Demand for Valve's Steam Machines has led to a significant scalping issue, with pre-orders appearing on eBay for vastly inflated prices. Some listings have reached over $3,000, representing a markup exceeding 3000% of the original retail price.
This surge in secondary market pricing suggests a strong consumer interest that outstrips immediate availability. The phenomenon highlights the ongoing challenges of securing high-demand hardware, a situation familiar to gamers during product launches. Valve has not yet commented on the widespread scalping of its new hardware.