Steam Machine pricing soars past PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X in new retailer listing — 1TB SKU shatters $1,000 barrier

Valve has already unveiled the Steam Machine, but kept two crucial details under wraps: pricing and availability. While the launch date remains a mystery, Czech retailer Smarty broke the silence by listing the Steam Machine at $950 for the 512GB model and $1,070 for the 1TB version, before taxes.

Although Smarty appears to be a reputable retailer, it's wise to treat these prices with caution until Valve makes an official announcement. As the Redditor who discovered the listings pointed out, the Steam Machine price tags weren't publicly visible—they were hiding within the website's source code. Meanwhile, Hajedan, a Czech user on X, discovered that Alza—one of the largest retailers in the Czech Republic—has also listed the Steam Machine at prices similar to Smarty. While the two discoveries lend some credibility to the numbers, they could be placeholders or estimates, so we still recommend you throw some salt over the listings.

As a retailer, Smarty's listed prices naturally include the store's markup, which means they'll be higher than Valve's direct pricing. For context, the Czech store sells the Steam Deck OLED 512GB for $632.96 pre-VAT, while Valve offers the same configuration for $549. It suggests that Smarty applies a roughly 15% markup to its products. If we apply the same logic to the Steam Machine, U.S. prices might be closer to $826 for the 512GB model and $930 for the 1TB version. That's a notable difference—and it could make Valve's official pricing slightly more palatable for potential buyers.

While some may not consider the Steam Machine to be a true console, Valve intentionally designed it to deliver a console-like PC experience. It makes comparisons to the latest gaming systems—such as the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, and Xbox Series X—both relevant and compelling. If Smarty's leaked prices are accurate, the Steam Machine could be 50% pricier than a PlayStation 5 (with disc drive) and up to 27% more expensive than an Xbox Series X (1TB model with disc drive). That's a substantial premium for PC gaming in a console form factor.

Unlike traditional console makers, Valve won't subsidize the Steam Machine—in other words, it won't take a loss on hardware to boost game sales. Instead, Valve will price the Steam Machine like a standard gaming PC, which makes sense given that it's essentially a small-form-factor (SFF) system masquerading as a console.

The Steam Machine is launching amidst a global NAND shortage, which has significantly driven up prices for storage and memory—both critical components for Valve's console-PC hybrid. Even if Valve wanted to keep prices low and limit profit margins, rising component costs make that virtually impossible. If we were betting, we'd wager that the ongoing NAND shortage is the main reason Valve hasn't committed to a price or release date for the Steam Machine, despite revealing it in mid-November of last year. Valve has hinted at a possible Q1 2026 launch for the Steam Machine. Now, all eyes are on the company to see if it can deliver on schedule.

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