Scalpers are already flipping Steam Machine reservations for double Valve's asking price

Since Valve opened up reservations for its absurdly priced Steam Machine, it was only a matter of time before the scalpers descended like vultures to get their cut. Just days before the gaming PC officially launches, successful reservation holders have begun listing their spots on eBay for eye-watering prices, like this one for $2,275. For reference, the Steam Machine starts at $1,049, less than half that price.

The damn thing doesn't even hit store shelves until Monday (June 29). Earlier this week, Valve began notifying users when they successfully ended up in the reservation queue to purchase a console before the invitation expired. The listings on third-party platforms aren't for the hardware itself but rather for these reservation slots. I'm seeing Steam Machine listings on eBay from around $1,600 and up to over $2,500, nearly 2-2.5X pricier than their official pricing as per Valve. Some listings are marked as sold, suggesting at least a handful of buyers are willing to pay a hefty premium to skip the wait.

Anticipating unusually high demand, Valve introduced a randomized reservation system instead of traditional first-come, first-served preorders. The company also limited reservations to one per household and required users to have a Steam account in good standing with at least one purchase made before April 27, 2026, to curb bots and large-scale scalping from eating up the limited supply at launch.

Despite those efforts, scalpers have found a workaround by reselling their reservation spots. While the restrictions appear to have made it harder for professional scalpers to hoard inventory, they haven't eliminated inflated resale listings entirely.

If you missed out on a reservation, I'd heavily advise you against paying these ridiculous markups. Aside from the obvious risk of scams when buying reservation transfers through a third-party marketplace like eBay, Valve is expected to continue working through its waitlist as reservation holders cancel or fail to complete their purchases within the allotted 72-hour window. You likely won't have long to wait to get your hands on the Steam Machine. While you wait, check out our Steam Machine review to see if it's even worth its already eye-watering price tag.

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