Since Valve officially announced the Steam Machine, there has been a lot of speculation about its price. The truth is that the target price many expect will likely not be met.
The official specifications of Valve’s “console” have sparked many reactions lately. According to Digital Foundry, the device offers performance “between Xbox Series S and PlayStation 5.” This led many to believe that it would compete directly in that same market, with a similar price.
Steam Machine Price Will Probably Disappoint Everyone
However, based on comments from the latest WAN Show podcast by Linus Tech Tips, it seems that the price will be different. Linus mentioned that although the device’s price hasn’t been confirmed yet, several Valve employees hinted that the Steam Machine could cost more than $500.
“When I said I’m disappointed it isn’t going to follow a console pricing model, where its subsided by the fact that manufacturer is going to be taking 30% of every game sold on it over the lifespan of this thing, because I feel that would be a more meaningful product, they asked what I meant by console price and I said $500. Nobody said anything, but the energy in the room wasn’t great,” Linus said during the podcast (thanks Wccftech).
Why Valve May Choose a Higher Price
Valve previously stated that the Steam Machine would be competitively priced. However, the company referred to PCs with similar specs, not to Sony or Microsoft consoles. Based on that, it wouldn’t be surprising if this console-like PC launches at around $700–800.
Many people believe Valve might sell this device at a loss to attract more users to Steam, which remains the company’s core business. However, Valve—led by Gabe Newell—rarely sells hardware at a loss, even when the product doesn’t perform well in the market.
For that reason, it’s very likely that the Steam Machine’s price will be higher than expected since its initial announcement. The only question now is whether the price will be too high to turn away potential buyers—or if it will still manage to attract enough interest.
