The Steam Machine will be competitively priced against current custom-built PCs, according to Valve. Read on to learn more about the ballpark price point of the Steam Machine and its possibilities in the future.
Steam Machine Pricing Details
Same Level of Performance As PC
The Steam Machine's performance and price will be comparable to a dedicated gaming PC, specifically one built with similar components (CPU, GPU, RAM) to meet the demands of modern PC games. During the latest Friends Per Second podcast episode on November 23, Valve Programmer Pierre-Loup Griffais and UX/Product Designer Lawrence Yang shared more insights on the upcoming console’s power and cost.
While the Steam Machine’s price has yet to be revealed, Griffais noted that it will be competitive in the current market and will be a "pretty good deal." "I think that if you build a PC from parts and get to basically the same level of performance, that’s the general price window that we aim to be at," he stated.
Griffais couldn’t pinpoint a particular price point as the team is still refining several elements of the console. "Ideally, we’d be pretty competitive with that and have a pretty good deal, but we’re working on refining that as we speak, and right now is just a hard time to have a really good idea of what the price is going to be because there’s a lot of different things that are fluctuating," he said.
Although the console’s price is still uncertain, fans can estimate its cost based on Valve’s previous statement that the Steam Machine is better than 70% of current PCs. Furthermore, Valve also mentioned during an interview with Linus Tech Tips on November 13 that it will be priced "like a PC rather than a console."
Considering these comments, the Steam Machine could sell for over $600 as the community compares its performance to that of the RX 7600 or the RTX 3060/4060, which are priced similarly.
Another statement that solidifies the price range prediction of many is that Valve will not subsidize the cost of the Steam Machine as consoles do. "No, it’s more in line with what you might expect from the current PC market. Obviously, our goal is for it to be a good deal at that level of performance. And then you have features that are actually really hard to build if you’re making your own gaming PC from parts," Griffais said.
For context, Microsoft and Sony often subsidize their consoles, selling them below the cost of components and making up the revenue through game sales and online subscriptions. Based on Griffais’ statement, Valve is unwilling to follow the same trend, which could very well drive the price of the Steam Machine up.
However, he also emphasized that the Steam Machine has features that are yet to be available in the current market, thus making it difficult for them to have a precise price point for the device. These include the small form factor, reduced noise level, several integration features, and other systems.
"There's not really a price point to that because it's not really something that exists in the PC market right now. And so I think, there's people that are going to be perfectly happy building their PC at whatever level of spec, and that's going to be a great experience for them. I think we're building Steam OS so that if they want to use it for that, they can, and they can have essentially the same experience, and if they're happy with that, that's perfectly good with us," Griffais said.
Possible Steam Machine Pro
As Valve notches the Steam Machine as a "nice baseline" unit that can be categorized as a mid-level PC, fans are curious whether there will be a "Steam Machine Pro" of sorts that will include higher-end components.
"Yeah, I think we're open to anything. For now, we're focusing on this level of spec because we think it's a good trade-off between affordability and the level of power we get. I think we're excited that the level of performance kind of gets you to the point where the whole library is pretty much good to go and you don't really have to worry about a game that's going to come out or not," Griffais said.
Above anything else, the team is excited about how people will customize their Steam Machine, but ensured that the SteamOS will be capable of running with any spec level. "We're actually super excited to see what people do from their own parts or working with third parties as well because we're trying to make sure that Steam OS is going to be good for any spec level and not just the one that we chose," he stated.
Aside from the Steam Machine, Valve will also release a brand-new Steam Controller and their latest attempt at VR tech, the Steam Frame. These new devices are set to be released in 2026 and will be compatible with each other, including Valve’s handheld console, the Steam Deck.
Source:
We ask Valve the big questions around the Steam Machine, Frame & Controller | FPS Podcast #83
Valve’s New Console and Controller - STEAM Machine & STEAM Controller (2026) First Look
