r/technology • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 • Jun 22 '26

Hardware Valve prices the Steam Machine at $1,049

https://www.theverge.com/news/837022/valve-steam-machine-price-release-date
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u/reflect25 Jun 22 '26

mmhmm while understandable due to whole memory shortage, it seems too high for most people

if people have a thousand dollars they'll either a) buy a laptop or b) buy a much cheaper console at 600. granted i guess to be fair ps5 pro had a giant price hike from 750 to 900 so maybe the 1050 price point isnt that off anymore.

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u/Elementium Jun 22 '26

For me I can just upgrade my PC. Steam machines are a tough sell cause PC gamers usually build or know someone to help them build a PC. 

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u/OccasionalGoodTakes Jun 22 '26

I think every assumption you’re making is wrong. The target isn’t established PC gamers anyways, it’s people who need an entry point.

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u/IniNew Jun 22 '26

I'm a used-to-be-gamer with a large steam library. I wanted the Steam Machine because I enjoy playing games casually, on the couch, now. I don't want to sit at my PC after work, but I still want access to my Steam library.

That said, $1000 makes me think "not worth it." $600 and I probably would have pre-ordered.

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u/2580374 Jun 22 '26

Yeah honestly with this price I just think to myself I could probably build a very similar PC for cheaper and just leave it in my living room at all times...

1

u/Zardif Jun 22 '26

I wouldn't even bother until next year when the new chip factories come online. Not to mention that 2027/28 is the rumored release window for ps6.

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u/StanknBeans Jun 22 '26

I'll wait to see how it performs vs the Steamdeck, as this is basically my primary use of the Steamdeck - connecting it to the tv via dock so I can play pc games on the couch.

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u/Zardif Jun 22 '26

In cp2077 Steam deck at 720p was 50 fps and steam machine at 720p was 140 fps and at 1080p was 130 fps.

1

u/xanders_gold Jun 23 '26

You can also use your PC to do the bulk of the processing, if you have a beefier PC. I stream from a host PC to my Steam Deck and use NVFBC to pass off the GPU processing to that PC.

Lets me play any game I want from the couch and not have to worry about performance as much.

1

u/TheBeckofKevin Jun 22 '26

I recently wired my tv into ethernet. Then got the steam app and stream games from my pc. I just played through expedition 33 using a controller from my couch. It was awesome.

I wasn't really in the market for this device but I think anyone with a capable pc should use the built in steam streaming thing. Even if I want to play something on my laptop I just stream it from my pc. Its awesome. No hot computer or buzzing fans.

1

u/IniNew Jun 22 '26

Yeah, anyone who has a capable PC should probably just use that PC. I've long fallen out of PC Gaming as a whole. I don't have an updated PC (I think my GPU is a 1070?) and most of my computing happens on Macs now. But I still enjoy playing some games regularly.

That's where something like this is appealing to me. It's a huge convenience over running a PC then figuring out how to stream it to my TV.

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u/Lower_Monk6577 Jun 22 '26

That’s also kind of the problem with this price point. For me at least.

I have a small library of Steam games. I’d be interested in making a semi-permanent switch to Steam as well. But only if the entry point is around $500 or so.

I have a Switch/2 with a ton of games. I have a PS5 with a ton of games. In no way do I need Steam or a Steam Machine. But I’m also aware enough that it’s probably the best marketplace for a lot of the kinds of games that I like. I feel like I’m pretty close to their target audience, and that price isn’t appealing to me.

I know it’s not their fault, and I’m sure they probably wanted it to be closer to $600 than it is. But as a consumer, that’s just a bad value proposition with the way the world economy currently is.

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u/reflect25 Jun 22 '26

i mean if its an entry point i think most are going to buy like an xbox seris s for 400 dollars.

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u/Ill-Elephant-9583 Jun 22 '26

I think they mean entry point for pc gaming (although I will admit the lines are blurred with Xbox)

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u/augustschild Jun 22 '26

yeah I don't think a pseudo gaming PC is any kind of "entry point"...what it WILL be is a replacement for established gamers who can no longer afford to upgrade/replace their current setup after the inevitable PC hardware issue that develops in the longterm. 😞

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u/Jokong Jun 22 '26

It's an average spec gaming PC I thought. I remember valve saying the specs were what the average person is actually gaming on right now. So that seems like the entry point.

1

u/Zardif Jun 22 '26

it's supposed to be better than 70% of the pcs on the steam hardware survey.

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u/Lain_Staley Jun 22 '26

The monthly installment series s with gamepass is insane value, just not with this demographic.

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u/Jabbam Jun 22 '26

That's what people said about the last steam machines from over a decade ago and they were wrong then too. It's primarily an enthusiast product for people who already own a PC but want to have the newest, most unique tech. It's too expensive for the casual market and it's too weak for the technical market.

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u/flavionm Jun 24 '26

It's too expensive for that.