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For anybody hoping the value of the Steam Machine was going to be as aggressive because the Steam Deck’s, you is perhaps in for some sticker shock. Whereas some have been already warning that the Steam Machine was likely going to cost more than you think – it’s mainly a small type issue gaming PC, in spite of everything — there weren’t many guesses that got here shut, if the brand new worth is correct. As reported by Wccftech, Czech retailer Smarty.cz listed worth estimates for Steam’s upcoming cube-shaped laptop, they usually’re fairly the doozy.
In USD, the listings are about $950 for the 512GB mannequin of the Steam Machine and $1,070 for the 2TB mannequin. That places the value tag fairly a bit greater than many have been anticipating. The costs are merely estimates, although, so take this data with a grain of salt for now. Most significantly, by immediately changing the estimated Czech koruna costs into U.S. {dollars}, there’s going to be some discrepancy.
There are additionally tariff and import taxes included in these costs and probably extra charges that U.S. listings will not have. The precise MSRP is predicted to be decrease. Valve has not made any official statements on costs but, nor has it commented on these leaked costs, so all the pieces is speculative. However nonetheless, that might put the costs nicely above what most predict to see, definitely above the present price of consoles just like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Sequence X.
Why are the costs estimated to be so excessive?
The worldwide reminiscence scarcity has solely gotten worse for the reason that Steam Machine was first announced back in November 2025. Attributable to the necessity for extra superior {hardware} to maintain up with AI, the chip shortages could potentially drive up the cost of new smartphones. It is under no circumstances a stretch to think about the Steam Machine, a PC through-and-through, would see elevated costs if it launches in the midst of that chip scarcity. There is not an official launch date but, however the Steam Machine nonetheless must be mass-produced, which suggests the producers can be buying the required elements and {hardware} quickly, in the event that they have not already. GPUs are additionally seeing worth hikes recently, so there’s that price bump to fret about, too.
As for a way and why the Steam Machine is extra pricey than, say, the PlayStation 5, it is as a result of consoles are sometimes offered at a loss. Corporations like Sony and Microsoft promote consoles for across the identical amount of cash as they price to provide (and even much less), hoping to recuperate these prices over time via online game gross sales and subscription providers like Xbox Sport Cross. Valve has already publicly acknowledged it is not going to be subsidizing the value of the Steam Machine in the identical manner as trendy consoles.
Principally, all of because of this the price of constructing a Steam Machine goes to be greater than anticipated. Which will end in ultimate mannequin being priced greater than some followers have been hoping, so, sadly, the Czech retailer estimates might be reasonable. That stated, with the Steam Machine probably set to launch this yr, it should not be lengthy earlier than we all know for certain.
