Valve has officially revealed the pricing for its upcoming Steam Machine consoles, with the cheapest model starting at £879. The company admits that rising costs for memory and storage components, driven by stockpiling for AI data centres, forced a last-minute price increase. Rumours suggest Microsoft and Sony face similar challenges with their next-generation consoles.
Steam Machine UK pricing
- Steam Machine 512GB: £879
- Steam Machine 512GB + Steam Controller: £938
- Steam Machine 2TB: £1,149
- Steam Machine 2TB + Steam Controller: £1,208 (includes exclusive red fabric and solid walnut face plates)
The 2TB model costs more than the £789.99 PS5 Pro, currently the most expensive console ever. Valve's pricing targets enthusiasts, undermining the device's original goal of bridging consoles and gaming PCs. At over £1,000, buyers might prefer a custom gaming PC.
Why the price hike?
In a blog post, Valve explained: "Steam Machine, like our other hardware products, is made up of many components that we source from manufacturers around the world. The price at which we sell our hardware is a direct result of the cost of these components." They noted that PC hardware costs typically decrease over time, but recent trends reversed: "Over the past year or so, that has changed quickly and significantly, most visibly for RAM and storage components." Availability was also impacted, with Valve unable to source some components at any price during certain periods.
Pre-order and availability
Pre-orders are not yet open. Interested buyers can join a waiting list until June 25 at 6pm BST. Valve will then randomise the list and invite selected users to pre-order. Requirements include a Steam account with no bans and at least one purchase before April 27, 2026. Valve has a history of handling pre-orders poorly, and stock allocation outside the US remains uncertain. The release date is vaguely set for late summer, possibly July or later.
Steam Machine tech specs
- CPU: Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 6C / 12T
- GPU: Semi-custom AMD RDNA3 28CUs
- 16GB DDR5 + 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
- 512GB NVMe SSD, microSD card slot
- Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Gigabit ethernet
- Integrated Steam Controller wireless adapter
- Small form factor, ~6 inch cube
- SteamOS 3
Originally conceived in 2013, the Steam Machine concept aimed to merge console ease-of-use with PC flexibility. After third-party manufacturers failed to gain traction, Valve revived the project as a first-party device. However, the high price may limit adoption to wealthy enthusiasts, contradicting the product's inclusive vision.
