Steam Machine Is NOT A Console, Valve Says
Overview & Key Takeaways
Valve has finally announced the price of the new Steam Machine, and it'll be over $1,000 when it launches on June 30. In addition to confirming the price and release date, Valve published a new FAQ that runs through some key particulars about the system, including how it is not meant to be described as a console.
"We think of Steam Machine as an extension of PC gaming, not as a console," Valve said.
This is not a game console.
In making its point, Valve said a console like an Xbox or PlayStation device would typically be sold at a loss, with Microsoft and Sony making up the loss with software and services revenue. Games sold for a console might be "locked in to the hardware" on a traditional console, but that's not the case for the Steam Machine.
"We think this can make sense for a single business in the short term but that open ecosystems are better for customers over the long term. PC gaming's history proves this: The openness of the PC gaming space has enabled it to be the primary driver of hardware and software innovation for decades," Valve said.
The company went on to say one of the strengths of the PC gaming market is giving players the ability to play the games they want on the hardware they want, and the Steam Machine is a solution for this.
"But it's not the only solution, and we don't want it to be," Valve said.
Valve wanted to charge less for the Steam Machine, the company told IGN, but the so-called "RAM-aggedon" drove up prices. The Steam Machine will now start at $1,050 and scale up from there.
The Steam Machine price coming in at more than $1,000 for the base model is indeed a shock, but it's also indicative of a wider trend of increasing prices due to the AI-fueled demand for components and memory. The prices of Xbox and PlayStation consoles have already gone up, and Nintendo is raising the price of the Switch 2 in September.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma recently commented on the price of gaming consoles, saying they have become too expensive and that "radically different" models are needed. She specifically said it's untenable to ask mass audiences to pay thousands of dollars for new consoles.
If you're trying to secure a Steam Machine, you're going to encounter a preorder queue that is a little different in response to issues that came up with the Steam Controller.
The Steam Machine starts at $1,049 for a 512GB model, up to $1,428 for a 2TB model with Steam Controller and swappable face plates. Early impressions of the device generally find it’s a decently powered gaming PC that’s very user-friendly, but less powerful than a custom build for the same price.
Valve has finally announced the price of the new Steam Machine, and it'll be over $1,000 when it launches on June 30. In addition to confirming the price and release date, Valve published a new FAQ that runs through some key particulars about the system, including how it is not meant to be described as a console.
"We think of Steam Machine as an extension of PC gaming, not as a console," Valve said.
This is not a game console.
In making its point, Valve said a console like an Xbox or PlayStation device would typically be sold at a loss, with Microsoft and Sony making up the loss with software and services revenue. Games sold for a console might be "locked in to the hardware" on a traditional console, but that's not the case for the Steam Machine.
"We think this can make sense for a single business in the short term but that open ecosystems are better for customers over the long term. PC gaming's history proves this: The openness of the PC gaming space has enabled it to be the primary driver of hardware and software innovation for decades," Valve said.
The company went on to say one of the strengths of the PC gaming market is giving players the ability to play the games they want on the hardware they want, and the Steam Machine is a solution for this.
"But it's not the only solution, and we don't want it to be," Valve said.
Valve wanted to charge less for the Steam Machine, the company told IGN, but the so-called "RAM-aggedon" drove up prices. The Steam Machine will now start at $1,050 and scale up from there.
The Steam Machine price coming in at more than $1,000 for the base model is indeed a shock, but it's also indicative of a wider trend of increasing prices due to the AI-fueled demand for components and memory. The prices of Xbox and PlayStation consoles have already gone up, and Nintendo is raising the price of the Switch 2 in September.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma recently commented on the price of gaming consoles, saying they have become too expensive and that "radically different" models are needed. She specifically said it's untenable to ask mass audiences to pay thousands of dollars for new consoles.
If you're trying to secure a Steam Machine, you're going to encounter a preorder queue that is a little different in response to issues that came up with the Steam Controller.
The Steam Machine starts at $1,049 for a 512GB model, up to $1,428 for a 2TB model with Steam Controller and swappable face plates. Early impressions of the device generally find it’s a decently powered gaming PC that’s very user-friendly, but less powerful than a custom build for the same price.
