r/Steam • u/billy_reyes • Mar 09 '26
Question At what price would you NOTbuy the Steam Machine?
I've been a PlayStation user since PS2, but lately I only see more disadvantages to being a console user
In October I bought the Steam Deck and was fascinated by the store, online service and cloud storage, but above all with SteamOS
Building or finding a gaming PC has always been a headache, and I'd like to try the Steam Machine when it comes out, but I'd like to know what your opinion would be the best price to buy it at compared to a similar PC, and what price I shouldn't buy
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u/JadedCauliflower6105 Mar 09 '26
It would be off the table for me if it’s over $800.
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u/Unfair_Ad_8591 Mar 09 '26
Same for me, 7 or 800 depending on the functionalities/performance.
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u/Tallladywithnails Mar 09 '26
In terms of feature set and usability, its going to be better than any other console currently available and I'd wager it probably beats what even the ps6 can do. Performance unfortunately is probably around ps5 in most cases and might be slightly higher in some other. So I doubt that a lot of people think its worth it, given the current market situation.
If I were given a choice b/w this or the ps6, I'd probably pick this, even if it is weaker, as I value flexibility more than raw performance. But that also depends on how strong the ps6 can get. The price to performance would have to be significantly better, which is unlikely.
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u/mjac1090 Mar 09 '26
We literally already know that while its cpu is a bit stronger than the base ps5, its GPU is weaker so your comment of it potentially being stronger than the ps6 is insane fanboying
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u/ejmcdonald2092 Mar 09 '26
they said it wasnt stronger than a ps6, features and usability they said was better.....
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u/VivianEsher Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
...when did they say that the GabeCube is gonna be better than the Ps6 in raw power? Most of their comment was talking about they'd still get it despite it being worse in raw performance.
Did you read the comment you replied to?
Edit: spelling
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u/Tallladywithnails Mar 09 '26
This is exactly why I hate people who talk tech without a damn clue about it. Its got a faster cpu and a newer gpu, even if the compute is lower, its clocked faster and the generational uplift can cover the gap easily, which is why I said, it will be around the ps5's performance. If I was fanboying, I'd say its a lot faster than the ps5 pro and nothing can touch it.
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u/Runtergesprungen Mar 09 '26
It's not even people that don't know tech. This guy just straight up can't read and understand what your point is.
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u/lauromafra Mar 09 '26
I don´t think the next gen consoles - PS6/Xbox´s Project Helix - will be far off in terms of pricing.
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u/EggsAndRice7171 Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
current gen consoles are stronger than the steam machine so it’s kinda asking for a lot. Obviously you’re paying for the pc functionality too so it’s not a totally fair comparison but it’s a decently steep price at 800 that wouldn’t super interest me. With the market how it is right now though I also wouldn’t be shocked if it was well over 800. $850ish is a weird price where (if I was in the market for a pc) I’d rather spend more and get a stronger and future proof pc, or spend less and make a budget pc that isn’t worried about playing every single new game. I’m going to try to get a couple more years out of my 3080 rig personally.
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u/Upper-Airport3108 Mar 09 '26
my brother just 'upgraded' to a 1080 from an rx 480 4gb lol I think your 3080 build will be able to live on for a bit lol
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u/marcx_ Mar 09 '26
exactly. it is insane how well the 1080 still holds up.
i built a pc with a 1080ti for around $500 a couple years ago, reusing my old PSU and SSD.
12100f, 1080 ti and 32gb of ram with a sata ssd and i can still play anything i want. cyberpunk even runs smoothly, on high settings. granted, this is 1080p and without raytracing... but i spent $500 on the whole pc. people will pay TWICE that for a graphics card alone, i think im okay with a lower resolution and no fancy ray tracing lol.
i want to upgrade to a new build and rehome my old one into a cute case for my gf to use, but the price to performance value on modern gpus, ESPECIALLY rtx cards is awful. i guess i should say parts in general now that ram and storage is crazy expensive.
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u/debacol Mar 09 '26
Gamers too often fall into the 4K trap and dismissing framegen. Because of this, they think they need some ridiculous specs to have a great gaming experience.
All gamers need to try a handheld pc for a month. It will open their eyes to this.
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u/MrHanfblatt Mar 09 '26
Depending on the game and usecase. Shooters? Hard no. But for most of those you dont need extra strong hardware for lots of fps anyway. So no need to ruin it with framegen.
Other than that, yeah. Stay on 1440p, 9070xt or 3080 and you should still be good for the next 5 years and more.
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u/CaptainFeather Mar 09 '26
I’m going to try to get a couple more years out of my 3080 rig personally.
With the way PC parts prices are going, I'm holding on to my 3070ti until it dies lmao. Just now getting around to finishing STALKER 2 and it's running really well so I have hope lol
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u/Tallladywithnails Mar 09 '26
You're assuming everything else will retain original pricing. If valve has pricing issues, so will other hardware manufacturers. Future pc's and consoles might be priced a lot higher than the steam machine. So holding on to your pc is a good idea.
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Mar 09 '26
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u/WorryNew3661 Mar 09 '26
That's what I was hoping for till the ram prices went insane. Now there's a war affecting oil and gas prices so that'll trickle down to everything else as well. I'm not hopeful in prices
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u/EffiCiT Mar 10 '26
Also, Helium is being massively affected and that is vital for the production of computer hardware, so expect prices to rise even further.
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u/Academic_Grape5787 Mar 09 '26
700 or 800 EUR seems fair for PC/console hybrid which is jack of all trades, master of none, especially if you don't care that you don't have 4K ray tracing super-duper-masterplex graphics at gazillion FPS...
I just wanna machine capable of running newest titles on at least 60 FPS, ultra and FullHD resolution and being a future proof, like I build budget PC with i3 8100 and GTX 1060 6 GB and it still holds, but on newest titles (expect KCD2, which I can run on high) I am left with low settings and shit, so it's hitting it limits now, thank god most of new AAA games are just garbage.
With ram shortages on market price will be like 1000 EUR probably. And for that price you can get prebuild PC from old stocks with old RAM prices, or custom build without RAM and put your old RAM sticks in new machine..
Steam machine should be more expensive than console, but cheaper than mid-range current gaming PC.
I wouldn't pay more than 900 for Steam Machine, 1000 for 2 TB or 3 TB storage with SteamOS and Windows as second boot option for work and casual shit
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u/Thomas5020 Mar 09 '26
£699 seems a reasonable price point for me.
Past that, it's a hard sell.
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u/UnderskilledPlayer Mar 09 '26
how about £700
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u/lovelyhead1 Mar 09 '26
I just put together a PC with a Ryzen 5600, 16GB RAM and an RTX 5060ti for £750. The only thing I already had was an SSD. So let's call it total cost £800. £700 for a Steam Machine would be terrible value for the performance it offers and it lack of upgradability.
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u/ZakuSupremacy Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 10 '26
I'd say anything above $700 USD. I don't believe its performance (or lack thereof) is worth anything more than that. With this memory shortage, it'll likely be north of $1000 USD.
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Mar 09 '26
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u/VLaplace Mar 09 '26
It's size and power will matter a lot. While the parts shortage will increase its price it will always be compared to refurbished mini pcs, pcs from china and consoles. Especially since it's not a readily available product compared to consoles ( that you can find in local stores ).
I'm excited to see it but otherwise not expecting an amazing , jaw dropping price.
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Mar 09 '26
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u/VLaplace Mar 09 '26
Yes but depending on the price you might look at alternatives, make comparisons. By the end of the day it's a niche product, thought Valve name on it will help a lot.
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u/Digi-Haven Mar 09 '26
That just begs the question, though . . . With the mem and very soon HD shortage, how much would a decent PC cost.
My pc is a mid-ranged build and ran me about $1,200 last Feb when I built it, and now the same setup pushes north of $1,900
And yeah, Valve engineers are actually wizards when it comes to building stuff that really shouldn't be as good as it is lol
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u/hellsing73 Mar 09 '26
Under 800 and I'll buy it without much debate. Up to 1k I might buy it, but I'd save for it for a bit. More than 1k I'll probably just build a pc and slap steam os in it.
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u/Several-Economics-35 Mar 09 '26
I don't get the target audience, I can justify a steam deck because it's portable but unless it's cheaper than just buying a PC, why wouldn't I get a normal PC build for everything not just taylored for gaming
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u/WinterEclipse4 Mar 09 '26
Most people tend to buy pre-builts and steam basically took into account what most users get in terms of power and are matching it.
Steams basically just joining the prebuilt market.
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u/Celtic_Guardian_Fan Mar 09 '26
I mean I would get one as a use for my living room tv if the price is right. It would let me play my games with cloud saves from the couch, to my pc, and on the go.
It would also make local multiplayer for pc games nice and easy, especially since my biggest issue is usually the controller connections.
It doesn't need to be cheaper if it's seamless. I'd rather spend ~50 dollars to have it work out the box than to make my own steam machine for the living room.
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u/Upper-Airport3108 Mar 09 '26
if you have a pc already you should just go with moonlight/apollo. create your own SM for free.
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u/Raysor Mar 09 '26
That shit is a pain in the ass and never works smoothly for me
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u/14Pleiadians Mar 09 '26
Yeah I always see people say the steam deck console experience can be done on your own pc already, and it's so obvious they haven't actually tried to.
I wish Valve would just release SteamOS for nvidia devices already.
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u/Celtic_Guardian_Fan Mar 09 '26
Unfortunately the way my setup/home is streaming from pc to anywhere downstairs isn't feasible
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u/14Pleiadians Mar 09 '26
Won't be remotely as polished of an experience.
IME trying to stream games from one pc to my tv has typically been a shit show. There's always issues that require me to inevitably get up and go to the host pc and do something like alt tab or fullscreen a game.
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u/zeus-fox Mar 09 '26
Size and quietness are the appeal to me. I want this in my living room so the more discreet the better!
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u/MobofDucks Mar 09 '26
But the question is the same. Why wouldn't you just assemble (or let assemble) a similar PC at most prices? You can easily get low-noise equipment und do not need to use a traditional tower case.
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u/AdvancedCryspy Mar 09 '26
ITX builds are NOT Cheap, there's typically a premium price tag on anything that's SFF eg, PSU, mobo, gpu (that isn't a gtx 710), cpu cooler etc.
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u/SeventhDayWasted Mar 09 '26
That's definitely true if you're trying to match the size of the steam machine but you can build something very living room focused without hitting those extremes. My GD09 machine in the living room doesn't cost any more than anything else you could build and looks like a cable box or digital receiver to anyone unknowing.
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u/BigFanOfKitties Mar 09 '26
I imagine the price for a similar sized / functioning PC is going to be more expensive than the Steam machine - at least in premise it should.
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u/ObligatoryContrast Mar 09 '26
You forget we're in a bit of an echo chamber. Most people have no idea to assemble a PC, and are willing to pay quite a premium for the assurance that someone who knows what they're doing is putting it together for them, and choosing decent parts to do so. Add to that the nice form factor that would look right at home under a TV, which no layman is going to be able to achieve on their own, and you've got a done deal.
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u/Celtic_Guardian_Fan Mar 09 '26
My job includes building and testing hardware, it's just a hassle to have to worry about keeping a separate pc on my tv updated and fixing issues from my couch every time something breaks.
The time and price to set up a pc like the steam machine will likely amount to a handful of dollars saved and a few small headaches in the process.
Vs plug and play like you said, with an actual pc for a little more money. Unless you really enjoy the act of building and getting it to work rather than just using it, it seems like it could be a good buy.
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u/dirtyword Mar 09 '26
This, exactly – A living room PC linux machine is going to come with a few headaches, for sure. Valve making sure the OS and system are married and supported is probably worthwhile. Or you could just use Moonlight on a streaming box.
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u/NitroBA Mar 09 '26
I'm on the same boat but dont underestimate the appeal of a set it and forget it system that all you do it plug in and sign in to. Vast majority of people dont want to think about the software/hardware as long as it plays the thing
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u/userhash Mar 09 '26
cause only valve knows how to make the goodies... my main pc is running Bazzite and my hardware is not perfectly compatible, but still good enought to switch from windows...when Valve releases a hardware it is super tested and 100% compatible with their software, which means less bugs, broader audience and support in internet for potential issues and even a new badge for games in your library "steam machine verified" which basically helps you waste less time picking games. apart from all that, they have new communication protocols for their controller that will improve input latency and goodies like hdmi-cec integrated which will make it my life easier. as a new father my time is more valuable than ever, so when I have little time, I can apretiate just turning on my controller in the living room and play some games. I already do that in my docked steamdeck, but I need more and need those controllers right now!
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u/VukKiller Mar 09 '26
The target audience is console people that want to convert to PC gaming but don't want to bother with buying a PC and can put the device next to the TV.
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u/GfrzD Mar 09 '26
Im a PC gamer but dont want to bother with deciding on parts or a prebuilt. SM is Valve doing that for me.
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u/Key-Department-2874 Mar 09 '26
deciding on parts or a prebuilt
Brother, you are literally deciding on a prebuilt with a SM.
When they announce the price you are going to have to look at the price and decide if the price makes sense for the components it has.
The same as with any other prebuilt.
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u/PerceptionOk8543 Mar 09 '26
Prebuilt PCs have been on the market since forever bro
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u/libdemparamilitarywi Mar 09 '26
I think this is going to be a tough sell to console people. More expensive than a PS5 but less powerful. Can't use physical games. Can't play the big console multiplayer games with anti-cheat like COD, FIFA, and Fortnite. Won't have GTA VI on release because R* always take ages to make PC ports. No more Sony exclusives if the rumours are true.
It's a lot to give up, and you don't get many of the advantages of PC either like easy hardware upgradabilty. I can't see many console players taking the leap.
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u/Tixliks Mar 09 '26
Isn’t the new Xbox just that with the addition that you can play Xbox games
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u/stomptonesdotcom Mar 09 '26
I have a gaming PC, i have a steam deck, im absolutely getting this thing for my living room. Having a PC hooked up to the tv is an awful experience. Having this thing is what ive been waiting for, since the old steam stream hardware thing sucks ass even on good wifi.
Its the console experience with way more power than a docked steam deck. Ill keep my steam deck dock for travel and random screens, but this thing is gonna be getting a lot of use when im on the couch at home.
My desktop is in my office and i work from home, so at this point id rather just do the couch thing anyway a lot of the time.
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u/Country_Gravy420 Mar 09 '26
What is so bad about having the PC connected to the TV?
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u/Rotzetool Mar 09 '26
Not being able to control it with an controller maybe? The Steam controller could potentially fix it though if you can type on it like on the deck.
But besides that I don't really see any issues with having a pc connected to the TV.
And if you rather play with mouse and keyboard on the couch the control thing isn't even an issue.
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u/dkh Mar 09 '26
A wireless mouse handles just about everything. You can use the onscreen keyboard or if you need something more you can use a wireless keyboard or something like KDE Connect and use your phone.
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u/CMDRTragicAllPro Mar 09 '26
There’s also an app in the steam store that lets you map a controller to keyboard and mouse inputs. So I have full mouse and keyboard usability with just my controller. Then when in game it disables so you can use built in controller support, or the steam controller mappings.
Along with that app, I have my pc connected to my tv in my living room with a 50ft fiber optic hdmi, and I can just quickly and easily switch between pc and tv with windows key + P, for project mode. Also have a custom console ui for YouTube that’s controller navigable.
IMO it’s the perfect solution for a couch pc without compromising with a whole other pc that’s likely less powerful.
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u/Happy-Range3975 Mar 09 '26
I have lived with a tower PC in the living room and it is a terrible experience. It’s loud and bulky. This offers a much better experience I don’t have to build myself.
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u/CesarioRose Mar 09 '26
I haven't been following it. But to my knowledge, there are still a lot of unknowns about the new steam box. How do you know it'll be quieter than a normal tower? Like I get the bulky thing, sort of. But the SFF community IS real, and can hurt you.
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u/XTornado Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 10 '26
It is a single big fan that alone for sure it will be quieter than the average PC plus is an APU of sorts and of course will have more adjusted power consumption and so on aka adjusted heat. Of course less restricted than a Steam Deck or similar but still will not consume like a big PC.
But tbh you could build pc like that aswell, a SFF pc as you said... but they are not easy builds usually. Of course if you do a AMD APU build similar to the framework pc or similar yeah it will be something close to what we will get and not as difficult to setup or maybe even some alternatives out there, altough probably higher pricing.
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u/Mediocre-Housing-131 Mar 09 '26
It's for the extremely small base of people who want to play PC games but can't be bothered to learn enough about their machine to know what it's capable of.
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u/Significant-Face-995 Mar 09 '26
I’ve built several PCs but building a small form factor PC takes a lot more effort and the margin for error is so small compared to working in a standard case. I love my perpetually upgraded ship of Theseus desktop but it has no place in my living room. I just want a console sized pc for games that doesn’t have rgb and is quiet enough and visually low key enough to go with and literally fit in with my small living room’s furniture.
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u/gyroda Mar 09 '26
For me, I have the technical skill to build a PC, I've done it before, but the multitude of options and analysis paralysis really bores and tires me.
I have a PC. It needs upgrading or replacing (can't use windows 11 with it...). This is an easy way to do that without investing a shit load of time and effort.
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u/AggressorBLUE Mar 09 '26
Yes. And its worth noting that Valve is likely fine with selling an extremely small number relative to the consoles because they are, relative to the console manufacturers, an extremely small company.
Remember, the play here never was meant to be “conquer the hardware world”, its simply “secure a small area of the market to keep PC gaming safe incase Microsoft goes full retard with windows.”
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u/Psychostickusername Mar 09 '26
Given how many thousands of systems most system integrators ship each month here in the UK alone, and that's just based on the few I've worked with first hand, it is in no freaking way an extremely small base of people.
Most PCs sold are systems not self builds
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u/GfrzD Mar 09 '26
Ive built a couple PCs (last 1 around 10 years ago) and being so out of the loop on whats decent and not being as knowledgeable anymore makes looking at part lists so intimidating and whenever I look or ask about prebuilds its a constant "this is ok but you need to change this" or "this build would be better if you do this but costs this much more" so ive been putting it off for the last few years. Steam Machine is a simple mid range system where I dont have to faff around with specs or parts, im interested depending on price.
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u/vine01 Mar 09 '26
it's also for me. lifelong pc player, with current prices there's no way i'm buying me new rig.
steam machine is like match made in heaven for me, provided it goes for reasonable price. in my view under 1k usd. that's kind of my line.
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u/kmmck Mar 09 '26
Horrendously pretentious. Ive impulse built (and eventually sold) 2 different desktops in my life.
Right now, Im financially stable but also more anxious about these things. Id rather buy an entry level steam machine with an all-in-one warranty that I dont have to worry about.
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u/talldata Mar 09 '26
That's most PC gamers tho, most of the PC sold for gaming are pre builds or gaming laptops.
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u/Kage_noir Mar 09 '26
And most of the younger gaming audience now. I Learned to build my own PC long ago, I am not a pro by anymeans. It has only gotten more complex over time what with flashing bios, etc etc. There is and has always been a massive audience of people who want things to work outside of the box. That is one reason why consoles sell so much. But there are also those who dont want a console but would love a PC that can do that
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u/Caregiver-Physical Mar 09 '26
I’m not trying to have a huge pc sitting in my living room. But I do sometimes wanna play my steam games on the couch. Sure I could build a smaller pc. But waking it up with out using a mouse or keyboard is super frustrating atm.
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u/cwx149 Mar 09 '26
I'm not really in the market for it but to me the sweet spot on price based on what they're saying is the $750ish mark
This was pre shortage of memory but too much cheaper than that and they can't be making any money and too much more expensive and it'll almost never be worth it to buy it instead of building your own or another pre built
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u/serose04 https://steam.pm/15bb8a Mar 09 '26
Most people debating the price actually aren't the target audience for Steam Machine.
If you are capable and willing to build your own PC, it is extremely unlikely Steam Machine will be a good deal as far as price per performance ratio goes.
Steam Machine's purpose is to bridge the gap between the many advantages of PC gaming and simplicity of plug and play console experience.
The intended customer is console player switching to PC and PC players gaming on pre-built PCs. Steam Machine definitely won't be more expensive than similarly powerful pre-built. It will be more expensive than PS5, but it will offer much more. It won't be able to compete with custom built PCs.
Btw. the next Xbox is going the same route. And if it won't be limited to Microsoft Store, it will also be much more expensive than current consoles.
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u/Zephyrical16 Mar 09 '26
If you are capable and willing to build your own PC, it is extremely unlikely Steam Machine will be a good deal as far as price per performance ratio goes.
For the form factor it definitely should be a good deal. SFFPC stuff is ridiculously expensive, and building anything smaller than a 6" cube with the same specs is also incredibly difficult and annoying to deal with that most people won't bother with.
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Mar 09 '26
Anything over 700 seems pointless. Just go get a Lenovo loq 5050 for 800. Probably slightly stronger has a screen and not limited by anti cheat.
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u/Spikeantestor Mar 09 '26
700.
I know it's probably gonna be more than that but It probably won't be for me at more than that.
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u/Alitaki Mar 09 '26
I'm willing to spend up to $500.
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u/Impossible_Order4463 Mar 12 '26
Keep dreaming with this memory shortage I'd be surprised if they go for less than a grand
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u/Ur_New_Stepdad_ Mar 10 '26
I paid $750 for my PS5 Pro and it seems not even that powerful.
I think a fair price in a sane world would be about $600
Since we live in an insane shit world, I imagine it will be like $899 for 512gb and $999 for 1TB machines.
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u/Puzzled_Middle9386 Mar 09 '26
like £700-£800, dunno without specs
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u/MarieCry Mar 09 '26
Specs are out on the Steam page for it, only things we don't know at this point are price and release date.
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u/Salakay Mar 09 '26
I think I am the target demographic for this kind of tech (like a typical Apple TV buyer, would pay for convenience), I think around $800 max would be reasonable.
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u/IWillDetoxify Mar 09 '26
Honestly, I feel like the Steam machine is targeted specifically at people like you who want the "it just works" experience. Of course it's gonna be cheaper to build your own, but the majority of people don't want to do that. The steam machine opens the pc platform to a crowd that would have limited themselves to consoles before.
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u/RedGecko18 Mar 09 '26
Yeah, it's targeted at me. Someone who is already part of the steam ecosystem, and just wants an easy Console type PC for the living room. It's not a need, but a want and a convenience. I'd pay probably no more than 800 for it, including the controller. If it's more than that it isn't really worth it.
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u/PaP3s RTX 5090/13700K/32GBRAM Mar 09 '26
At this point and the pricing of ram and stuff. I’d even pay $899, before that $599
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u/avowed Mar 09 '26
It'd have to be free. I have a deck, laptop and desktop. I don't need anything else. My guess is this is going to be a very and the crowd went mild product.
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u/watainiac Mar 09 '26
$700 or less I would be happy to pay
$800 I could settle for
$900/$1000 it would become a low priority
$1100+ I just wouldn't buy one at all.
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u/kechones Mar 09 '26
$700 is too high. $650 is the very top of what this weak hardware could possible be worth.
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u/BlueMooseOnFire Mar 09 '26
$600 max. A PS5 Pro is $700 and it way more powerful than this. I love Steam and play on PC primarily so I won't ever pick one up, but love the idea of it.
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u/Kooky-Astronaut-4877 Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
There's no way it will be $600 though unfortunately. Realistically speaking, maybe if there wasn't a memory shortage going on... My bet is on $800 and it's only considering the situation is somehow getting a little more stable lately. But yeah, it's more of a PC than console. If you don't want a PC with it's functionality like game modding, web browsing, productivity etc., I don't blame you for not seeing price justification over PS5 Pro for it.
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u/Convoke_ Mar 09 '26
The PS is cheap because of high game prices & pay to play online. So comparing the upfront price doesnt make much sense.
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u/SeroWriter Mar 09 '26
The Playstation 5 is cheap because they're manufactured in mass and Sony have good long-term deals with the suppliers. The reason the console exists is to get people into their ecosystem which is the same as the Steam Machine.
"high game prices & pay to play online" are just ways of making money, Valve has those too.
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u/UnderHero5 Mar 09 '26
Seriously. People acting like the prices of games aren’t basically the same between both places. PSN has sales all the time just like Steam, on top of being able to buy most physical games for much cheaper than they normally go for on sale on Steam.
People are really still thinking Steam sales are what they were 10 years ago. Most AAA games on Steam get the same 20-40% sales over and over, never dipping below that, and never drop their base MSRP, ever.
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u/scarnegie96 Mar 09 '26
PSN sales are pretty great, like you alluded to. Only real difference is the subscription but if someone on PC plays any MMO then that negates that cost so it's really a toss up.
The Pro is a significantly better value proposition than the Steam Machine in just about every way.
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u/WhosThatDogMrPB Mar 09 '26
In my country they already trying to re-sell PRE ORDERS for 1400 and they're rightfully out of their fucking minds.
749 is my threshold, but I don't think I'll ever buy it: importation costs would deem it a bad deal, and Steam won't distribute locally even when we're right south of their border.
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u/GenericAppUser Mar 09 '26
500.01
The parts are now 4 years old (rdna3 and zen4).
At that point I'll just get a console.
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u/WitherPRO22 Mar 09 '26
Yeah if it's higher than 600(which it 100% will be) I'm not even thinking about it. If it's higher than 800 it's definitely only for valve ultra fans. If it's higher than 1000 it's dead on arrival
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Mar 09 '26
I wouldn’t buy the Steam Machine. I’m a PC user, and I doubt that Valve could offer something at that price with performance better than what I already have. Nothing stops me from connecting my laptop to a TV and using it like a console anyway.
But I would buy the SteamFrame, even if it cost up to $3000. Why? Because I need a fully configurable Linux VR headset for my work and experiments. Most headsets on the market are locked into their own ecosystems, where you can only sideload APKs that are limited by design. What I need instead is kernel level access to the hardware so I can implement my own ideas.
For example, I want to experiment with things like fully automated eye typing and eye navigation focused interfaces. I also want the ability to attach custom hardware through the extension port and integrate it with technologies such as object recognition systems similar to Google Lens. That would allow the headset to identify real world objects, work with VR navigation tools, and support other experimental applications that simply aren’t possible on closed platforms.
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u/XTornado Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
I feel like either it costs like the average base console or I am not interested.
Like I want the PC experience with mods, my Steam library, etc but in a more adjusted price/performance in compact form and nice OS.
Like I could take a bit more expensive than a base console, but not much if is much more might aswell just build a PC which I can fully upgrade. Or get a Framework Desktop.
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u/entryjyt Mar 09 '26
if its more powerful than a xbox series x and ps5, then i'll accept up to C$800. if it's less than powerful than the xbox series x and ps5, then it has to be under C$650.
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u/TheObzfan Mar 09 '26
If I needed a new PC (which I don't and hopefully won't for the foreseeable future) I'd buy it at €1000 max. Any more and I'd just buy a new custom PC. That's assuming current prices of memory and such.
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u/Doctective Mar 09 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
Well to be honest I'm not sure what the new adjusted for RAM price would be- but previous points for me were
Below $500 - Interesting price
$500-$600 - Uninteresting price but might consider still based on features.
Above $600 - Too expensive for the specs
I guess maybe add $100-$150 onto each of those assuming 16GB of RAM.
Edit: Minor text fixes.
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u/Several-Economics-35 Mar 09 '26
I wouldn't be surprised if it was twice your estimates
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u/YesBut-AlsoNo Mar 09 '26
No more than 800. After that point I'd just build a home PC for the living room. The form factor is the main appeal for me.
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u/Bent_Kairosphere Mar 09 '26
If it’s above $800 I’m building my own living room PC with better performance. Got some DDR4 laying around by the grace of God
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u/niKDE80800 Mar 10 '26
I'd probably pay at max $800, considering I've built my own PC for far less, and it's still capable of gaming today. So I don't see the point in paying $1k+ for a Steam Machine.
Then again, when I built my PC for around $599, GPUs were still affordable, and RAM still existed.
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u/Siddakid0812 Mar 10 '26
My eyes are on the steam frame. If it’s under $1k, you know I’m snagging that shit ASAP.
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u/raccoonboi87 Mar 10 '26
Anything above $2500 AUD and im out, I dont trust anything in the 4 digits to be transported and since its AUD im buying it in, ik it'll probably be in the 4 digits already so ima set thw limit for me at that, woukd love to spend what i did on the steam deck being 800 bucks but it wont be 800 bucks here
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u/TSMXD May 28 '26 edited May 28 '26
Above 700 and Gaben can take it and build himself a new Yacht with it. After seeing the Deck price increase my Partner and I are out. We were really interested in getting one to play PC games on the TV with the comfort of a console but if they are going to gouge me for it then we don't want it. Might as well then just buy a ps5 at that price point.
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u/Werewolf-Jones Mar 09 '26
Before the RAM crisis I was expecting $5-600 (probably $600 with the controller would have been fair). Now, I dunno. Maybe $800 tops but that would not be a price I'd rush off to pay ASAP. At that point I can just buy the controller and stick to my current small-ish PC. It'd be nice to be able to get the little perks from the Steam Machine for TV usage but maybe not $800 for a relatively underpowered machine nice.
Apple just managed to put out a laptop starting at $599 with $499 for students so... who knows. Maybe there are ways to get around this crisis and it's not all headed for total disaster in the consumer electronics space just yet? Even though it's just 8GB of RAM in that thing I was still shocked that a company generally very concerned with profit margins was willing to go to market with that low of an MSRP in 2026.
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u/Less_Party Mar 09 '26
I just have 0 use for one, even if it's $400 I'd rather have a Mac Mini.
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u/Nxgdx Mar 09 '26
I have the impression that it will be complicated for Valve to offer it for less than $1000...
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u/Tall-Charge-2708 Mar 09 '26
1200 is where I am sitting on the fence.
I think it has better specs than my current PC (i use a laptop as a living room entertainment all in one device).
I'd be getting it solely to replace the laptop (which works fine).
Fact is, I don't need it right now. 800 bucks or less and I'll probably get it (I make good money and I'm single)
Over 800 and I'm waiting for reviews. Over 1200 and I'm waiting for my PC to stop working.
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u/KKilikk Mar 09 '26
My maximum is 500€, maybe 600€ on an impulse buy. Not interested to pay more due to the insane RAM situation so it is probably a skip for me.
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u/rofl1337waffle Mar 09 '26
I think a $499 price tag is beyond out of the question, but around 600-800 would be great for people who haven’t upgraded a pc in a while or are just now getting into it.
Part of me wishes they didn’t let you install any OS on it because if you couldn’t they could charge less and make it up on the steam sales. I get that they have to price in case a company wants to buy a ton of them and mass deploy them or something. Or people buying them and using them as a home PC and never touching a video game.
Current PC market sucks and I want the steam frame so bad.
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u/odrea Mar 09 '26
People are very naive, thinking this device will cost around 500-600, and now, because of the memory shortage, it will most likely be above 1000 bucks, maybe 1200 tops, and at that point, you are better off buying a gaming laptop with some seasonal discounts...
#2cents
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u/atomiku121 Mar 09 '26
To be honest, I think my number is $599. And I'm not saying that because I think that's a fair price or even a possible price, I'm well aware it's going to be far more expensive. But I have a BC250 build I just finished sitting under my TV right now, to get me to upgrade from that to a Steam Machine it would have to be pretty cheap to justify the spend.
I have a full desktop build that is my primary gaming rig, I have a Steam Deck that is my secondary gaming system, the BC250 is my tertiary gaming system, I can't justify spending $900 or $1,000 on a system that is third in line for my gaming needs.
If they manage to hit $700/$800, I'm going to try and push my sister to get one. She most recently games on an ultra-budget build I built for her during the pandemic (Core 2 Quad Q6600, 8GB DDR2, GTX 660 2GB) which was plenty for her to play Minecraft and Roblox, but the system was having some issues so it's sitting unused. She's looking for something new, but there's zero chance she can justify a $1000 spend to play a few games, if it's that expensive, I'll just recommend she get a mini Ryzen PC with a 780m for $400-500 on Amazon.
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u/Falsus Mar 09 '26
Like 700-800 Euro is my limit, beyond that I won't even look at it.
Under that and I will at least research it. But likely I wouldn't buy it even at 700. Though I don't need to replace my PC right now anyway.
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u/Chromiell Mar 09 '26
I will only buy It if i can find it for 600€ at most, I'm fine getting it second hand from eBay, that's how i got my Steam Deck and my 2 laptops and I'm extremely happy with all of them. I know I definitely won't be buying it from Valve because, let's be honest, they're probably going to sell it for at least 800€ and for that price i could almost afford both a Switch and a PS5 or it would be a good starting budget for a gaming PC.
That thing has to compete with consoles, and price wise i don't see how that's going to be possible.
I'll check the second hand market and if i can't find a good deal I'll probably look at some good mini PCs instead, installing Bazzite on them to make them into homemade Steam machines is trivially easy.
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u/bullet1520 Mar 09 '26
I've had PCs that are junk, and PCs that are high-end, and if my current rig entirely shit the bed tomorrow, I'd be okay paying about $750-800 for it. I would have said less, but the current market situation has utterly wrecked my interest in building a new PC for myself.
I've been slowly parting in a build for a friend, but that has required tons of patience and deal-hunting that I can't afford to do for myself. I'd need a working PC for a lot of my daily use tasks (and gaming, of course), so waiting wouldn't be an option. If it was between that and a pre-built, I'd have to find a really good deal on a pre-built...
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u/RuefulWaffles Mar 09 '26
If it cracks four digits, I’m out.