The enthusiasm around Valve’s new hardware project could well die down as quickly as it rose. While many saw the Steam Machine as an ambitious development after the success of the Steam Deck, a leak concerning its potential price has cooled part of the community. According to information shared online, the console would be displayed at prices much higher than initial expectations. And on the forums, the reaction of the players was not long in coming.
Prices spotted at a European retailer
The origin of the controversy comes from a link shared on Reddit to a Czech retailer. Two models would be listed: a 512 GB version at $950 and a 2 TB model priced at $1,070.
These amounts far exceed the $600 to $700 range that many players considered realistic when the project was announced. For the moment, Valve has not communicated any official price. This is therefore an unconfirmed leak. But that didn’t stop the reactions from multiplying.
Players disappointed by a price considered excessive
On Reddit, the comments reflect a mixture of frustration and resignation. A user writes: “Whew, it’s hard. I put this down to the price of the RAM. I was hoping for $800 and $1000 for the high-end models.”
Another added: “A price of $500-600 was probably too optimistic, and a price of $700-800 was much more likely.” I hope I’m wrong, but given the advertised performance, I don’t see how the price could be much lower than $650-$700.”
Even assuming these numbers are approximate, the general trend seems to indicate that the Steam Machine won’t be able to compete with traditional consoles on price.
The cost of components at the heart of the problem
One of the elements most cited to justify a high price concerns the current price of computer components, particularly RAM. Some high-end RAM kits today reach significant amounts, complicating the task for any manufacturer wishing to offer a high-performance product at a competitive price.
Valve could certainly benefit from economies of scale thanks to massive component orders. But even in this case, the room for maneuver would remain limited. The positioning of the Steam Machine therefore seems to be moving towards a premium machine, closer to a compact gaming PC than to an affordable console.
An ambitious but risky strategy
The announcement of the Steam Machine had raised a lot of expectations. After the Steam Deck, many gamers were hoping for a powerful alternative to traditional consoles. But if the prices mentioned are confirmed, Valve will have to convince beyond simple value for money.
Between component shortages, rising production costs and inflation in the gaming hardware market, the current context complicates the launch of an ambitious new machine. While waiting for an official announcement, the community remains suspended on Valve’s next statements.