Valve’s $1,049 Steam Machine Costs More Than a PS5 and Xbox Combined

Valve’s living-room PC is priced above the console crowd

Valve has finally put a price on its new Steam Machine, and the basic model costs more than buying a PS5 Digital Edition and an Xbox Series S together.

According to Valve’s official Steam Hardware update, the new Steam Machine starts at $1,049 USD for the 512GB model. The 2TB model is listed at $1,349 USD.

That is where the console comparison gets hard to ignore. PlayStation Direct currently lists the PS5 Digital Edition at $599, while Xbox lists the Xbox Series S 512GB at $399.99. Together, that comes to about $999 before tax, still less than Valve’s basic Steam Machine.

That does not automatically make the Steam Machine a bad idea. It is not a locked console in the same way a PlayStation or Xbox is. It runs SteamOS, connects directly to an existing Steam library, and looks more like a compact living-room PC than a traditional console box.

But the price changes the conversation immediately. If the pitch is “console-simple PC gaming for the living room,” then starting above the combined cost of one PS5 Digital Edition and one Xbox Series S makes that pitch harder to sell to regular players.

Want more gaming hardware and industry news?

Get more updates on Valve, SteamOS, PC gaming hardware, console pricing, reviews, interviews, and independent games coverage from Fix Gaming Channel.

Not a console killer on price

The old “console killer” talk does not really fit here. At this price, Valve is not undercutting Sony or Microsoft. It is offering a different kind of box for players who already live inside the Steam ecosystem.

For some players, that will still make sense. If you already own hundreds of Steam games, want a living-room setup, and prefer a more open PC-style platform, the Steam Machine has a clear identity.

For everyone else, the comparison is brutal: one Steam Machine, or one PlayStation 5 and one Xbox Series S.

Final thoughts

Valve’s new Steam Machine may still find its audience, especially among players who want SteamOS in the living room without building a PC themselves.

But at $1,049 for the base model, this is not a budget console alternative. It is a premium compact PC with a very loud price tag.

Related Reading

Global Memory Shortage Delays Steam Machine Plans

Best Steam Deck Games Worth Playing in 2026