Valve’s Steam Machine May Not Be As Affordable As a PS5

We are unaware of the cost of Valve’s latest Steam Machine, which complicates the ability to gauge its competitiveness against the PS5.

However, a circulating report from Linus Tech Tips indicates that the new console-like apparatus might not be directly competing with Sony’s system in terms of price.

As detailed in a narrative shared by Dexerto, the YouTuber remarked on the poor “atmosphere” during a recent demonstration when he hinted at the forthcoming device having a “console price”.

“They inquired what I implied by console price, and I stated $500,” he remarked on the WAN Show post his encounter with Valve. “No one responded, but the atmosphere in the room wasn’t positive.”

This is certainly not a verification of anything, of course: sentiments are not announcements, and Valve’s team might merely be maintaining a neutral expression.

Nevertheless, given that the Steam Machine is less powerful than the PS5, its overall value proposition would need to be reconsidered if it ends up being priced higher than Sony’s console.

Of course, there remain benefits to the device, such as its open architecture and access to Steam’s vast library – but as Linus Tech Tips himself points out, we anticipate it’ll be challenging to market if it is priced over $600.

To be fair, Valve is likely not aiming for the general market with this offering anyway, so it may not be significant in the broader context. However, it will eventually need to set a price for the hardware, so it will be intriguing to observe how much it ends up costing.