Valve said its original Steam Machine, launched in 2015, did not achieve significant adoption because it offered a limited game library and relied on OEM hardware that often fell short of expectations. The company explained that the lack of a reference product made it difficult for users to see a complete example of what a Steam Machine should deliver. In an interview with Bloomberg, Valve's Pierre‑Loup Griffais said that after the failure Valve learned users need full access to the game catalog rather than a subset of titles. He also noted that the original SteamOS lacked the Proton compatibility layer, restricting the range of Windows games that could run on the device. Valve now provides a baseline performance target and an updated version of SteamOS that supports most titles through Proton, though games that require kernel‑level anti‑cheat mechanisms such as GTA Online and Call of Duty remain unsupported. The new iteration includes more robust specifications and a more capable operating system, but supply constraints due to shortages of memory and solid‑state drives have resulted in a waiting list that extends to 2027. Whether Valve can maintain consistent pricing and supply as component shortages persist remains uncertain.