There’s one thing consumers are waiting to learn about Valve’s upcoming Steam Machine mini PC – how much it costs. The exact price remains a mystery, but there has been plenty of speculation online, and all we know is that it will cost “in the price window of a PC with similar parts”. This was revealed in a Friends Per Second podcast, along with the fact that it won’t be ‘subsidized’ (sold at a loss), which is something we tend to see from console manufacturers.

Given the ridiculous price of DDR5 RAM these days amid shortages, there are also worries about how long Valve can realistically continue to sell the Steam Machine at an affordable price, assuming the company stockpiled memory before costs skyrocketed. One prolific hardware leaker also suggests that Valve may be forced to release a lightweight model which strips out the RAM and storage; SSD prices have also suffered lately, albeit to a lesser extent.

Steam Machine cost and availability speculation

Well-known leaker Moore’s Law Is Dead has recently discussed Steam Machine pricing and speculates a few things about its upcoming launch. Valve says the cubed ‘consoles’ will be shipping in early 2026, but the YouTuber shares concerns of its costs and availability over an extended period of time.

“When it comes to pricing, either Valve bought up a large stockpile of DDR5 a couple of months ago, or they didn’t. If they did, then they will have enough to make an aggressively-priced console-like launch early next year. It will probably then sell out and they will probably sell a bare bones edition of that console… It’s pretty obvious I think they’re going to have to sell a version of the Steam Machine that doesn’t come with an SSD or RAM for most of its early life.”

Tom / Moore’s Law Is Dead

MLID suggests that Valve will have to sell a version of the Steam Machine that doesn’t come with any RAM or an SSD, and leave those for the consumers to install. These are two components which have already been confirmed to be user-replaceable. The leaker goes on to say that Valve will have “other options with RAM and SSDs” that they can resupply every now and then and “anchor the price,” assuming it’s even possible to get a sufficient amount of stock. Memory has faced widespread shortages due to heavy demand from AI data centers; popular RAM brand Crucial was recently axed so its owners, Micron, can focus on AI.

Steam’s recent product announcements include three unique pieces of hardware, but it’s the Steam Machine that everyone’s talking about most. That’s not to discount the new Steam Controller and Valve’s new VR headset, the Steam Frame, but the cube-shaped mini-PC seems to have generated the most hype. The machine is equipped with 16GB of DDR5 storage, an 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM for its integrated RDNA 3 graphics.

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.