Valve has begun shipping Steam Machine review units to media outlets and content creators, with the review embargo set to lift on June 23 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific time, the company confirmed Sunday. Pre-orders for the device opened on June 22 and will run through June 30.

The Steam Machine ships with the new Steam Controller and a set of interchangeable faceplates, giving buyers cosmetic customisation options at launch. The full hardware specifications have been disclosed in Valve’s pre-order listings, placing the device in the living-room PC category that the company first attempted to address with the original Steam Machines released in 2015. That generation of hardware, produced in partnership with multiple third-party manufacturers, failed to gain significant market traction against consoles. This edition is built entirely by Valve and represents the company’s first fully proprietary gaming hardware outside the portable Steam Deck line.

Review copies arriving before the embargo lifts follow a standard pattern for hardware launches, but the compressed window between review unit distribution and pre-order opening suggests Valve is managing expectations carefully. Media coverage beginning simultaneously with or shortly after pre-order availability reduces the period during which consumers can read detailed assessments before committing to a purchase. Whether that reflects confidence in the product’s reception or caution about early criticism is unclear from the logistics alone.

The Steam Machine is positioned as a complement to the Steam Deck rather than a replacement, targeting users who want access to their Steam library on a television with a dedicated controller rather than a handheld screen. Valve’s SteamOS, which powers the Steam Deck, forms the software base for the new device, giving it access to the same Linux-compatible game library and compatibility tools the portable device uses. The Steam Deck’s success over the past three years demonstrated that there is a market for Valve-branded hardware outside the traditional Windows PC ecosystem, and the Steam Machine launch tests whether that appetite extends to the living room.

Pre-order pricing has been confirmed in Valve’s storefront at multiple tiers depending on storage and bundle configuration. The company has not disclosed manufacturing volumes or restocking timelines beyond the June 22-30 pre-order window, leaving open the question of whether units ordered after June 30 will ship on the original schedule or face extended waits. Other hardware announcements from major technology companies this summer have created a competitive environment for consumer attention in the gaming peripheral and living-room device space.

The embargo lifting on June 23 will determine how the Steam Machine is received by the gaming press before the pre-order window closes. Valve’s hardware has generally received positive assessments from reviewers since the Steam Deck launched, building credibility that will likely follow the Steam Machine into its coverage cycle. The company’s full Steam Machine product page, including specifications and pre-order details, is available directly at the Steam store.