Steam Machine price: will it be affordable? It’s not looking good

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Last week, Valve announced three new products: the Steam Machine, a new Steam Controller, and the Steam Frame VR headset. The announcement quickly sparked rumors about a possible reveal of Half-Life 3, with some even predicting an announcement as early as tomorrow. However, many are more interested in the price of these new devices, especially the Steam Machine, and whether it will be priced competitively with consoles like Xbox and PlayStation. While it’s exciting, it’s probably best not to expect a budget-friendly option.

Will the new Steam Machine be affordable? It’s not looking good

Steam is the leading platform for buying PC games. A recent survey shows 72% of game developers believe Steam has a dominant position in the market. While Steam has always been focused on software, the Steam Deck handheld, released in 2022, marked Valve’s entry into gaming hardware. Many PC gamers already have large game collections on Steam, making the Steam Deck an attractive option because they don’t have to rebuild their library. Some fans hope the new Steam Machine will have a similar effect, encouraging more PC gamers to experience console-like gaming without leaving the Steam ecosystem and their existing games.

I’ve been following the Steam Machine discussion, and it feels like people are missing a key point. It’s not just another console – it’s basically a full-fledged PC! You can switch to a desktop mode and customize everything, which is something you absolutely can’t do with a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. Those other consoles can afford to be cheaper because they make money from game sales. With them, you’re pretty much limited to just playing games. But if Valve actually sells a Steam Machine for around $500, cheaper than the competition, it could be an amazing deal even if you don’t plan on buying Steam games. You’d be getting a PC for that price, and that’s pretty incredible.

Linus Tech Tips recently got a chance to test out the new Steam Machine at Valve. In a video about the device, Linus discussed the price, stating that Valve plans to price it competitively with a standard PC. While Valve hasn’t explained the reasoning, Linus believes this is because the Steam Machine is essentially a fully functional PC, capable of all the same things. This means it likely won’t be sold at a discount or bundled with free games, even popular titles like Half-Life 3.

Right now, everything is just guesswork. We don’t yet know how easy the Steam Machine will be to use compared to regular PCs. While a lower price might be justified, it doesn’t seem likely at the moment. Valve is planning to launch the Steam Machine in early 2026, so we shouldn’t have to wait much longer to find out more – possibly even as soon as tomorrow.

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2025-11-20 05:02