There’s been a lot of noise online about what the Steam Machine is going to cost. Some people are still hanging onto the dream of console-level pricing, others are convinced Valve is about to drop an £800 living-room PC. For me, it’s somewhere in the middle.
The Steam Machine isn’t a console and it isn’t a traditional PC, but it sits close enough to both that the pricing has to make sense for the audience Valve is clearly targeting.
Who the Steam Machine is really for
I see this as the natural evolution of the Steam Deck. It’s not about chasing console players. It’s for people who like the idea of PC gaming but don’t want the hassle that comes with Windows or a full desktop setup. Basically dads, lapsed PC gamers, and people who want Steam on the big TV without faff.
I fit that perfectly. I was full PC, then moved to console for simplicity, and now everything is converging back toward PC again. The Steam Machine gives you that middle ground with none of the headache.
PlayStation vs Valve: two different approaches
PlayStation built the console first, then made the Portal to keep players connected when they weren’t on the main system. Their whole strategy keeps the PS5 at the centre.
Valve did the opposite. They built the handheld first with the Deck, let people take their Steam library anywhere, then added the Steam Machine to give you that same experience on the TV. No Windows, no drivers, no setup. Just Steam everywhere you want to play.
PlayStation extends the console.
Valve extends Steam.
That difference matters when you start talking about price.
The Linus reality check
Linus put it plainly: the Steam Machine won’t be “console priced,” and people expecting a £399 miracle machine will be disappointed. Valve aren’t subsidising hardware the way Sony and Nintendo do. This is a compact PC, and PC-class hardware doesn’t magically get cheaper just because people want it to.
But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be ridiculous either. You still have to be competitive, otherwise you create backlash for no reason.
My take on the pricing
For me, the realistic range for the base model is £500 to £600, with the sweet spot being closer to £500. If the entry model hits £600 or above, it becomes a harder sell because the hardware is roughly in the same ballpark as a PS5 or Xbox. Go too far beyond that and you’re inviting unnecessary flak.
Higher tiers can be more expensive. A 2TB option around £700 makes sense. But the base model has to feel within reach.
Originally I thought £479. Now, after watching the discussion and looking at the wider market, I’m leaning toward £549 as the most realistic number.
Valve proved with the Steam Deck that they can be aggressive on price when they want to be. The Steam Machine needs to follow the same logic: more expensive than consoles, but not so far away that it becomes niche.
Why the price actually matters
The Steam Machine isn’t meant to replace your console. It’s meant to give you an easy way into PC gaming without the usual mess. If Valve wants to expand the Deck audience and keep people inside Steam, they need a price that makes that decision simple, not something that scares people off.
PlayStation built something to keep players locked to the console. Valve built something to let players move Steam anywhere.
Price is part of that strategy.
