For all the fuss about Valve being unable to count on the “3”, the company fooled us all when it announced it a few weeks ago. three Pieces of hardware: the Steam Machine, a portable PC that can plug into a TV like a console; Steam Frame, Valve's entry into the VR market; And the new Steam Controller.
Of that trio, the steam machine is perhaps the most fascinating revelation. After all, one of the biggest things console gaming has going for it is the ability to plug a piece of hardware into your TV and start playing.
Even more fascinating than the premise of being able to take your Steam library and play it on your big screen TV is how much the whole thing will cost. PCs, at least good ones, aren't cheap, and Steam Machine is apparently 70 percent more powerful than what current Steam users are currently using.
I'll eat my hat if Steam Machine doesn't launch with a new half-life
Valve has the perfect opportunity to launch a new Half-Life game with the upcoming Steam Machine.
In a new interview, no matter how much Valve echoed, you'll have to pull out your wallet and fork over some cash to get a Steam Machine when pre-orders open.
Shut up and take my money… maybe
In a new episode of The Friends on Second Podcast with Jake Baldino and Skillup, Valve's Lawrence Yang and Pierre-Loup Griffis were asked directly about the pricing strategy behind Valve's shiny new technology, with Griffis offering some insight into what to expect.
“I think if you build a PC from parts and basically get to the same level of performance, that's the general price window we're aiming for,” he said. “Ideally, we'd be very competitive with that and have a good deal, but we're working to refine it as we speak. And right now it's a difficult time to get a really good idea of what the price is going to be because there are so many different things. So many external things.”
In other words, what Sony is doing with its new Japan-only PlayStation 5, or what console makers like Valve have historically taken to get people in the door, doesn't seem to be taking a loss on hardware.
“No, it's in line with what you can expect from the current PC market,” Griffes said when asked if Valve would potentially take a loss on the machine.
Echoing the words that Linus Tech Tips shared in a separate video about the Steam Machine being more expensive than we've come to expect from the console, only these words come officially from Valve. All that to say: prepare your wallets, friends.
- brand
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valve
- operating system
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SteamOS 3 (Arch-based)
- processor
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Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 6C / 12T up to 4.8 GHz, 30W TDP
- resolve
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Up to 4K@240Hz or 8K@60Hz
- HDR support
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yes
- Original release date
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2026
It's been a whole year and the PS5 Pro still has to prove itself
Is the PS5 Pro worth buying now? Let's watch and find out.
