PatchNote

Valve’s new Steam Machine has revealed it’s pricing and some people are not happy.

For basically being a console with the specs of a mid-range gaming PC, people were expecting a price point a little higher than Sony’s PlayStation 5. However, they were left disappointed when it was revealed to be priced at…well…a mid-range gaming PC.

The specs are pretty impressive for such a small box, boasting semi-custom AMD hardware and 512GB of storage at the base price point. But this has angered some gamers as the small black box stars at £879 for just the console itself.

This is a high bar for consumers, especially in the current socio-economic climate, and when one can get a PS5 for as little as £519 at Argos, the the choice is obvious.

But what the PS5 isn’t offering is customisation. With the Steam Machine being fundamentally and PC, you are able to install any operating system you wish, and can freely ditch Valve’s proprietary SteamOS for whichever operating system you prefer.

You also get access to Steam’s vast library of games from its store front, including all the ones you already own and the ability to customise the HUD in a similar way to the Steam Deck.

But that price point is a stickler.

For the full package, including a controller and 2TB of storage, the console will set you back twelve-hundred of your hard earned British Pounds. A hefty price for a games console. Did Valve not learn the lessons of the PlayStation 3?

Well, yes. They did.

Because if you go an price up a mid-range gaming PC right now (I’ll wait, go on) you will find that you’d be paying roughly the same price as Valves new gaming machine.

Here’s the proof:

Jonsbo Z20 – 9070XT Sapphire Pure – 7800X3D by Nkayo – AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Radeon RX 9070 XT, Jonsbo Jonsplus Z20 MicroATX Desktop – PCPartPicker

In fact, that build is actually more expensive than the machine.

This proves something – Valve is selling the Steam Machine pretty much at production cost, with a little overhead for the company.

With the price of parts constantly rising due to AI Data Centres, and production costs, it is difficult to justify custom building a PC at the present moment. The Steam Machine might be the solution to that problem for people on a budget.

Plus, there is the added bonus that – if it was sold any cheaper – companies would by up the machines for their server farms or data centres and no one would be able to get their hands on it.

Cheaper parts means cheaper production costs for companies, and so, by releasing the machine at a higher price that reflects the current cost of PC parts, Valve are actually doing consumers a favour.

Instead of facing the hassle of RAM and GPU prices, you only have to deal with the hassle of Valves reservation system and nothing more. It’s expensive, sure. But it is no more expensive than building your own PC.

So, why not? If you want to get your hands on something to play PC games, grab one. Or get a Steam Deck, they’re also pretty good. I am not the boss of you.

Or am I?