Valve has officially announced the Steam Machine’s price, and if you’re looking to get one of the not-consoles when they launch on June 30, you’re going to have to spend over $1,000 at minimum. As you can probably guess, eager players on the internet were not exactly thrilled by that news, and they let their voices be heard on social media.
Some questioned if the Steam Machine should even be released at all at this point, pointing to the massive price tag that was required as AI puts a strain on the hardware supply chain.
And with the Steam Machine serving as a type of PC more than a traditional console, others questioned why someone would pay such a high price when building a custom PC would be cheaper.
YouTuber SpawnWave was perhaps even more blunt with his assessment, believing the system is so expensive may effectively have no audience.
One Twitter user pointed to the trend we’ve seen with consoles in years past, with more accessible systems often performing better commercially than the more-expensive alternatives. The Sega Nomad, for those too young to remember, literally played Sega Genesis games on the go, yet no one talks about it today.
And as we approach the inevitable PS6 and Microsoft’s Project Helix, others pointed out that we may be looking at a sign of things to come. The days of $500 consoles, at launch or otherwise, are likely long gone.
The Steam Machine officially releases on June 30, with preorders beginning on June 25. A waitlist is available for a chance to order one.