June 30, 2026, 6:04 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Valve is bringing a compact gaming PC into the living room with the Steam Machine. The device runs on SteamOS and aims to make accessing your Steam library as easy as possible. Its operation is more akin to a console than a traditional Windows PC. However, the price is sparking discussions, as the hardware costs significantly more than many potential buyers apparently expected.
Compact Gaming PC with SteamOS
The Steam Machine is designed as a small black cube, requiring little space next to a TV or soundbar. Inside, a specially adapted AMD platform with six processing cores is at work. It also includes 16 gigabytes of DDR5 RAM and a Radeon graphics unit based on the RDNA-3 architecture with 8 gigabytes of VRAM.
Valve envisions the system primarily for games in Full HD and WQHD. Those who want to use higher resolutions will mainly achieve this through upscaling technologies. The Steam Machine features several connectivity options, including HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C, multiple USB-A ports, as well as Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth. This keeps the device closer to a PC in many areas than a traditional gaming console.
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Starting Price Already Over 1,000 Euros
For many potential buyers, the price is likely to be a decisive factor. The version with a 512-gigabyte SSD costs 1,039 euros. Together with the new Steam Controller, the price rises to 1,108 euros.
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The price is even higher for the model with a 2-terabyte SSD. This version costs 1,359 euros. Those who also purchase the Steam Controller will pay a total of 1,428 euros. This places the Steam Machine well above the price level of traditional consoles. In the same price range, buyers can also find high-performance gaming PCs or custom-configurable systems.
Good Features Meet High Costs
With SteamOS, Valve offers a Linux-based operating system that is directly tailored to the hardware. The features also meet the requirements of a modern living room PC.
Whether the concept can establish itself in the market will largely depend on the price. For console gamers, the investment is relatively high. At the same time, PC users have numerous alternatives with greater flexibility or more power available. Therefore, Valve will first need to convince many potential buyers of its concept. Whether enough buyers are willing to spend more than 1,000 euros on the Steam Machine remains to be seen.