this post was submitted on 22 Jun 2026
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Valve’s Steam Machine finally has a price: a whopping $1,049 for the 512GB configuration or $1,349 for the 2TB version. And those are without bundled controllers, which drive up the cost more.

The prices are so high in part because Valve isn’t subsidizing the hardware, and the company has already indicated that the component crisis forced it to reconsider its initial pricing plans. In an interview with the YouTube channel Gamers Nexus, Valve engineers discussed the reality of sourcing RAM in 2026, with take-it-or-leave-it prices as memory and other components remain in short supply, from only a few vendors like Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix.

[...]

Valve, of course, isn’t the only company in a bind over memory shortages, as the crunch is forcing many hardware makers to make significant pricing changes. Even Apple CEO Tim Cook is warning of incoming price hikes for iPhones, Macs, and other devices. And the RAM crunch isn’t projected to get better anytime soon.

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[–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's why I buy used, much easier to negotiate. I'm not really a Dodge guy though, and I don't need a big truck anyway.

[–] tehn00bi@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Har har. It’s not dodge anymore

[–] nullify3112@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Seeing the LTT video where they build their own PC with similar parts (but slightly better) for the same price was really the nail in the coffin for this one. The performance of the SMachine makes the value proposition… lackluster.

The only redeeming quality is the form factor. Would definitely fit very well in a living room. Would it make a good couch party game machine ?

[–] IEatDaFeesh@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

The form factor is a big factor though. Some people don't want or can't afford the space a giant metal box takes up.

[–] UsoSaito@feddit.uk 3 points 1 month ago

Not only that but they're dealing with another legal headache claiming they're a monopoly which is part of why they aren't subsidizing it. One of the staff members did say they're considering selling them with RAM/SSDs which if they do will significantly reduce the price.

[–] Kissaki@feddit.org 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

And the RAM crunch isn’t projected to get better anytime soon.

Projections by whom? What timeframe does "soon" cover?

With increasing objections, blocking, and cancellations of data centers, and some big-name AI companies going public soonish, and the recent OpenAPI finance press… it could be "soon", within a few months, that it could get better. It's certainly not a certainty, maybe even unlikely, and can't be "projected" from the current RAM market alone, but if you want to hope…

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