A Czech retailer appears to have leaked its costs The Steam Machine By listing it on its website and hiding the price inside the source code, and you might not be happy about it. There is a lot of hype surrounding the upcoming Steam PC/console hybrid from Valve as there are uncertainties and concerns regarding its potential price tag. This is due to a few reasons:
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Popular YouTuber and tech expert Linus of Linus Tech Tips commented on the price of the Steam Machine, saying it could sell for at least $699 based on its $600 components.
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Since the hardware is a hybrid between a PC and a console, it has some expensive parts that can make it more expensive to buy, especially from third-party sellers if or when Steam runs out of supplies.
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There is a constant supply shortage of RAM, which is used in the construction of PCs, phones and consoles, which will potentially affect the final price of the Steam Machine and the Switch 2.
While Valve hasn't announced Steam Machine's release date and its intended price tag, things are very much up in the air right now. Apart from that Czech retailer, Smarty, which is also the official seller of Valve products in the Czech Republic, may have leaked the desired price of the new console.
Say hello to the Steam Machine's $1,000 price tag
If the retailer has accurate information about the console, it will come in two versions: a 512 GB Steam Machine and one that packs 2 TB of storage. Both are listed on the website with their approximate price hidden in the source code. For the 512 GB version, the reported price is 19,826 CZK, which is basically $950 ($949.76 based on current exchange rates). The 2 TB version is reportedly 22,305 CZK, which translates to $1,068.51. These Steam Machine prices are reportedly pre-tax, and Smarty typically charges a 17% margin, meaning actual prices could be as follows:
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About $800 for a 512 GB Steam Machine
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About $900 for a 2 TB Steam Machine
The correct values would be $810.90 for the former and $913.25 for the latter, calculated by dividing the original number by 1.17 to represent Smarty's 17% margin.
If this is true, between possible price changes due to the RAM shortage crisis, possible exchange rate fluctuations, and last-minute internal changes at Valve, the 2 TB version of the Steam Machine is likely to cost $1,000 or more, if not a strategic $999 to make it less expensive. Whether or not it's worth buying Valve's new hardware is entirely up to you, but there have been various posts online saying that the console won't be a great buy for over $800 due to its specs.
Is Steam Machine Worth Buying for $1,000?
The counterargument for pre-ordering Steam Machine is that one can get oneself a gaming PC at that time, but between the increased prices of expensive GPUs and RAM units for better performance, it can cost a lot. At the same time, if the Steam Deck is any indication a lot of Steam Machine accessories won't be included in the base price.
It's worth noting that, despite Smarty's self-proclaimed affiliation with Valve, there is a chance that the price may be inflated compared to the actual MSRP on the Vapor Store page.
However, even if the leaked price is true, Valve's console could be one of the best options for those who don't have a fully equipped gaming PC or who like the idea of Steam games on a console, if not both. This is certainly due to the potential prices of gaming PCs and other consoles, making the Steam Machine a pretty, perfectly average option between Xbox/PlayStation/Nintendo and high-end computers.
Source: smarty.cz
