In the run-up to the Steam Machine launch, which arrived relatively unexpectedly yesterday, we’ve been running a poll on PC Guide to gauge gamers’ interest in a ‘bare bones’ model. This refers to a variant of the mini PC that ships without RAM and/or an SSD, leaving it to the customer to source them. Such a model would drastically reduce the price tag in today’s market.

We’ve previously suggested that Valve should launch a bare bones model, especially after leakers pointed towards the possibility soon after the Machine was originally announced. According to our poll at the time of writing, less than a third (29%) of respondents say they’d actually buy a full bare bones model, though 10% of voters would opt for an SSD-less variant.

Steam Machine pricing isn’t very pretty

No official bare bones model has been announced, and for reference, the official Steam Machine pricing looks like this:

• 512GB: $1,049 USD / 1,509 CAD / 1,039 EUR / 879 GBP / 1,609 AUD / 4,389 PLN
• 512GB & Steam Controller: $1,128 USD / 1,628 CAD / 1,108 EUR / 938 GBP / 1,728 AUD / 4,698 PLN
• 2TB: $1,349 USD / 1,919 CAD / 1,359 EUR / 1,149 GBP / 2,109 AUD / 5,739 PLN
• 2TB & Steam Controller: $1,428 USD / 2,038 CAD / 1,428 EUR / 1,208 GBP / 2,228 AUD / 6,048 PLN

The situation surrounding memory and storage has only worsened throughout the year, and has officially been blamed as the reason for release date delays, and has almost certainly hiked up the price compared to Valve’s initial plans. The same goes for the upcoming Steam Frame VR headset. Based on that, anyone with spare compatible RAM or an SSD lying around would probably love a much cheaper model that forgoes these parts.

RAM and SSD in the Steam Machine are easily swappable and upgradable, and the fact that mini PC manufacturers commonly offer ‘bare bones’ versions may have made you think Valve was going a similar route. According to our poll, 58% of people say they “want the Steam Machine to be complete,” but we’d argue there’s still a market for a RAM-less and/or SSD-less variant.

We’ve been running this poll for a couple of weeks or so, and an interesting trend is that we’ve noticed an uptick in votes for a bare bones version following the price reveal yesterday, particularly the SSD-less option. We’ll keep the poll up and running in case you still want to have your say, and it will be interesting to see how this develops moving forward.

Customers can now sign up for the Steam Machine’s reservation program. Whether you’re looking to pick up the Steam Machine or have been put off by the four-figure price tag, we can at least recommend that you check out dbrand’s Companion Cube and Portal-themed Steam Controller bundle that went live yesterday. Just because we think it’s pretty neat.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.