A Czech retailer has seemingly leaked the cost of the Steam Machine by listing it on its website and hiding the price within the source code, and you may not be happy about it. There is as much hype surrounding the upcoming Steam PC/console hybrid from Valve as there are uncertainties and worries regarding its potential price tag. This is because of a few reasons:
- Popular YouTuber and tech expert Linus from Linus Tech Tips commented on the Steam Machine's price, stating it will likely sell for at least $699 based on its $600 components.
- Since the hardware is a hybrid between PC and console, it has some more expensive parts that can make it quite pricey to buy, especially from third-party sellers if or when Steam's supplies run out.
- There is an ongoing supply shortage of RAM, which is used in the construction of PCs, phones, and consoles, potentially affecting the final price of the Steam Machine as well as the Switch 2.
Since Valve has yet to announce the release date of the Steam Machine as well as its intended price tag, things are very much in the air now. Except that a Czech retailer, Smarty, which is also an authorized seller of Valve products in the Czech Republic, may have leaked the intended price of the new console.
Valve Confirms The Steam Machine Won't Have a Subsidized Price
A Valve engineer confirms the rumors that the Steam Machine will not have a subsidized MSRP and explains why this is the case.
Say Hello to The Steam Machine's $1,000 Price Tag
If the retailer has correct information about the console, then it will come in two versions: a 512 GB Steam Machine and one that packs 2 TB of storage. Both are listed on the website with their presumed price hidden in the source code. For the 512 GB version, the alleged price is 19,826 CZK, which is basically $950 ($949.76 based on current exchange rates). The 2 TB version is allegedly 22,305 CZK, which translates into $1,068.51. These Steam Machine prices are reportedly pre-tax, and Smarty typically imposes a 17% margin, meaning that the actual prices may be as follows:
- Around $800 for the 512 GB Steam Machine
- Around $900 for the 2 TB Steam Machine
The exact values would be $810.90 for the former and $913.25 for the latter, which is calculated by dividing the original number by 1,17 to represent Smarty's 17% margin.
If this is correct, between potential price changes due to the RAM shortage crisis, potential fluctuations in the exchange rate, and last-minute internal changes at Valve, it's quite likely that the 2 TB version of the Steam Machine will be $1,000 or more, if not the tactical $999 to make it seem less expensive. Whether this is a worthwhile price for you to buy Valve's new hardware is entirely up to you, but there have been various posts online stating that the console wouldn't be a great purchase for more than $800 due to its specifications.
Is the Steam Machine Worth Buying at $1,000?
The counterargument to pre-ordering a Steam Machine is that one could very well get themselves a gaming PC at that point, but between expensive GPUs for good performance and the increased prices of RAM units, that may end up costing much more. At the same time, the Steam Machine's several accessories will likely not be included in the base price if the Steam Deck is any indication.
It's worth noting that, despite Smarty's self-disclosed affiliation with Valve, there is a chance that the price may be inflated compared to the actual MSRP of the Steam store page.
However, even if the leaked price is true, Valve's console might as well end up being one of the best options around for those who don't have a fully equipped gaming PC or like the idea of Steam games on console, if not both. This is precisely because of the possible prices of gaming PCs and even other consoles moving forward, making the Steam Machine a good, perfectly average option between Xbox/PlayStation/Nintendo and high-end computers.
Source: smarty.cz