One big reason why the PlayStation and Nintendo Switch are more popular for gaming compared to Desktop PCs is that gaming PC hardware is expensive. Not relatively expensive (not anymore); these days, it’s just flat-out expensive. PC gaming is now a luxury, especially with the prices for RAM or memory skyrocketing to 500% because AI data centers keep buying them up. In the midst of this PC gaming apocalypse, however, a challenger has presented itself, likely in the form of a $700 Valve Steam Machine, if all goes well.
Now, before you crank your hopes up to the max level, Valve’s new Steam Machine pricing is still undetermined, so this is all speculation. Still, the most well-known PC tech gurus, such as Linus Tech Tips, IGN, and even PC Gamer, have all come to similar conclusions when trying to replicate the Steam Machine’s 4K/60FPS-capable hardware: it might cost around $700; for reference, a PS5 Pro is $750. Here’s one of the latest “guess-timates” on the matter:
It’s worth noting that Linus Sebastian himself interviewed Valve representatives, and his initial guess of $500 was supposedly off and led to an awkward meeting. This time, Sebastian himself is confident about the $700 price range for the Steam Machine, claiming he’ll eat a Portal Cake if he’s off by about $60.
You can build it yourself, or try to
To try and replicate the 4K-ready Steam Machine, Sebastian even built a custom gaming PC with the following specs based on what Valve publicized for its Steam Machines:
- AMD Radeon RX 6600 (GPU)
- AMD Ryzen 5 8400F 6-core (CPU)
- B650M-H M.2+ (Motherboard)
- 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR5-5600 CL46 (RAM)
- 550W PSU (PSU)
- 500GB M.2 2280 NVMe (Storage)
- GameSir Cyclone 2 Wireless Controller
All that came to around $602. Add in the markup for profit, and that puts the estimate at around $700 to $750, which is highly competitive against consoles and entry-level gaming PCs. It’s worth noting that trying to build something similar with reputable parts bought on Amazon or Newegg might overshoot to $900, but Valve doesn’t have to deal with that, as they can simply partner up with hardware suppliers.
Actual performance at 4K or even at alluring graphics settings is a different discussion entirely, as Valve might need to perform specific hardware adjustments and tuning to achieve 4K at 60 FPS. Still, at the $700 price point, you really shouldn’t be as picky as a PC gamer ready to drop $1,200+ on a custom gaming PC.
In any case, those holding off on building their own custom gaming PC because of the absurd RAM prices (and soon, GPU prices) will likely benefit from waiting. Valve’s new Steam Machine is poised to be released sometime around 2026, while the current RAM apocalypse is expected to continue well into 2027. That’s a huge window of opportunity for Valve and PC gamers, and it’s hard to miss.
