As exciting as Valve’s new hardware lineup sounds, the biggest surprise might not be the tech itself, but the price.
The idea of accessing your entire Steam library on your TV – and doing it flexibly – sounds like an absolute dream. Right now, I’m still running everything through my Steam Deck in its dock, but what Valve is working on could be a game changer for a lot of different use cases. As we’ve already reported, the company behind Steam is preparing a new hardware push that tries to merge different worlds into one and might just become the all-in-one miracle machine of console gaming.
In short: Valve is releasing three new devices in early 2026. The Steam Machine aims to be a full living-room console for your entire Steam library. The Steam Frame is a headset that supports both VR and traditional gaming. And the new Steam Controller is designed to take couch gaming to the next level thanks to modern tech. So far, so promising.
How Much Will The Steam Machine Cost?
Now for the big question: what’s the price tag going to look like? Valve is still keeping it quiet, but signs are pointing in one clear direction: this thing won’t be cheap. The company initially mentioned “affordability,” but it also made it clear that the Steam Machine is meant to compete with a DIY PC – not with next-gen consoles.
And since Valve has now confirmed that there will be no hardware subsidies, any remaining hope for a $500 price bracket is basically gone. Hardware expert Linus Sebastian recently asked whether the smaller model might land somewhere near current console pricing. The reaction in the room? Well… silence. Things became even more explicit in an interview with Skill Up, where Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais answered the question whether Steam profits would be used to lower the price with a simple “No.” Instead, the pricing will reflect what you’d expect from today’s PC market – the goal being “a good deal at that level of performance,” but not an artificially discounted one.
So yes – it’s time to let go of the idea that the Steam Machine will compete directly with current consoles. Valve plans to reveal the final price early next year. And we might need to prepare ourselves for the possibility that not just PC hardware, but the next console generation as well, will easily push past the $500 mark.