The Steam Machine is getting a lot of attention online, and rightly so. It’s the only device that could finally bridge the gap between PC and Console, offering both convenience and customizability.
Of course, the pricing seems to be a hot debate. Will it follow the general console pricing of $500 or be more expensive? While we don’t know the exact price, we do know that the Steam Machine won’t be priced at $500.
Valve is signaling that the Steam Machine is likely going to cost more than the average console. It’s not going to be close $500, which is often what most consoles are priced at. According to recent remarks, the company seems comfortable positioning the hardware as a PC-priced device, rather than matching console pricing.
A Bit Of Context
During a recent episode of “The WAN Show”, Linus Sebastian revealed his conversation with Valve, where he raised the idea that the Steam Machine should be priced around $500, the average console price.
He recalls bringing it up in conversation, and he said the atmosphere shifted when he mentioned it:
When I said ‘$500’, the energy in the room wasn’t great.
The reaction in the room more or less confirmed that the Steam Machine isn’t going to be priced at $500.
Most consoles are priced at $500 despite costing more to manufacture. That’s because the company often takes a cut from the games sold on that platform, which covers the cost of manufacturing the console.
Steam isn’t going for this business model. Valve appears to be treating this unit as hardware where margin matters. Thus, “console pricing” may not apply.
How Much Should The Steam Machine Cost?
There has been no announcement made on the price of the Steam Machine yet. However, many experts suggest that the price should lie somewhere within $700-800 range. For the average console player who is used to $500, this could be a curveball.
In short: if you were expecting Valve’s new hardware to debut at console cost, you may need to think again. Because this is apparent from Linus’s story, the Steam Machine may be priced like a PC, not like a console.
