After weeks of rumors and speculation, Linus Tech Tips has now revealed what he thinks the Steam Machine price will be. If the Tech YouTuber’s estimates are right, players could be paying a lot more for the valve console than a PS5.
Linus Tech Tips Thinks Steam Machine Price Will Be $700
If you are tired of hearing about speculation surrounding the Steam Machine price, I get it. Ever since the Valve console was announced in October, it’s been a whirlwind of information with little answers. However, this latest update from Linus Tech Tips is interesting for a few reasons. For starters, the tech reviewer was the first one to reveal that the Steam Machine would be priced as a PC and not a console.
Valve would eventually come out weeks later and confirm that what Linus Tech Tips had said was accurate. Secondly, the YouTuber has now broken down the known specs of the device and thinks he has a decent price estimate. According to his November 27 video, Linus Tech Tips believes the Steam Machine price could be $699 based on its hardware components and features. In the upload, the YouTuber went out and bought the exact parts in the Valve console to get his pricing window.
“I think the Steam Machine will be $699 if there are no major changes in the market. It’s probably above Valve’s cost today. And there will be some opportunity for them to improve their margins over the several-year lifespan of their device. If we factor in the dedicated antenna for up to four wireless Steam Controllers, not to mention the controller itself, the Steam Machine presents a compelling value at that price without completely undercutting the market.”
Steam Machine Is a PC — Not a Console
Another argument Linus Tech Tips makes is that the Steam Machine is not a console. As he points out, it’s a fully functioning PC that can do a lot more than home gaming consoles, purely on the software side alone.
“A big part of the reason I want this to be affordable so bad is because it is a PC. With all the benefits of a PC. For example, no-cost online play for most games. The ability to take advantage of Steam Sales. And most importantly, the ability to use it for all kinds of non-gaming applications.”
Not Everyone Agrees on the Steam Machine Price
Interestingly, Linus Tech Tips’ Steam Machine price breakdown varies a bit from Moore’s Law Is Dead. In his spec analysis, the tech expert said that Valve could “easily” charge $425 to $500 and still make a profit. Granted, Moore’s Law Is Dead also made this prediction before the recent worldwide RAM shortage crisis. The unexpected shift in the market has driven the price of memory up by hundreds of dollars.
In his latest video, Moore’s Law Is Dead explained that if Valve had bought up a lot of RAM before the market boom, they would be fine. If they hadn’t, then we could see a whole different price range emerge in the coming months. In a November 25 podcast episode, Moore’s Law Is Dead also cautioned people from reading too much into Valve’s “it’s priced like a console” statement. “I don’t know if we can really read into what Valve said. Because a console can cost from $300 to as high as $800.”
So What Will the Steam Machine Cost?
At this point, we are no closer to figuring out what the Steam Machine price actually is. Based on the latest analysis, it could range anywhere from $500 to $800 depending on:
- How much profit Valve wants per unit.
- Whether Valve pre-bought RAM before the price surge.
- Changes in the PC hardware market.
- Whether Valve plans to subsidize the device like a console (so far they’ve said they won’t subsidizes it).
However, I think one thing Linus Tech Tips has said that rings true is that Valve does not view Steam Machine as a console. They are trying to compete in the entry-level PC market. Not to mention, the Steam Machine will come with the Steam Controller.
So tech-wise, they might value this thing above what its technical specs are. At this point though, we will just have to wait until Valve officially confirms pricing sometime in early 2026. Regardless, if you are interested, I would start saving your Christmas money now.
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