The Price Tag for The Upcoming Steam Machine is Still Downloading
The public knows a great deal about the upcoming Steam Machine, from its internal specifications to its physical layout and even its gaming performance. That said, two critical pieces of information regarding the technology remain a complete mystery. Specifically, its final price and its specific release date beyond a vague sometime next year are the biggest questions. So, how is anyone supposed to budget for this thing?
The Cost of Cutting-Room-Floor Tech
The PC Gamer team has pooled its collective knowledge to get an answer regarding the Steam Machine’s upcoming release. They are piecing together the confirmed hardware details, Valve’s established pricing tactics with the Steam Deck, and a healthy dose of pure, unadulterated optimism. The consensus averages the brave guesses from the staff, landing around five hundred and twenty-five dollars. While this figure primarily considers the 512 GB model, the 2 TB version could easily cost over a hundred dollars more based on current Steam Deck OLED pricing.
According to contributor Jeremy Laird, Valve is clearly doing everything it can to keep the Steam Machine cheap. Although the custom AMD GPU uses a three-year-old chip with some features intentionally disabled, the company opted against a simple 16 GB RAM upgrade. Given these clear value plays, Valve seems to be sourcing very affordable, binned-off components. Additionally, Steam Deck’s history of aggressive pricing has people wondering whether the company really cares about big profit margins.
Valve’s Steam Machine Strategy Revealed
Valve potentially undercut the five-hundred-dollar mark for the entry-level model. As a result, the company seems more focused on being compelling against current consoles. However, the ongoing crisis with RAM and storage prices is a complicating factor. This could make the company’s target even harder to hit, especially for the higher-spec models. The company is working to overcome global supply chain issues to keep its promise of an affordable living room PC.
Hardware Writer Jess Kinghorn has remained hopeful for the Steam Machine’s reasonable price. She noted that the Steam Deck succeeded by using proven, last-generation technology. Additionally, she speculates that a similar strategy for the tech could result in a price tag hovering near six hundred dollars. Yet, she admits that, for the sake of her wallet, this figure is a hopeful dream. After all, who needs groceries when you can have a new gaming machine?
