Indeed, Reports Indicate a Pricey Valve Steam Machine
With Valve's marketing of the new Steam Machine device, lots of curiosity is now attached to what the final price will be. A famous technology blogger suggests that potential buyers shouldn't expect the gadget to be sold at a price that is closer to that of current-gen consoles, while for others the final cost is expected to be quite unpleasant.
An Unpleasant Chat with Valve
The tech blogger Linus Tech Tips made this conversation with Valve employees look as if it suggested that the price point was high. After expressing disappointment that there was no console price for the Steam Machine, he was told to explain what he meant.
I said, "500 dollars." No one said a thing. But the atmosphere in the room wasn't too good.
Linus Tech Tips
Cost Analysis and Market Position
Moore's Law is Dead makes an estimate of the Steam Machine's component cost at $428. It will be safe to say that Valve will not be selling the hardware sub-cost or at a loss. This poses a challenging situation for Valve where apparently, the device does not exceed the base PlayStation 5's specifications, which costs $500.
Valve's Target Market
Valve was already saying earlier that they would encroach into the space of tiny pre-built PCs. Comparably engineered models tend to cost around $700 to $900. While they could not officially present how much it would cost, it can be assumed that the company would have been following such online statements as this while concluding the price tag for the Steam Machine.
