Valve's upcoming Steam Machine sits somewhere between a PC and a gaming console. Regardless of whether it's a desktop powerhouse or a living room-friendly gaming rig, fans are very excited to get their hands on Valve's latest hardware.
Specs are one thing but what fans are mostly interested in knowing is its price. Some believe that it will be a budget friendly PC/console hybrid. However, analysts are claiming that it's not going to be as cheap as everyone expects it to be, , especially when considering the hardware and potential versatility.
Valve's Steam Machine Could Be Between $500-$1000 Or More
Industry experts are beginning to weigh in on the price of the console. There are a few things that need to be considered.
For one, the Steam Machine isn't like a console like the PS5 and the Xbox Series X. It's essentially a gaming PC that's in a compact package. Unlike consoles, the Steam Machine is still a PC at its core so that means it's capable of more than just gaming. It can be used for work or school-related tasks too.
For industry experts like Linus Tech Tips, this distinction matters because Valve is going to have to make sure that the Steam Machine sells well, since game sales aren't exactly guaranteed. The PS5 and the Xbox Series X starts at $399 and $499 (£305 and £382) respectively. Sony and Microsoft can afford to sell consoles at a loss because they can recoup costs through years of selling digital and retail copies of video games.
For that reason, industry experts believe that the Steam Machine could exceed $1,000 (£765). It may not be as pricey as high-end gaming PCs, but it's unlikely to match console prices either.
Valve itself has said that the Steam Machine is going to be 'reasonably priced' but what that means is open to interpretation. It could mean that it's close to the price of current consoles, or simply that it's priced well considering the specs. The latter doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to be cheap.
Others believe that the Steam Machine will land somewhere between $500 and $1000 (£382 and £765). This price is taking into account what the hardware is capable of.
There's a chance that the Steam Machine will have different versions and some models are going to be more expensive than others. However, the different versions could just mean a difference in storage capacity and not in performance. Valve has confirmed 512GB and 2TB models, both expandable via MicroSD.
Valve hasn't revealed pricing of the Steam Machine yet, and some believe it's likely that they're holding off on doing so because of the current volatility in the US economy. Since the hardware is set to launch sometime next year, an announcement about the price could come very soon.
The Steam Machine is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated gaming releases next year. Hopefully, Valve gets to reveal more about it soon. With The Game Awards coming up, Valve has the perfect platform to reveal more about their upcoming hardware.
