If you're scratching your head at the Steam Machine queue or waitlist email Valve just sent you, don't worry: We are, too.

The gaming industry is abuzz with concerns over the rising prices of next-generation consoles, spurred by Valve's recent announcement of its Steam Machine pricing exceeding $1,000 USD. Analysts predict that this trend may influence the pricing of future consoles like Microsoft's Project Helix and Sony's PlayStation 6,

The Steam Machine scalper prices have been revealed, and they are even more expensive than we thought they would be.

If you're new to PC gaming, here's a crash course on the Steam Machine and how it differs from a traditional video game console.

The first batch of Steam Machine hardware is shipping with a single 16GB RAM stick. That means lower performance, but easy (if expensive) upgrades.

Back before it launched, Valve was promising “ 4K gaming at 60 FPS ” on its new Steam Machine gaming PCs. That claim was just deleted from the device’s hardware page. The change comes after early reviewers struggled to get certain games running at higher resolutions on anything but medium settings.

French hardware sellers LDLC have released a PC Box they originally dubbed the "Stim Machine", as an alternative to Valve's Steam Machine.