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Steam Machine Price Shock: $1,050 Starting Cost!
23 Jun
Summary
- Valve's Steam Machine begins shipping June 29th at $1,050.
- The high price is due to component costs, not subsidies.
- Alternatives to Valve's hardware and SteamOS exist.
Valve's highly anticipated Steam Machine is scheduled to begin shipping on June 29th, with a considerable starting price of $1,050. The company acknowledges this high cost, explaining it reflects the price of components secured over the past six months, and is not subsidized by software sales as some consoles are.
This pricing strategy positions the Steam Machine more like a traditional PC. Valve aims to make Steam accessible in living rooms, but acknowledges that its own hardware may not be the only option. The company is also working on SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system that could become a primary PC gaming environment, with ongoing efforts to improve compatibility with various hardware, including Nvidia GPUs and Intel CPUs.
Third-party hardware manufacturers are also developing powerful, compact PCs that could potentially serve as more capable Steam Machines than Valve's own offering. Valve continues to enhance its hardware with features like ray tracing support and potential upscaling technology, suggesting that while the initial cost is high, the Steam Machine's development could benefit the broader PC gaming ecosystem.
