Valve has offered its clearest indication so far of how much its upcoming Steam Machine may cost, even though the company is still not ready to reveal an exact figure. The compact six-inch system has attracted widespread speculation, with predictions ranging from budget-friendly to high-end PC territory. In a new interview, the company suggested that the final price will be close to the cost of building a similarly powerful PC, while stressing that several external factors are delaying a firm announcement.
Pricing expectations and external pressures
Valve software engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais spoke to Skill Up, co-hosted by GameSpot’s Lucy James, where he described a pricing approach designed to match the PC components needed to achieve the same level of performance. He explained that people should use the cost of building a comparable PC as a realistic benchmark. “I think that if you build a PC from parts and get to basically the same level of performance, that’s the general price window that we aim to be at,” he said, as reported by IGN. “Ideally, we’d be pretty competitive with that and have a pretty good deal, but we’re working on refining that as we speak. Right now is just a hard time to have an excellent idea of what the price is going to be because there’s a lot of different things… a lot of external things.”
These external issues may include tariffs, which have influenced rising prices across a wide range of consumer goods in 2025 following US President Donald Trump’s controversial trade measures. With supply chains still feeling the impact, hardware makers face added uncertainty when pricing new technology.
Griffais also confirmed that Valve does not plan to mirror strategies used in the past by Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, which have sometimes sold consoles at a loss and recovered costs through game or accessory sales. “No. It’s more in line with what you might expect from the current PC market. Obviously, our goal is for it to be a good deal at that level of performance,” he said.
Design, features and the value proposition
The Steam Machine’s pricing will also reflect its compact design and the level of engineering required to achieve the system’s unusually low noise output. According to Valve, the device is far quieter than most gaming PCs, a feature the company expects consumers will immediately notice. Griffais said, “We’re excited that people are going to find out how quiet this thing is.”
The system includes integrated HDMI and CEC support, allowing users to power their televisions on and off directly through the device. It also features new Bluetooth and wireless technologies developed by Valve specifically for the Steam Machine. “That’s all hard to do,” Griffais explained. He added that these features collectively create a living-room experience that traditional PC builds do not currently offer. “So being able to sit down on your couch, press one button on your controller, and the whole thing lights up as you’d expect for a thing that’s in your living room, I think that’s really valuable. And there’s not really a price point to that because it’s not really something that exists in the PC market right now.”
Convenience also plays a role in the value calculation. Designer Lawrence Yang noted that some users may prefer paying a little more for a ready-made system rather than building their own. “For me, one of the benefits of the Steam Machine is that I’m someone who used to build my PC in college, and I am too old and tired to do that now!” he said.
Market predictions and industry analysis
Industry estimates for the upcoming device vary widely. Some analysts expect the entry model to land around US$400, while others believe it could exceed US$1,000. Several predictions suggest the final price could mirror the PlayStation 5’s price range.
Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad said several market conditions are likely to push prices higher than some consumers might hope. “Tariffs, surging memory/storage costs, supply chain volatility, and an inability to subsidise to the same extent as traditional console manufacturers are all working against Valve at the moment,” he explained. “That being said, the specs suggest Valve wanted this to be in line with PS5 pricing.”
For now, Valve’s only official comment is that the Steam Machine will be “affordable” and priced according to the value it provides, a statement that offers little firm guidance. The system is set to launch in 2026, although Valve has not yet confirmed an exact release date, and preorders remain unavailable. Until more information is revealed, interested players can explore GameSpot’s overview of everything currently known about the device.
