Steam Machine scalper prices have been revealed, and they are insanely expensive. If you aren’t deterred by the inflated $1000 price tag for the Steam Machine and have tried to obtain one, but haven’t been able to secure a pre-order yet, you’re going to have to pay a very pretty penny on the second-hand market. Over time, these resale prices will come down, but right now they have very premium price points. And they are selling at these premium price points, highlighting early demand for the Steam Machine, despite a disheartening price tag.
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Over on eBay, the most common resale site used for gaming hardware, there are listings up to $3500 for a Steam Machine pre-order because the actual console does not release until June 30. Thankfully, nobody has purchased a Steam Machine at this price, or the resale market for the Valve machine could get really crazy. A pre-order did sell for $2,800, though, which could end up being a benchmark price going forward. This order was specifically for the 512 GB model with a controller. In other words, this is not even for the 2TB version, which is more expensive than $1000. This 2TB version is presumably going to prove less popular, though, as many are no doubt buying this as a novelty or luxury machine, which means less need for 2TB of space. Anyone who is buying this machine for practical purposes is probably not buying it, and is buying a pre-made PC or gaming laptop that has more power for less money.
Steam Machine Price Will Increase, but Resale Prices Will Decrease
Unless there is a dramatic shortage of Steam Machine units over the next 24 months, this resale price for the Valve hardware will go down considerably and quickly, and this is because it’s unlikely to sustain interest with its current and official price tag. That said, the official Steam Machine price is almost certainly going to increase. The memory shortage is going to be worse in 2027, and this is before factoring in the next Xbox and PS6 potentially entering the fray and contributing to shortages. It’s not just RAM, though. There are other innards that are increasingly getting more expensive to obtain that will help drive the price up. Meanwhile, the energy crisis is going to worsen. And Inflation is going to worsen. It’s inevitable that the Steam Machine will increase in price; it’s a matter of how quickly and how many times. This reality could drive more demand at this initial price, which in turn could inflate the resale market for a bit.
Those who can be patient will be able to get a Steam Machine for cheaper than $2800 before the end of the year, again, assuming there is an appreciable stockpile. For what it is worth, Valve has confirmed it’s been able to make less than it wanted, but specificity on this was unfortunately not provided.
All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think, or join the video game conversations over on the ComicBook Forum.
