Valve has officially announced the launch date and pricing of its Steam Machine gaming PC.
The 512GB version is priced at $1,049, while the 2TB model costs $1,349. Notably, these prices do not include a controller. For those interested in Valve’s Steam Controller, a bundle option is available for $1,128 for the 512GB model and $1,428 for the 2TB version. Alternatively, users have the option to utilize their existing controllers with the Steam Machine. Additionally, each purchase includes two extra faceplates in red fabric and solid walnut.
For availability, interested buyers can sign up on the Steam store page until June 25th at 10:00 AM Pacific Time. After this period, a random selection will determine purchasers. Those selected will receive notifications to place their orders starting June 29th, with a 72-hour window to complete their purchase; otherwise, the opportunity will be passed to the next person on the waitlist. A valid Steam account with a purchase made before April 27, 2026, is required.
The Steam Machine features a powerful 6-core, 12-thread AMD Zen 4 CPU with a clock speed of up to 4.8GHz, alongside an AMD RDNA3 GPU that operates at up to 2.45GHz with 28 compute units. It includes 16GB of DDR5 system memory, configured as a single 16GB 5600 SO-DIMM unit, but users can easily expand this in the future as there are two slots available. The GPU also comes equipped with 8GB of GDDR6 memory and an integrated power supply unit.
Storage options include 512GB or 2TB configurations, both of which use standard M.2 drives for future upgrades. Additionally, there’s a microSD card slot for further storage expansion, allowing users to interchange cards between their Steam Machine and Steam Deck.
On the software side, the device comes pre-installed with Valve’s SteamOS 3, which is also available for installation on other devices.
The introduction of the Steam Machine was announced back in November, but its launch faced delays due to ongoing supply challenges in the memory market. Although Valve never disclosed the initial price, the circumstances surrounding the release hinted at a significant price increase.
Recently, Valve imposed a substantial 44% price increase on the Steam Deck, elevating the cost of the 1TB model to $949, a stark contrast to the Steam Machine's pricing. While the Steam Machine’s price is undeniably high, it appears more justifiable in comparison.
However, it still surpasses the cost of the $900 PlayStation 5 Pro and approaches the $600 standard PlayStation 5, even though performance may align more closely with the latter. While the Steam Machine operates as a Linux PC, offering increased flexibility, those solely interested in a PC gaming experience might find better value in building a custom system that could potentially be more powerful and cost-effective, albeit larger.
