Valve announced the price of the Steam Machine and disappointed players. However, the company is working on turning their PCs into "Steam Machines" with SteamOS

Players' disappointment with the cost of the «steam engine»

The base Steam Machine model with 512 GB storage starts at $1,049, while the top-of-the-line 2 TB version complete with the company’s Steam Controller and interchangeable wooden or fabric panels will cost $1,428.

Fans of the Valve and Steam brands have been bracing for some tough trade-offs over the past few months, given the general rise in semiconductor prices. However, the final price tag disappointed many users who had hoped that Valve would sell the hardware at a loss, as classic console manufacturers do.

«Is this price justified? Yes. Is it too high? Yes,» commented the launch of the famous technoblogger Linus Tech Tips in his video.

Many gamers on Reddit and Bluesky have pointed out that Valve founder Gabe Newell is spending hundreds of millions on superyachts and villas, while ordinary gamers can’t afford a new gadget. In response, Valve explained in its FAQ that selling hardware at a loss, as console manufacturers do, doesn’t make sense for the PC ecosystem. In addition, the company has faced an increase in the price of some computer components by more than 100%.

Valve’s marketing also somewhat confused users: the compact dimensions of the device, reminiscent of the Nintendo GameCube, the emphasis on the gamepad, and the placement of the console in promotional photos next to toys like Stardew Valley made people perceive the new product as a classic console, although the developers insisted on calling it a computer.

What Digital Foundry says

Digital Foundry’s technical team tested the new product for two weeks. The device turned out to be extremely quiet, compact, and well-built, with performance on par with the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.

On the technical side, a modified 6-core AMD Hawk Point 2 processor (Zen 4/Zen 4c architecture) with a power consumption limit of 30 W and a Navi 33-based graphics chip (analogous to the Radeon RX 7600) limited to 130 W TDP are installed inside.

Experts called the main compromise of the Valve build the use of single-channel 16 GB DDR5 RAM. Due to the lower bandwidth in processor-intensive games, such as Crimson Desert, performance drops by about 15–25% compared to dual-channel mode. However, the processor part still turned out to be 20% faster than the CPU in the PlayStation 5.

At 1440p, the hardware provides a great gaming experience, but at native 4K, it struggles. For example, in Forza Horizon 5, the resolution had to be reduced to 1620p to maintain a stable 60 frames. The situation should improve with the upcoming release of AMD’s FSR 4 scaling technology, which will be available on the Steam Machine.

Own Steam Machine

For those who think the official price is too high, there’s good news. In an interview with The Verge, Valve representative Pierre-Loup Griffey confirmed that the company officially allows and supports the creation of homemade analogues — the so-called DIY Steam Machines.

«Starting with the release of SteamOS 3.8, you can build your own Steam Machine using any PC components you want,» Griffey noted.

At the same time, users do not have to copy the official specifications from Valve. You can assemble any configuration — from an ultra-budget system from the remains of old parts to a powerful «gaming monster». The main thing is that the system meets the basic usage scenario: a PC that connects to a TV, has one drive and does not use dual booting of operating systems.

SteamOS for third-party PCs still has some issues, including issues with Nvidia graphics card drivers. However, Griffey assured that Valve is actively working on this issue with Nvidia engineers to ensure seamless compatibility in upcoming updates.

So, even if the official premium version of the Steam Machine is out of reach for many, Valve is leaving the market open for enthusiasts. Users can choose the free official SteamOS operating system or its popular counterparts like Bazzite and CachyOS to turn any home computer into their own gaming console.

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