A rumor surrounding the price of the Steam Machine has fans believing the device is already a flop. The console market is in a very odd place right now as the price of entry continues to rise due to things like tariffs. There are even rumors that Xbox will be pivoting to a more PC-like machine next-generation and as a result, it will be a more expensive and premium device. However, much to everyone’s surprise, Valve might beat Microsoft to the market with a similar piece of tech. If you’re someone who has an extensive Steam library, but want to play on a TV, Valve is trying to make that easier for you.
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Earlier this month, Valve announced that it was resurrecting the Steam Machine amidst rumors of Half-Life 3 being right around the corner. In the mid-2010s, Valve tried to make console-like PCs in partnership with third-party companies. It was a PC for your living room, essentially. However, they bombed and went away fairly fast. However, the PC market has expanded dramatically in the years since and we’ve seen other devices like Steam Deck allow for more variety in the space than desktops and laptops.
Steam Machine Pricing Rumor Raises Concerns Among Fans
With that said, many are wondering how the Steam Machine will be priced. Some have speculated it will be like a console, around $500 – $600. Others have suggested it will be a bit more, around $700 – $800. However, we can really only guess. Linus Tech Tips did ask Valve if it would be priced like a console, and he noted that the energy in the room shifted and wasn’t great. Of course, that is totally up for interpretation based on how you view body language and there’s no footage of this, so we have no idea what that really means.
But if we are supposed to glean that it will be much more expensive than that, many fear the worst for the Steam Machine. Over on Reddit, fans are saying the device is “dead on arrival” with some folks believing there isn’t enough of a market for something like this at a higher price point. Some argued about who the Steam Machine is even for. If it’s priced higher than a console, than it probably isn’t targeting console players. In that case, the people it would make sense for probably already own a PC, negating the need for this in the first place.
As of right now, we’ll just have to wait and see what Valve has in store for us. The Steam Machine is expected to launch in early 2026, so it probably won’t be too long before pre-orders open and we get to find out pricing. The one benefit for Valve here is that they don’t typically release their devices at brick-and-mortar retailers like Best Buy or Target. They’re made with a more niche group in mind, sold exclusively through Steam. That will at least likely prevent the Steam Machine from being a total bomb if it’s super expensive, as Valve’s expectations will be in check regardless.
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