I could barely contain my excitement when Valve announced the new Steam Machine. In fact, I even said I might ditch my gaming PC for the Steam Machine. The promise of a small PC gaming device, presumably nearly as powerful as a PS5, was tempting. However, my initial enthusiasm has cooled in subsequent weeks.
We learned a great deal about the Steam Machine when it was unveiled. Valve claims it will be six times more powerful than the Steam Deck OLED and capable of running games at 4K resolution at 60 frames per second (with FSR enabled). The system will come in 512GB and 2TB flavors, and we can expect bundles that include the new Steam Controller. The fact that the system is a small 6-inch(ish) cube is just icing on the cake.
While all of that sounds great, we didn’t get the most important piece of information. Namely, how much the Steam Machine will cost. Given the ongoing tariff situation and ballooning price of RAM, I wouldn’t be surprised if Valve itself is unsure how much their system will ultimately cost … which has me extremely worried. That said, perhaps the pricing situation isn't as grim as I fear.
Worst-case scenario
Consoles like the Xbox Series X and PS5 are typically sold at a loss, with the manufacturer recouping its development costs through software sales or subscription services. Some expected Valve would follow a similar route with the Steam Machine, but it appears that won’t be the case.
In an interview with YouTuber Skill Up (via Ars Technica), Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais said the Steam Machine will not be sold at a loss. Griffais said the hardware will be “more in line with what you might expect from the current PC market.” He said the Steam Machine’s CPU and GPU were designed to outperform 70 percent of the PCs that Steam users own (per Valve's hardware and software survey), and that pricing will reflect what you’d pay for a desktop with comparable specs.
Then there’s a report from Linus Sebastian from Linus Tech Tips, who attended the Steam Machine reveal event. When he suggested that a subsidized price point around $500 would make the Steam Machine a more compelling product, Valve representatives remained quiet. Linus said that “the energy of the room wasn’t great.”
All of that led many people, including myself, to think the Steam Machine could cost well over $1,000, which would be more in line with PC pricing. That price range would immediately alienate many console players who might have bought the Steam Machine. That the Steam Machine will reported be less powerful than a base PS5 would make that price point sting even worse.
Based on those comments, it’s safe to say the Steam Machine won’t cost $500 like the PS5 and Xbox Series X used to (thanks, tariffs, for raising console prices!). However, Valve’s upcoming gaming system might not be as expensive as some fear.
Some hope?
Linus Tech Tips’ initial report caused quite an uproar. Ironically, the famous YouTuber has also helped assuage some of our worst fears about the Steam Machine’s price.
In a more recent video, Linus purchased PC parts that were similar to what’s inside the Steam Machine, and he believes that the gaming device could cost around $600 to manufacture. Since Valve won’t sell the Steam Machine at a loss, Linus thinks Valve could sell its hardware for $700 at a minimum.
Obviously, this is just a guesstimate, so don’t take what Linus said to heart. That said, I think a $700 starting price seems realistic given the current state of things (i.e., tariffs and RAM prices). Upgrading to a 2TB model or getting the Steam Controller bundle will naturally raise the price. But even if a fully kitted Steam Machine costs over $1,000, that will at least be an option and not the starting price.
Outlook
The Steam Machine won’t arrive until sometime in Spring 2026, so we still have time to speculate (and worry) about how much Valve’s device will ultimately cost. This might be too optimistic on my end, but I expect it will cost between $700 and $1,000, depending on your chosen configuration.
That would still make for an expensive piece of equipment, but folks could justify the cost if the Steam Machine makes PC gaming as streamlined as console gaming. There's also the amount of money folks will save over time thanks to all the frequent Steam sales. And even if you can’t initially afford a fully decked-out Steam Machine, you could potentially purchase an entry-level model and then later upgrade storage and purchase the Steam Controller when you can afford it.
Right now, I’m choosing to be cautiously optimistic about the Steam Machine’s price, as I don’t believe Valve wants to alienate more customers than it needs to. I’m not expecting a system as affordable as a Steam Deck, but I also don’t expect it’ll cost as much as a gaming desktop. Of course, we’ll have to wait and see if my worst fears about an inflated price come true. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best!
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