The Steam Machine hasn't even launched yet, but the resale frenzy has already started.

      Scalpers are already attempting to profit from Valve's Steam Machine

      Valve has commenced sending out reservation emails for the Steam Machine ahead of its launch on June 30, and scalpers have quickly turned this into a farcical situation.

      The Steam Machine is already a pricey device, as the costs of RAM and SSDs have resulted in higher hardware prices across the board. Valve has previously expressed a desire to decrease the price if component costs improve. This makes the resale listings even harder to take seriously, as the official price was already greater than many anticipated before scalpers imposed their own inflated markups.

      The resale prices are absurd

      Listings have begun to surface on third-party marketplaces such as eBay, with some sellers demanding around $1,700. This represents a significant markup over Valve’s official price of $1,049, with some listings going much higher.

      One eBay listing for the basic 512GB Steam Machine bundle with the Steam Controller was priced at $3,200. The official price from Valve for that bundle is $1,128, meaning the seller asked for nearly three times the actual price for a console that hasn't even been released yet.

      As noted by @HardwareSteam on X (via Notebookcheck), at least one listing priced at $2,800 has already been marked as sold, indicating that someone may have actually paid the inflated price. Regardless of whether the sale holds, this behavior epitomizes the frustrating scalper practices surrounding new hardware releases.

      Could it be reminiscent of the PS5 launch?

      The clear comparison is the PlayStation 5 launch, where limited availability and high demand turned Sony's console into a target for scalpers for months. Currently, the situation with the Steam Machine doesn't seem nearly as dire.

      It appears there are only a handful of active listings on eBay, suggesting Valve's reservation system is functioning effectively at the moment. While it’s not preventing all resellers, it does seem to be limiting the overall issue. However, it's still too early to assess how effective Valve's anti-scalping measures will be. A clearer picture will emerge once the Steam Machine launches on June 30 and mass shipping begins.

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      GTA 6 may not receive the physical release that fans anticipated

      Although Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders have recently opened, there is an unfortunate catch. The so-called physical version of the game will not include a disc; instead, buyers will receive a box with cover art and a download code inside.

      This decision quickly sparked backlash online, particularly among collectors who value having games on a disc. For a time, there was some optimism that this might be temporary. Reports indicated that Rockstar could potentially release a proper disc version of GTA 6 in December 2026, offering physical media enthusiasts something to look forward to.

      Valve wishes to reduce the Steam Machine’s price, but the timing couldn't be worse

      The gaming giant attributes the hefty price of its console-PC hybrid, which starts at $1,049, to the ongoing component shortage.

      When Valve finally disclosed the Steam Machine's starting price, the response was nearly unanimous: the hardware appears impressive, but the price is painful. The company has since confirmed what many gamers suspected: it never intended for the Steam Machine to be this expensive in the first place.

      Don’t relax just yet. Apple and Microsoft are not finished with price increases.

      The recent price hikes for Xbox and Apple devices could be a warning for the entire tech industry.

      Earlier today, Microsoft announced price increases for its Xbox consoles by up to $150 in the U.S. Just hours prior, Apple revealed similar increases across its Mac and iPad lines, as well as raising prices on its Vision Pro headset and several other products, except the iPhone. However, it appears that these two giants are not done with price hikes.

      Neither company has explicitly indicated that further increases are forthcoming, but their statements imply otherwise. For instance, Apple shared a related statement with The Washington Post earlier today.