Scalpers flip Steam Machine reservations on eBay for up to $3,500

Scalpers flip Steam Machine reservations on eBay for up to $3,500

Valve's effort to distribute its new Steam Machine through a "fair" lottery has failed to stop resellers. Despite the hardware not hitting shelves until Monday, June 29, 2026, scalpers are already listing confirmed reservation spots on eBay for prices that frequently double the official retail cost.

The current market on eBay involves the sale of reservation slots rather than the physical hardware. Sellers who received invitation emails from Valve are flipping their place in line to buyers willing to pay significant premiums. Prices for these spots vary wildly, with some listings starting around $1,600 and others reaching as high as $3,500 for the 2TB model.

The disparity between retail and resale is stark. The base 512GB Steam Machine is priced at $1,049, while the bundle including a Steam Controller costs $1,128. On the secondary market, a 512GB bundle with a controller has already sold for $1,500. Higher-end models are seeing even larger markups; a 2TB model with a controller, which retails for $1,428, sold for $2,100. Another 2TB model without a controller, retailing for $1,349, sold for $2,899.

Some listings have reached even more extreme levels. Listings for the 512GB bundle with a Steam Controller have been spotted at $2,800, $2,999, and $3,200. At least one listing for a reservation spot was recorded as sold at $2,800.

To combat bots and professional hoarders, Valve implemented a randomized reservation system. This system required users to have a Steam account in good standing with at least one purchase made before April 27, 2026. Valve also limited reservations to one per household, cross-referencing shipping addresses and payment methods to identify duplicates. However, these measures did not prevent scalpers from securing spots and reselling them.

Valve attributed the high retail cost of the device to a global memory shortage caused by AI demand, which increased component costs over the last six months. This pricing pressure mirrors a recent trend in other hardware, such as high DDR5 prices and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D 10th Anniversary edition, which was also flipped on eBay for nearly twice its price.

The Steam Machine follows the pattern of the new Steam Controller, which launched May 4 at $99 and sold out in less than 30 minutes, eventually appearing on eBay for $300 and more.

Industry analysts and reporters warn that these eBay transactions carry a high risk of scams, as there is no guarantee that a seller will follow through with the hardware delivery after a reservation transfer. Some suggest that gamers can build a faster PC for $2,000 using 32 GB RAM, a 2 TB SSD, and a Ryzen 9070 XT.

For those without a reservation, Valve is expected to continue processing its waitlist as some reservation holders either cancel or fail to complete their purchases within the required 72-hour window. Those who miss the first wave may have to wait until the end of 2026 or later to purchase the machine at standard retail prices.