We don’t know the price of Valve’s new Steam Machine and that means it’s difficult to determine just how competitive it’ll be against the PS5.
But a report that’s doing the rounds via Linus Tech Tips suggests the new console-like hardware won’t necessarily be going head-to-head with Sony’s system when it comes to affordability.
As part of a story shared by Dexerto, the YouTuber noted bad “energy” during a recent preview session when he alluded to the upcoming device having a “console price”.
“They asked what I meant by console price and I said $500,” he said on the WAN Show, following his meeting with Valve. “Nobody said anything, but the energy in the room wasn’t great.”
It’s far from a confirmation of anything, of course: vibes are not announcements and Valve’s staff may just be playing their best poker face.
But considering the Steam Machine is weaker than the PS5, its overall value proposition would have to be questioned if it ends up costing more than Sony’s console.
Of course, there are still advantages to the appliance, such as its open nature and access to Steam’s cavernous library – but as Linus Tech Tips himself points out, we think it’ll be a tough sell if it costs upwards of $600.
To be fair, Valve is probably not targeting the mass market with this product anyway, so it may not matter all that much in the grand scheme of things. But it’s going to have to price the hardware eventually, so it’s going to be interesting to see just how much it costs.
