It seemed pretty obvious in the days and weeks following the Steam Machine announcement that the new console-like mini-PC is the most popular of Valve’s three new hardware reveals. We’re sure it will be even more talked about if Half-Life 3 launches alongside it (that’s what recent rumors say, at least). In any case, before we get to HL3, the main thing on everyone’s mind regarding the machine is its price. Valve is yet to tell us – all we do know is that it will be priced like a PC, not a console.

There’s been plenty of discussion online about the price tag, so we decided to put it to our readers to figure out how much the average gamer is willing to pay for the device. Fewer than 10% opt for the cheapest option, less than $400, and the same can be said for the most expensive option, more than $800. The general consensous (at the time of writing) is somewhere in the middle.

How much should the Steam Machine cost?

We’ll keep this poll going if you still want to have your say, but after nearly 700 votes, the most popular choice is $600-699, with just under 30% of the vote. In total, 70% of people to wish pay within the region of five-hundred to seven-hundred dollars. Since Valve won’t subsidize the Steam Machine and sell it at a loss, plus the massive RAM price hikes lately, gamers could end up paying more than they expected; one leaker suggests “bare bones” models without memory or storage will be sold to save costs.

No-one seems to know how much it costs, and we may have to wait until the new year to find out. For comparison, the PS5 and PS5 Pro currently cost $449 and $649, respectively, thanks to some limited-time deals currently ongoing. The Steam Machine is set to be release in “early 2026” around the same time as the new Steam Frame VR headset and Steam Controller.

Valve says the Steam Machine has “over six time the horsepower of Steam Deck,” so it promises to offer solid performance across a wide range of games on a gaming-optimized operating system, SteamOS. This includes “4K gaming at 60 FPS” with some help from AMD’s FSR tech. SteamOS is the very same OS that runs on the Steam Deck – alternatives such as Bazzite have been common among Linux gamers while we wait for more first-party hardware.

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.