Valve and Xbox Delay Next-Gen Hardware Citing Memory Crisis

Valve and Microsoft both delayed their next-gen gaming hardware this week, blaming the same culprit: a DRAM and NAND shortage that has driven memory costs well above where prices sat in early 2026. Valve confirmed slips for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame VR headset; Microsoft pushed back Project Helix, its Xbox/PC hybrid. Valve said prices have "rapidly increased" since its February planning window. Microsoft's Asha Sharma offered the standard non-answer: they are "not ready to share a launch timeline right now." The irony is that the Steam Controller, which ships May 4 for $99, is unaffected — because it contains no memory components whatsoever. This is the same supply constraint that has kept RTX 50-series cards scarce and overpriced all year, now spreading upstream to kill two of the most-anticipated gaming hardware launches simultaneously. Neither company offered a new window — which usually means it's worse than they want to admit.