Redakcja Choose TV
Valve has been trying to find its place in the gaming hardware market for years. After the success of the Steam Deck, the company is reportedly working on a new Steam Machine, a compact gaming computer based on the SteamOS system. The problem is that even before the official presentation, concerns about the price of the device are emerging. Recent price increases for the Steam Deck OLED show that the manufacturer is not immune to rising costs of memory and data storage. If a similar trend affects the Steam Machine, the new hardware could turn out to be much more expensive than the consoles from Sony and Microsoft. This raises questions about its chances of success.
The price may exceed $1000
According to well-known insider Brad Lynch, the initial estimates for the price of the Steam Machine are higher than for the Steam Deck. The specific amount has not been disclosed, but there are speculations in the network suggesting it could be as high as $1200. In comparison, the PlayStation 5 currently costs around $650, while the PlayStation 5 Pro is about $900. This would mean that Valve's new hardware would be clearly more expensive than both consoles. In such a situation, the mere presence of the Steam platform and its vast library of games may not be enough to convince the mass audience.
Valve does not have the advantage that Sony and Microsoft have
The biggest challenge for Valve may be its business model. Sony and Microsoft can sell consoles with minimal margins or even below production costs, because they later earn from subscriptions, services, and game sales. Valve does not have an equivalent to PlayStation Plus or Game Pass. Of course, the company makes money from game sales on Steam, but it does not have such an extensive ecosystem of subscription services. If it does not decide to subsidize the hardware, Steam Machine could turn out to be a product aimed mainly at PC enthusiasts rather than the wider console market.
If the leaks are confirmed, the Steam Machine could be one of the most expensive gaming devices available on the market. For PC fans, this may not necessarily be a problem, but in a showdown with the PlayStation 5 or Xbox, the high price could prove to be the biggest obstacle for Valve's new hardware.
source; digitaltrends
