A few hours ago, knowing that Valve might make an announcement at 19 PM Spanish time, I checked what they had posted and thought, "This can't be happening." What they did was too much: they released everything the rumors saidEven in my wildest dreams, I never imagined it would be like this. For me, the best part is the Steam MachineBut I have to admit that if the Controller had come out a month ago, I would have bought one. Depending on the price, of course.
And here we're going to talk about the rumored prices for the Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller. As the headline says, these prices are unconfirmed, and we'll have to wait for an official announcement to know the real prices. But given that leakers and analysts, professional or not, were right about everything they published yesterday, we can assume that the prices they are considering They will end up being more or less like this.
Steam Machine for $550… or 1000
Yes. A very big difference between the two prices, but there's an explanation. There's a video that mentions the price will be like that of a PC with similar specifications, but that seems literally impossible to me. Why would we want a Valve PC if we can buy a similar one elsewhere?
The power of the Steam Machine can be purchased from PC Componentes for around €1500, but that comes pre-assembled and licensed. A similar PC built by yourself, without a Windows license and purchased from individual parts, can cost around €1100-€1300. So, where does that $550 come from? Well, in the US, prices are before taxes, and that $550 exceeds $600 with VAT. Does that price make sense? It depends on how you look at it.
A Steam Machine at $600 including taxes could be explained as follows:
- I think you're dreaming. I could be wrong, but a PC that can play the latest AAA games for 600 seems too good to be true. I wish.
- It's more powerful than the Deck, yes, but it has less hardware and a less complex design. The Deck costs €569, and that price includes power, a quality touchscreen, and a good controller. The Steam Machine doesn't have a screen or a controller—although a bundle with one is expected. And the design, while compact, isn't as complex.
Furthermore, Valve can and will sell at cost price, so my bet is on the price of the Steam Deck or slightly more. 800€ as a limit.
Steam Controller for €60
The controller is rumored to cost around €60. The situation with consumables is different, and you only have to look at the official Steam Deck dock to realize this. The dock costs no less than €89, 13% of the price of the 1TB Steam Deck OLED.
So the controller could indeed cost €60. That's the market price, and that's where PlayStation and Xbox controllers are priced, and even Amazon's Luna. Consumables are a way to make money; just ask Apple, which sells its watches at a high price but earns up to 25% more from selling straps.
So I'll take those €60. of the Steam Controller, maybe less so in the bundle with the Steam Machine.
Steam Frame for under €1000
The Steam Frame is the least of my initial concerns, although I'll need to learn more about them. I'm mainly interested in whether they're easy on the eyes and if they can provide a huge screen in my living room, but I won't be getting one right away. Besides, the price won't be very attractive, even though Valve has already said that will be cheaper than the Valve Index.
Now, we can make at least two interpretations here, considering that the Index required a base station and the Steam Frame did not.
- Less than €799 if you only consider the glasses and the controller.
- Less than €1079 if you count the complete kit.
The Index required its base station to function, but the Steam Frame doesn't. It's also mentioned that they're compatible with Android. With all this in mind, I'm not sure what to bet on. I'd like them to be cheaper than the base station-less Index, which would put them under €800. Or better yet, I'd like them to be closer to €1000 and forget about them.
Steam Machine, Frame and Controller are still unpriced
We'll have to wait for the final prices, but everything looks really good. I've even read that the whole package could cost around €1300, so someone please calm me down before I get too excited.