Import records point to Valve building Steam Frame stock in US
The Verge says shipping records show VR headsets and Steam Machine consoles arriving ahead of Valve’s planned summer hardware launch.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
Valve appears to be moving its next hardware into the United States before a planned summer launch, with import records reviewed by The Verge showing a large shipment of VR devices arriving in Los Angeles. The records add evidence that Valve is stockpiling both the Steam Frame headset and the revived Steam Machine console ahead of release.
According to The Verge, the German container ship Posen reached Los Angeles on June 10 after traveling from Shanghai. Valve watcher Brad Lynch said the cargo was likely tied to the first mass-production shipments of Steam Frame, Valve’s new gaming headset.
The Verge reported that Valve’s distribution partner, Ceva, handled nearly 32 metric tons of goods listed as “Virtual Reality Devices” for Valve. After subtracting the estimated weight of five 40-foot shipping containers, The Verge calculated that the shipment represented about 13 metric tons of product.
Records separate VR devices from consoles
The listings matter because Valve’s shipping records distinguish between “Virtual Reality Devices” and “Game Consoles,” according to The Verge. That separation makes the VR shipment easier to connect to Steam Frame, while earlier “Game Consoles” shipments appear tied to the new Steam Machine.
The Verge said it used the same container-weight method last month to estimate that Valve had brought in about 50 tons of game consoles over two days. In the latest accounting, The Verge calculated that Valve’s possible Steam Machine inventory in the US may now total about 141 metric tons, based on “Game Consoles” shipments arriving in 12,600-kilogram containers since April 23.
The Verge also reported that three May shipments may have been Steam Deck handhelds rather than Steam Machines. Those containers arrived on May 18 and May 30 with gross weights of 14,500 kilograms, which The Verge said matched the higher-weight pattern of Valve’s “Game Console” containers before the Steam Machine was announced.
Unit counts may still be limited
The Verge cautioned that 13 metric tons does not necessarily translate into a large number of VR headsets. Steam Frame weighs 654 grams with a pair of controllers, and The Verge’s rough calculation put the current VR shipment at fewer than 20,000 units.
The same caveat applies to Steam Machine inventory, according to The Verge. At 2.6 kilograms per console, 141 metric tons could amount to fewer than 50,000 units before counting controllers, cables or other packed materials.
Valve has confirmed that Steam Machine and Steam Frame are planned for a summer launch, according to The Verge. The company has also indicated that memory-market conditions have forced it to reconsider pricing, The Verge reported.
The shipment records do not show final retail timing, pricing or allocation by store. They do suggest Valve is preparing physical inventory for both devices in the US as the launch window approaches.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.