed by a "10 minutes later" message. The adults-only rating was lifted on September 15 after the developer objected. Valve gave no clear explanation for the rating or its reversal. Nighthawks is set for PC release on Steam and GOG.com.
Valve opened the Steam PvE Survival Craft Fest on September 1, 2026, a themed sale running until September 8 at 2:00. The event gathers survival and crafting games whose challenge comes from the environment and in-game enemies rather than other players; multiplayer works qualify when they fight the world instead of each other. The official trailer spotlights 15 titles, among them Medieval Dynasty, Project Zomboid, The Alters, Subnautica, and Abiotic Factor, with the full lineup also including The Long Dark, The Forest, Raft, Sunkenland, Terraria, No Man's Sky, The Planet Crafter, ASTRONEER, The Riftbreaker, and SCUM. The special page carries discounts on eligible titles, upcoming releases, and playable demos. Game Spark separately flagged several titles at their lowest recorded prices, including Smalland: Survive the Wilds, VEIN, Romestead, Cubic Odyssey, PixARK, and Everwind. Most of the trailer lineup supports Japanese; Terraria and SCUM do not.
On August 29, 2026, more than 12TB of game-related files were made public online, an archive drawn from Steam2, Valve's legacy content delivery system that operated from roughly 2003 until the migration to SteamPipe in 2013. Data miner Gabe Follower stated the files came from a public API and involved no hacking, suggesting Valve had accidentally left the data accessible. The exact origin remains unclear; Valve Cut Content moderator CrazyBubba told Ars Technica the archive may be a user's collection that was only now released. The leaked contents include early builds, update histories, and in-development assets for Valve titles such as Portal 2, Left 4 Dead, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Half-Life 2: Episode Three, which Valve cancelled. Notable finds include unused Portal 2 dialogue and models, a "bullet time" mechanic, and data for F-Stop, an unreleased Portal prequel. Third-party games also appear, with early builds reported for Call of Duty, Resident Evil, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mirror's Edge, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dragon Age: Origins, and SPORE. Polygon noted the archive is so large that the full scope of prototypes and pre-release content is impossible to grasp. Valve had not responded to requests for comment as of writing.
Valve expanded Steam's wishlist and gift systems on July 23, 2026. Wishlists now accept user-created categories for sorting games, and notifications can be limited to a single category. Sharing no longer requires the whole list; players can share specific categories or filtered results. Gifting also changed, with purchased games and digital gift cards now deliverable to an email address rather than only to Steam friends.
KOMODO, the official distributor for Valve's Steam Controller in Japan and Taiwan, has announced that sales will resume on August 4 at 10:00 AM Japan time. The resale follows a failed restock on July 23, when heavy traffic caused a system failure that suspended sales. The controller, which launched in Japan on May 5 and sold out within hours, has remained sold out despite earlier restocks. The upcoming sale will include the same one-unit-per-person limit as before, and KOMODO has introduced SMS authentication as a measure to handle demand. The Steam Controller is priced at 17,800 yen and will be sold at KOMODO STATION in Japan. Valve has stated that demand for the controller has far exceeded expectations, and new orders are scheduled to ship in 2027. The restock covers both Japan and Taiwan, with the July 23 attempt also including South Korea and Hong Kong. Whether the August 4 sale proceeds smoothly remains to be seen, given the previous system failure.
Valve has announced the current status and rules for Steam Machine reservations, stating that overseas users who have reserved the console should be able to complete their purchase procedures by the end of 2026. The Steam Machine has been out of stock since its launch at the end of June. To process orders, Valve is sending emails with purchase procedures to users who have reserved, after randomizing the order. The company explained that launches starting at a specific date and time tend to favor bots, people with fast internet connections, and those who can adjust their lives to that time, so accepting reservations over several days and eliminating any first-come, first-served element aims to remove as much of the hurdle to purchasing as possible. For users on the waiting list, Valve stated they will not overtake users who have reserved, and they can only reserve after the reservation queue for their region's product has been processed to the end. Depending on the product, some waiting list users may be moved up to a reservation slot, and they will receive an email with purchase procedures when their turn in the random queue comes. In Japan, KOMODO STATION handles sales and does not use this system; orders are taken as soon as the store page is accessible, with stock information posted on their official X account.
Valve's Steam Machine launched June 23 with high prices blamed on memory shortages. Valve engineers now say the shortage is worsening and will not improve soon. The internal configuration was changed from dual-channel to single-channel because 8GB modules became impossible to procure. Suppliers predict the crisis may last until 2028-2030.
Valve's Steam Controller is selling out as soon as it appears, according to an ASCII.jp gadget column. The author investigates why this gamepad has become so popular, noting its four back grip buttons, trackpads, and full remappability. After testing, he concludes it is surprisingly excellent.
Valve has released Windows drivers for its Steam Machine gaming PC, available for download from the English support site. The drivers include graphics, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and SD card reader support, allowing users to install Windows on the device. However, dual-boot is not yet possible as the SteamOS dual-boot installer is still in development.
High school developer slqnt created an unofficial browser port of Valve's Half-Life 2, called 'web hl2', in three months. The port is playable for free online and includes a console function. It spread quickly on social media after release, though Valve's copyright may lead to its removal.
Valve has revised the Steam Machine product page, removing the phrase "60FPS" from the description. The original text promised "4K gaming experience at 60FPS with FSR" using AMD hardware. The updated text now reads "up to 4K gaming experience with FSR 4.1." The change follows early reviews that reported some games struggled to run at high resolutions. The Steam Machine remains sold out at the Japanese retailer KOMODO.
Valve's Steam Machine, a compact gaming PC designed to run SteamOS and play Steam games like a console, launched in Japan on June 23, 2026. The device is sold through KOMODO, Valve's official distributor in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China. Four models are available: a 512GB storage version for 189,980 yen, a 512GB model with a Steam Controller for 204,980 yen, a 2TB version for 249,980 yen, and a 2TB model with a Steam Controller for 264,980 yen. The 2TB models also include two interchangeable faceplates. The Steam Machine features a custom AMD semi-custom desktop-class Zen 4 CPU and RDNA3 GPU, 16GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, and 8GB of VRAM, targeting up to 4K 60FPS gaming via AMD FSR upscaling. However, the 16GB memory is configured as a single-channel setup using one 16GB stick from SK Hynix, not the dual-channel 8GB x 2 configuration common in gaming PCs. Valve hardware engineer Yazan Aldehayyat explained that 8GB memory modules were impossible to procure at the required scale due to manufacturers prioritizing higher-capacity modules. Aldehayyat stated that in actual gameplay, performance is 'pretty comparable' to dual-channel. The device was announced in November 2025 but delayed due to rising memory and storage prices. Pre-orders began suddenly on launch day.
Valve's new compact gaming PC, the Steam Machine, went on sale on June 23, 2026, in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong through official distributor KOMODO. The device is a stationary gaming PC running SteamOS, designed to play Steam games with a console-like interface. Two storage models are available: a 512GB version for 189,980 yen and a 2TB version for 249,980 yen. Bundles including a Steam Controller cost an additional 15,000 yen. The Steam Machine uses a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 CPU and RDNA 3 GPU, with 16GB DDR5 RAM plus 8GB GDDR6 VRAM. Valve claims performance is over six times that of the Steam Deck, supporting up to 4K at 60fps with FSR. The device measures roughly 15cm on each side and weighs 2.6kg. It includes DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, USB-C, four USB-A ports, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. Valve stated it priced the hardware close to component cost, avoiding the loss-leader model used by traditional consoles, and cited rising RAM and storage costs as factors in the final price.
After a recent Dota 2 update, users found a variable named 'm_bHackWhyAreYouGuysReadingOurVariableNames' in the game data, a message apparently aimed at data miners. Valve's move, reported by influencer gabefollower, is seen as a sarcastic warning to those who comb through game files for hints about unannounced projects like Half-Life 3.
Valve announced that new orders for the Steam Controller, which launched on May 5, 2026, will ship in 2027 due to demand far exceeding expectations. The company introduced a reservation queue system and is restocking with a one-per-person limit. In Japan, KOMODO STATION handles sales and currently lists the item as sold out.
Valve co-founder and managing director Gabe Newell has purchased a waterfront mansion in Manalapan, Florida, for $70.8 million (approximately 11.3 billion yen), according to a June 16 report by The Wall Street Journal. The property sits on 2.06 acres (about 8,330 square meters) and the building itself spans roughly 20,000 square feet (around 1,850 square meters). Features include an outdoor pool, a boat dock, and a tunnel connecting the house directly to the beach. Newell also owns a superyacht named "Leviathan," estimated at $500 million and measuring about 111 meters in length, designed and built by Oceanco. A Bloomberg article from June 1, citing a veteran Valve employee, said Newell "prefers to avoid most day-to-day decisions, instead playing 'Dota 2' in the office or spending time at sea on his superyacht 'Leviathan.'" The purchase adds to Newell's known affinity for boats and the sea, following his acquisition of yacht manufacturer Oceanco to build a new $6.4 billion ship. Geoff Keighley, organizer of Summer Game Fest and The Game Awards, also reacted to the news.
In an email interview with Game Spark, Valve's Steam Controller development team discussed the design philosophy behind the new model. Key points include input parity with the Steam Deck, ergonomic refinements, and the decision to add a second analog stick and dedicated D-pad based on user feedback from the original controller and Steam Deck.
Valve imported 13 tons of VR headsets in a single day, according to import records. The shipment arrived at the Port of Los Angeles on June 10, 2026, and is believed to be the first batch of the standalone VR headset Steam Frame, which Valve plans to release in summer 2026. Valve also imported 50 tons of game consoles in May, thought to be Steam Machines.
Valve has announced it will stop restocking physical Steam Gift Cards at retail stores worldwide, citing persistent fraud as the reason. The company expects all retail inventory to be depleted by the end of 2026. Physical gift cards, introduced in 2012, have been a target for scammers who coerce victims into purchasing them as payment for fake debts, taxes, or prize money. Valve says it implemented multiple countermeasures over the years, including collaboration with retailers and law enforcement, redesigning cards with fraud warnings, limiting redemption to Steam Wallet currency, and suspending sales when suspicious activity was detected. However, scammers adapted to each restriction, and losses continued. Valve described the decision to end the retail program as difficult. Already purchased physical gift cards can still be redeemed on Steam. Digital gift cards, introduced in 2017, will continue to be sold and improved. The update to Valve's support page was first noticed by the unofficial Steam database SteamDB on June 10, 2026, drawing community attention.
Valve announced on June 5 that its upcoming gaming PC, the Steam Machine, and its VR headset, the Steam Frame, will ship this summer. The company updated its developer blog to confirm the launch window, which was previously stated only as 2026. The Steam Machine is a stationary gaming PC with a 160mm cubic chassis, running SteamOS on Arch Linux and supporting Windows games via Proton. Two storage configurations will be available: 512GB and 2TB NVMe SSDs. Valve claims the hardware performance is approximately six times that of the Steam Deck. The Steam Frame is a wireless VR headset and controller that can also function as a standalone PC running SteamOS. Both devices will be subject to a Verified Program, similar to the Steam Deck Verified program, to certify out-of-box game compatibility. The program for the Steam Machine requires a minimum of 30 FPS at 1080p resolution. For the Steam Frame, the minimum is 1280x720 at 30 FPS for 2D titles and 1728x1728 at 72 FPS for VR titles. Prices have not been announced. Valve previously delayed the products due to global memory and storage shortages, and the company has stated it is reconsidering pricing in light of rising PC component costs.
A Bloomberg article published June 1, 2026, details Valve's internal culture and the antitrust lawsuits the company faces, citing court documents and testimony. The report alleges that Valve founder Gabe Newell berated an in-house legal counsel who argued for stricter monitoring of adult content on Steam, saying, "What the f*** do I pay you for if that's your opinion?" The remark has circulated on social media, though its full context remains unclear. The article also describes Valve's flat organizational structure, where job titles are banned and employees operate with extreme autonomy. Former staff described a relative evaluation system akin to the TV show Survivor, with unwritten rules set by Newell. One former employee expressed surprise that there was little internal opposition to Steam's 30% commission model, despite Valve's public stance as a developer advocate. The Bloomberg piece covers ongoing class-action lawsuits in the U.S. and UK, where plaintiffs allege Steam monopolizes the PC game market and pressures developers not to offer lower prices on competing stores. Newell denied these claims in a deposition, stating Valve has no policy dictating prices on other platforms. A survey cited in the article found that 72% of PC game development managers in the U.S. and UK consider Steam a monopoly.
Valve announced on May 28 that the Steam Deck OLED models have received a significant price increase in regions outside Japan. The OLED 512GB model rose from $549 to $789, and the OLED 1TB model jumped from $649 to $949-an increase of up to $300. Valve attributed the revision to rising component costs and global logistics conditions. In Japan, the devices remain sold out and no price change was announced for that market, though a 15,000 yen increase had already been applied in February 2026. The price hike has drawn concern from the overseas community, with notable journalist Tom Warren commenting that the increase is a bad sign for the pricing of future Valve hardware, such as the unannounced Steam Machine. The Steam Deck OLED is sold through Valve's official partner KOMODO, and both models are currently out of stock in Japan.