Two weeks after announcing the second generation of Steam Machines, Valve has addressed concerns about the undisclosed price, bringing it more in line with the current PC market than the cost of the console.
The discussion took place in Podcast “Friends in a Second”. Valve developers Pierre-Loup Griffet and Lawrence Young didn't reveal a specific price, but did provide some insight into what the industry can expect.
“I think if you build a PC from parts and get essentially the same level of performance, that's the overall price window we're aiming for,” Griffeis said. “Ideally we'd be quite competitive and get a pretty good deal, but we're working on that now.”
According to official Steam pageThe said “performance level” is based on “AMD's semi-custom desktop CPU and GPU,” which aims to deliver 60fps at 4K resolution with FSR upscaling.
The developers said external factors meant it was now “difficult” to decide on a specific price. RAM capacity, for example, has been growing steadily in recent months, with industry insiders pointing to demand from AI data centers as the main reason (via Edge). According to PC gamerprices for some models have increased by 150 percent or more compared to the cost of RAM last summer.
When asked whether the Steam Machine would be a subsidized device, meaning Valve would price its hardware at a loss to gain market share or category, Griffeis reiterated that the prices are “more in line with what can be expected in the current PC market.”
Meanwhile, game consoles continue to rise in price
As Valve continues to hide the exact price of its upcoming hardware, the standard cost of the console is also changing over time. Throughout 2025, every major console manufacturer has increased console prices, and this surge has also affected accessories, games, and subscription plans.
First, Sony raised the price of the PlayStation 5 Europe, Australia, New Zealand, EMEA and UK. back in April. This eventually impacted the US in August, with the price of each console increasing by $50 due to “difficult economic situationThe standard PlayStation 5 now costs $549.99, the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition costs $499.99, and the PlayStation 5 Pro costs $749.00.
The Nintendo Switch 2 then remained at its starting price of $449.99, but the company adjusted Nintendo Switch prices in August, which will affect base, OLED and Lite models. According to Nintendo, this also affected a number of Switch 2 accessories. The changes were made to reflect changing “market conditions.”
Finally, Xbox is constantly raising prices on almost all fronts. In May the company prices for consoles and controllers have increased in all eligible markets worldwide, while simultaneously announcing that select first-party games will begin selling at $80; the latter decision was then reversed by the company before launch The Outer Worlds 2.
But the matter did not end there. In September, “macroeconomic conditions” lagged behind second price increase for the console. The Xbox Series S now costs $400 and the standard Xbox Series X costs $650, down from their launch prices of $300 and $500 respectively.
Last month, Microsoft announced an overhaul of its Xbox Game Pass subscription service along with 50% increase for his Ultimate level. Moreover, Xbox Development Kits the cost reportedly increased 33 percent from $1,500 to $2,000.
