The price will be the critical factor that will determine the success of the Steam Machine, but those who expected the upcoming system to be priced in the same range as a console will likely be disappointed, judging from some new information shared online.
In the latest episode of Linus Tech Tips' WAN Show podcast, Linus commented on the yet-to-be-revealed price for the system. While he doesn't know the price (as no one does yet), there are strong indications the system won't fall in the $500 price range of the current PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X systems, judging from the reaction of Valve's employees during a recent media event to show the system to press and creators.
"When I said I'm disappointed it isn't going to follow a console pricing model, where its subsided by the fact that manufacturer is going to be taking 30% of every game sold on it over the lifespan of this thing, because I feel that would be a more meaningful product, they asked what I meant by console price and I said $500. Nobody said anything, but the energy in the room wasn't great," Linus said during the podcast.
Although Valve said that the Steam Machine will be priced competitively with a PC of similar specs, expecting a gaming PC in a console form factor to cost as much as a console is definitely a little unreasonable. As such, what happened at Valve's headquarters, as reported by Linus, shouldn't surprise anyone, especially in light of the now expected massive RAM price increase that will impact a wide range of hardware, including gaming hardware.
However, despite Valve believing that a bigger game library will ensure the Steam Machine is more successful than its predecessors and that it will offer a better gaming experience than 70% of current gaming rigs, pricing still needs to be right for the system to be successful. While it is true it may have a hard time delivering a 4K@60 FPS gaming experience even with AMD FSR, those who want to have a hassle-free gaming experience in the vein of consoles won't look at the system twice if it's priced too high, especially in the current climate where the price of living continues to rise worldwide, although a recent analysis suggests the system's price may not be much higher than a current generation console's.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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