Leak hints at $1000+ Steam Machine price, as Valve readies release date bundles

Even as leaks suggest the Steam Machine release date is approaching, estimates of its cost vary widely. The latest discovery on Valve’s backend won’t calm gamers anxious about a high price. However, the code could refer to a bundle with the mini PC and the Steam Controller.

Will the Steam Machine be too expensive?

Discussed on Reddit, Steam Tracking found traces of a reservation queue for Valve hardware. Formatting in a few lines implies that the Steam Machine price will exceed 1000 euros. Converted to USD, that figure becomes an imposing $1160.

Since the site doesn’t mention the product by name, it could also be referring to the Steam Frame. There have been fewer leaks about the upcoming VR headset’s MSRP, but $800-$1,000 is a popular guess. Its maker indicated that it would be less expensive than the discontinued $999 Valve Index kit.

Perhaps a more likely explanation is a bundle that stretches buyers’ wallets. It’s known that gamers will be able to choose from versions of the Linux system with 512GB and 2TB SSDs. Accounting for two more SKUs could be variations of each with the recently debuted Steam Controller.

Some Redditors point out that the code may also be written with flexibility in mind. Amid the ongoing memory shortage, Valve reportedly considered various responses. As configured, the site’s UI would accept a range of Steam Machine prices.

More hopeful pricing predictions

Regardless of the reason, the discovery only adds more uncertainty ahead of the hardware’s release date. Even though the manufacturer said it would mirror an increasingly costly gaming PC, asking $1000 invites criticism. Still, not all insiders are envisioning the worst-case scenario.

YouTuber Moore’s Law Is Dead believes that the lower-end specs don’t warrant a high MSRP. While it may be an optimistic prediction, he gave viewers a quote of $600-650. In any case, after Valve accepted mysterious shipments of a “Game Console”, the Steam Machine release date seems closer than ever.