It’s probably best not to expect Valve to price the Steam Machine at the same level as the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.

Price will be the critical factor in determining the success of the Steam Machine. Those who expected the upcoming hardware to be similarly priced to consoles will likely be disappointed. In the latest episode of the Linus Tech Tips WAN Show podcast, Linus discussed the system’s as-yet-unannounced price. He doesn’t know the exact figure, but based on the reaction of Valve employees who recently presented the device to the press and developers at a press event, it’s clear that the system won’t be in the 500 dollar price range of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

“When I said I’m disappointed it isn’t going to follow a console pricing model where the manufacturer takes 30% of every game sold over the lifespan of the device, they asked what I meant by ‘console price,’ and I said 500 dollars. Nobody said anything, but the energy in the room wasn’t great,” Linus said during the podcast.

Although Valve claims that the Steam Machine will be priced similarly to PCs with comparable specifications, it’s unreasonable to expect a console-shaped gaming machine to cost the same as a console. Therefore, the events reported by Linus at Valve’s headquarters should come as no surprise, especially given the significant increase in RAM prices, which affects a number of hardware components.

Valve believes that a larger selection of games will ensure the Steam Machine‘s success over its predecessor, the Steam Deck, and provide a better gaming experience than 70% of current gaming machines. However, the price must still be right for the system to be successful. While it is true that delivering a 4K@60 FPS gaming experience can be difficult, even with AMD FSR, those who want a console-like gaming experience will not pay attention to the system if it is too expensive, especially given the current situation of constantly rising costs of living worldwide.

Source: WCCFTech