Valve has tried again with the Steam Machine and, although his proposal is much more convincing than which launched in 2015has ended up leaving a bittersweet taste for both users, enthusiasts and specialized critics. And practically the entire conversation revolves around at the hefty priceconsequence of a component shortage unprecedented.
The Steam Machine was the promise of bringing the PC into the living room in the most convenient way possible. And although it fulfills its purpose because of how wonderful it is Steam OSdue to its compact shape, and the comfort it offers, most specialized media point out that the price has ended up ruining everything.
What Valve has launched on the market. The Steam Machine starts at 1,039 euros for the 512 GB model and goes up to 1,359 euros in the 2 TB version. Both without remote control included; if you want the new one Steam Controlleradds another 69 euros. Inside is a six-core AMD Zen 4 processor, a custom RDNA 3-based GPU with 28 compute units and 8GB of GDDR6, and 16GB of RAM. The system boots directly into SteamOS and can also function as a full Linux PC. From a design point of view, practically all specialized media agree that it is a beautiful, silent product that fits in the living room like no other PC has done so far.
Why does it cost so much and who is to blame. The company recognized to PC Gamer that its original price target is “no longer viable” due to the memory crisis. The skyrocketing demand for RAM chips by large artificial intelligence companies has absorbed the production capacity of Samsung and SK Hynix, which manufacture approximately 95% of the world’s DRAM.
According to the media, the prices of DRAM contracts that companies obtained have risen more than 170% between the announcement of the Steam Machine last November and its launch now in June. Valve’s initial goal, according to several sources, was around $750. Now, that rising market has added $300 more to the Steam Machine, something that has seriously harmed the company’s strategy.
What the analyzes say. Opinions have generally been bittersweet, more sour than sweet. Digital Foundry describe the Steam Machine as “beautiful hardware”, praises SteamOS and places the GPU performance somewhere between an RX 6600 and an RX 7600, that is, a card perfectly capable of running games in 1080p and 1440p, but with obvious limitations in 4K with ray tracing activated. He also adds that the system performs below a base PS5 in most of the games analyzed.
IGN had a more positive evaluationwith its analyst saying that it was “the best living room PC I have ever used”, but also pointing out that the price was a determining factor in knowing who to recommend it to. PC Gamer he put a 62 out of 100 and described the device as “an expensive curiosity rather than a gaming device for the masses.” Linus Tech Tips he titled his video dedicated as “Even Valve is disappointed”, a phrase that the channel itself attributes to what the company’s engineers conveyed to them. Tom’s Hardware, for its part, gave it 3.5 stars and has celebrated its design, but also highlights the poor performance of the machine compared to PCs that cost more or less the same and the software bugs that Valve is still ironing out.
What do you have for that price or less?. The Steam Machine costs more than one PS5 Prowhich is now around 899 euros (after several increases), and according to benchmarks it offers lower performance than this console. GameSpot counted that at $750, the Steam Machine made all the sense in the world. At 1.039, the equation breaks down. And for that price, a user can buy a desktop PC with a more powerful dedicated GPU, or opt for a PS5 Pro.
On the other hand, Valve has insisted that It is not subsidizing the hardwareunlike Sony or Microsoft, which usually lose money at the launch of each console and recover it with the games and their service offering.
Speculation. To have a more or less fair launch, Valve designed a random reservation system. Those interested could sign up before June 25, and the company raffled off access. Only one unit per household, Steam account in good standing with at least one purchase prior to April 27, 2026, and cross-verification of payment methods and addresses.
Unfortunately, Valve has not been able to prevent some people who found a place to obtain a unit from starting to sell it on eBay. According to Tom’s Guidethere are reservation lists (not for the device, but for the time to buy it) from 1,600 to more than 2,500 dollars. TweakTown and Notebookcheck They have confirmed seeing prices of up to $3,500 for the 2 TB model with controller.
Community alternatives. Jacob Terkelsen, AMD engineer, published in X the “Terk Box v1.1”, a Mini-ITX PC inside a 3D printed case, with a RTX 5060a Ryzen 5 5500, 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. Print files are available for free at Printables. According to Tweaktownthe result surpasses the Steam Machine in performance, although it requires a 3D printer and technical knowledge, and at the moment it cannot run SteamOS officially because Valve has still made its system compatible with NVIDIA GPUs.
They have also appeared comparisons in media like Windows Central with preconfigured PCs between $849 and $1,000 that include an RTX 5060 Ti and more RAM than the Steam Machine. Valve, aware of this, allows you to install SteamOS on any PC with AMD GPU so that anyone can replicate the experience without paying the price of official hardware.
¿Qto whom does it make sense? The Steam Machine is not a bad product. It’s probably the best attempt to date to get a real PC into the living room without making it look like a PC. According to reviews, SteamOS runs smoothly, Steam’s verified catalog is huge, and its compact and quiet design adds up. But at more than 1,000 euros, it ends up being left in no man’s land. The die-hard Steam fan who doesn’t want to set up anything, who values the closed ecosystem and has a budget to spare, may find Valve’s proposal attractive. But for the average player, and if you hurry me, for the industry, the price thing has been a pretty big deal.
Images | Valve
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