The Steam Machine Costs $1049–I Want One
- Antal Bokor
- Jun 22
- 3 min read
There’s something to say about a company that looks at the current hardware market and says, “fuck it, we’ll do it anyways.” Which is exactly what Valve Software has done with the impending release of the Steam Machine.
Reviews are out, and the consensus is: “it’s great, but it’s expensive.” That’s fine, really. The hardware hellscape is unprecedented, and in a world where it’s increasingly hostile for the casual PC gamer to get into PC games, having a Steam Machine is a nice way to get in without all the doubt–even if you’re paying a premium. But even as console prices are going up–something that is, before these AI driven times, unheard of–people want to play games.
Even as I write this I have to wait in line and figure out how I’m going to afford any of the four offered Steam bundles. With an entry price of $1049, many will balk. For those people, there’s at least a more DIY approach. Alongside the sign-ups for the Steam machine today comes the news that you can install Steam OS on desktops. Which is a great way to finally get out of the Windows ecosystem (for those that are too afraid to fully commit to learning Linux all at once. )
Unfortunately, only AMD CPUs are currently supported – but Valve is working on expanding that support in the future.
Meanwhile, I want the Steam Machine because I was sold on the original Steam Machine promised over 10 years ago. I’ve also been sold on Steam hardware after loving the Steam Deck, and using it far more than I thought I could.
It turns out that having access to Steam’s vast library of games is a huge plus. Having a green check mark telling me that the game will run fine on my system helps, too. I’ve spent my entire life configuring computers and hardware for optimal frame to visual fidelity ratio, and it’s nice to leave some of the work out of it. Especially since my Steam Machine will be used as a living room fixture.
But for the tinkerers, you can mess with Steam Machine too. Unlike traditional consoles that lock everything up, SteamOs isn’t walled off–for instance, you can install the Epic Game Store Launcher.
The Steam Deck created a whole new wave of interest in handheld PCs, and I have to wonder if the Steam Machine will start to bring in console players that want access to Steam’s library of games.
If you want a Steam Machine you can sign up to reserve your slot now. Valve decided to keep scalpers and bots in check by allowing more days for reservations both for verification purposes, and so people have lots of time to get in and not feel left out. So anyone that signs up before the 25th will be on equal footing to secure a slot, or get stuck on the waitlist.
Steam Machine registration: https://store.steampowered.com/hardware/steammachine
Steam Machine Specs:
Core Hardware Specs
CPU: Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 (6 cores / 12 threads) up to 4.8 GHz, 30W TDP.
GPU: Semi-custom AMD RDNA 3 with 28 Compute Units, 8GB GDDR6 VRAM, 110W TDP.
Memory: 16 GB DDR5 RAM.
Storage: Available in 512 GB or 2 TB NVMe SSD (internally upgradable/expandable via a high-speed microSD slot).
Connectivity & Ports
Networking: 2x2 Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and 1 Gigabit Ethernet.
Video Out: DisplayPort 1.4 (up to 4K @ 240 Hz or 8K @ 60 Hz) and HDMI 2.0 (up to 4K @ 120 Hz).
USB Ports: Front includes two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1; back features two USB-A 2.0 and one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2.
Accessories: Features a dedicated 2.4 GHz Steam Controller wireless adapter.
Power & Design
Dimensions: Roughly a 6-inch (~160mm) cube.
Power Supply: Internal power supply (110-240 V) with an average power draw of ~175W under heavy load.
Software:
Pre-installed with Arch-based SteamOS
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