Experts priced Steam Machine: PC from Valve will be little cheaper than PS5 Pro

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Steam Machine price according to the expert

Linus recently set out to figure out the total cost of building a Steam Machine. He built a computer with components as close as possible to Valve’s specifications. While an exact copy wasn’t feasible, he created a setup that closely matched the Steam Machine’s intended hardware.

  1. Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 8400F;
  2. Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6600;
  3. Motherboard: ASRock B650M-H/M.2+;
  4. RAM: Crucial 16GB;
  5. SSD: Kingston NV3 500GB;
  6. Power supply: Seasonic Focus GX 550;
  7. Cooling: AMD Cooler;
  8. Controller: EasySMX X20.

The setup isn’t ideal. We can lower the processor’s power usage to 30W – meaning the standard AMD cooler works fine – but this requires reducing the graphics performance. Linus suggests the RX 6600 is the closest match to the graphics card in the Steam Machine, although it uses older technology, so some features won’t be compatible. Also, the power supply is more powerful than needed; finding a 300W version, like the original Steam Machine had, proved difficult.

The biggest thing to consider is the price. Previously, the parts for this PC would have cost around $600, including a $50 case. Now, though, those same parts cost over $900. Because Valve manufactures its own hardware, they can cut out the middleman and keep costs down. Linus estimates it costs Valve between $600 and $650 to build a Steam Machine, which they then sell for $699.99.

Valve won’t sell the Steam Machine for less than it costs to make, and that’s what Linus is discussing when he talks about pricing. Michael Douse, who heads publishing at Larian Studios, also shared his perspective on this.

While it’s currently out of favor to offer discounts on devices, it seems like not having staff in stores is costing them much more than the roughly $200 difference in price. Stores are incredibly profitable, so the decision to avoid even a small loss on hardware feels odd.

Linus believes Valve’s main goal is to attract partners who would sell their own versions of Steam Machines powered by SteamOS. Because these machines are essentially PCs, users can install Windows instead of SteamOS after buying one, bypassing Valve’s ecosystem entirely. Businesses, for example, could purchase many Steam Machines to run their software. This versatility justifies the $699.99 price point.

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2025-12-01 12:02