❚ We may earn commission from links on this page. Our editorial is always independent (learn more).

How much does the Steam Machine cost? Price and why it's so expensive

Could the hype train run out of steam if it costs too much?

The Steam machine console, with a pretend price sticker reading "£999.99?!" on its front, with Valve CEO Gabe Newell on the right with comical dollar signs in his eyes

Valve, Getty Images, Radio Times

Published: Tuesday, 23 June 2026 at 12:42 pm

Stay ahead of the game! Sign up for our FREE gaming newsletter

The Steam Machine is nearly here, and that means we finally know how much it costs.

Ad

With the price of components skyrocketing over the last couple of years thanks to the endless hunger of AI, speculation on the price of the Steam Machine has been rampant, with predictions ranging from as low as £500 to more than £1000.

It's hard not to see why players are so excited for it; a Steam Deck you can hook up to your TV? While we wait for the Steam Deck 2, that seems like a pretty great proposition.

With the Steam Controller now out, we're just waiting on the Steam Frame to complete the holy trinity of Valve's new hardware.

So, for everything you need to know on how much the Steam Machine costs, and why it's so expensive, let's dive in.

How much does the Steam Machine cost? Price for all models explained

A close-up of the power button on the Steam Machine.

A close-up of the power button on the Steam Machine. Valve

There are two different models of the Steam Machine available, both of which can be purchased either with or without the Steam Controller.

Here's a breakdown of all the Steam Machine prices:

This is roughly the price of a cheap-to-mid-range prebuilt PC in the current market, though one could potentially build themselves a more powerful PC comparative price by buying parts separately.

Looking at pre-built PC suppliers such as AWD-IT, a similarly specced PC, such as the Mars, comes in at £719.99 on sale.

The Mars features an AMD Radeon 7600 8GB GPU, which is slightly more powerful than the “semi-custom” AMD RDNA3 GPU found in the Steam Machine, and an AMD Ryzen 5500 6-core CPU, which is a generation older than the Zen 4-based 6-core CPU of Valve’s home console, and as such, is slower.

Performance-wise, the Steam Machine will probably be faster overall, given the improved CPU, but not by a huge margin.

The Steam Machine might be more performant with similar hardware; however, as testing by multiple vendors has shown some games running better under Linux, but one could just put Linux on the AWD-IT PC and call it a day as well.

Why is the Steam Machine so expensive?

We all know the Steam Machine is expensive. Even Valve knows it, which is why they have provided a comment about it, and unsurprisingly, it boils down to AI:

"Steam Machine, like our other hardware products, is made up of many components that we source from manufacturers around the world. The price at which we sell our hardware is a direct result of the cost of these components. We felt like we had a good understanding of how those costs might change over time when we first started sourcing them for Steam Machine back in 2023. That understanding was born from the many years of data we all have about the evolution of PC hardware prices – primarily, that it tends to get cheaper over time as new technology arrives.

"Over the past year or so, that has changed quickly and significantly, most visibly for RAM and storage components. There are a variety of reasons, all of which are affecting hardware products everywhere. The overall effect is that our original goal for the price of Steam Machine is no longer viable. So the prices we're sharing today reflect the state of the world for manufacturing; or, more accurately, it reflects the price of the components as we've secured them over the past 6 months."

For those unaware, as the resources needed for AI large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT increaase, they require more memory and more processing power, causing a spike in demand for components such as RAM, CPUs and GPUs, result in much lower supply and much higher prices.

For similar reasons, Valve has also confirmed that there is limited supply of Steam Machine units, which is why a waiting list system has been instituted.

Ad

Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Cole Luke wears a black T-shirt and is looking at the camera, smiling. There is a shelving unit in the background

Cole LukeFreelance Writer

Cole Luke is a freelance journalist and video producer who contributes to Radio Times Gaming. He also has bylines for Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, Network N and more.

Ad

Ad

Get the Christmas double issue

Too much to watch at Christmas? Let Radio Times do the choosing to find something the whole family will enjoy.

Subscribe by 3 Dec

Loading...

Ad

Loading...