Valve has addressed the pricing for its recently announced hybrid PC, the Steam Machine.
Earlier this month, Valve revealed its new gaming hardware, including the Steam Machine, a console/PC hybrid which will be able to run PC games on a television or as a normal gaming computer. But, while we have seen what the gear looks like, Valve refrained from offering any guidance on its pricing.
Valve’s Lawrence Yang and Pierre-Loup Griffais have now addressed this question. Neither have disclosed an exact figure, but they have said the Steam Machine will be “more in line with what you might expect from [the] current PC market”.
The Valve duo were guests on the Friends Per Second podcast when the topic came up. “I think that if you build a PC from parts, and get to the same level of performance, that’s the general price window we aim to be at, ” Griffais said.
“Ideally, we would be pretty competitive with that, and have a pretty good deal,” he continued, adding Valve was “working on refining” the pricing.
When further asked if the Steam Machine was “going to be a subsidised device”, the Valve developer said its “more in line with what you might expect from [the] current PC market”, again saying the team wants to ensure it is a good deal for consumers in relation to its performance. “You know, you have features which are actually really hard to build if you are making your own gaming PC from parts,” Griffais further explained. “Obviously the small form factor and I think the noise level that we achieved (or lack thereof) is really impressive. We’re excited that people are going to find out how quiet this thing is.
“But also, some integration features like HDMI CC, being able to turn on your TV, turn off your TV… that’s all hard to do, but more importantly you can turn on the machine from your controller, which is not something that’s straightforward depending on the kind of PC you have… so, being able to sit down on your couch, press one button on your controller and the whole thing lights up like you would expect for a thing that’s in your living room, I think that’s very valuable.
“There’s not really a price point to that, because it’s not something that exists in the PC market right now.”
Closing, Griffais said there will be those among us who are perfectly happy to build a PC from scratch themselves. However, Valve’s Steam Machine will be a “nice baseline offering”, letting users access “some features which are really hard to get to otherwise”.
In the same conversation, Griffais added Valve may be open to develop a ‘Steam Machine Pro’ down the line, but “for now” it is staying focused on the Steam Machine’s current level of spec, as it offers “a good trade-off between affordability and the level of power” it provides.
You can check out the full chat below.
Valve’s new Steam hardware will be released next year, though release dates are currently unknown. If you’re hoping to get your hands on it all, know that Valve will continue to self-distribute hardware just as it did with the Steam Deck.
Meanwhile earlier this month, head of market analysis at video game industry analysis company Alinea Analytics Rhyss Elliott told our Connor that the price point will be a real indicator of how the Steam Machine is perceived in the market. “If the Steam Machine launches above $500, it risks being perceived as an expensive niche PC (like the rumoured next-generation Xbox) rather than an accessible living-room gaming option,” Elliott said.
“The sweet spot would be $400 with a controller. This would really send a message, as console manufacturers have been raising their prices.”
For more, be sure to check out all of Eurogamer’s previews on Valve’s upcoming gear – Steam Machine preview: a powerful, customisable mini PC for couch gaming, Steam Frame preview: a long-awaited standalone VR headset that runs Steam games on ARM and Steam Controller preview: a smart, touch-centric gamepad that also packs in traditional controls.
