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wccftech
Valve Tells Players they Shouldn't want the Steam Machine at a Lower, Subsidized Price as it goes Against "the Openness of the PC Ecosystem"
Valve has officially launched its Steam Machine priced starting at $1,049, citing the importance of maintaining an open PC ecosystem over subsidizing prices. The company, known for its impactful Steam platform, argues that subsidizing hardware would result in a closed ecosystem, limiting consumer choices. They also released SteamOS 3.8 to allow players to build their own versions of the machine using various components. Despite these assertions, critics question the high pricing in light of Valve's significant revenue from Steam operations.
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Published 22 Jun 2026, 20:21 UTC4 min read
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Summary
TL;DR
- Steam Machine priced at $1,049 with no included Steam Controller
- Valve argues that subsidies would hurt the PC ecosystem's openness
- SteamOS 3.8 allows players to build their own versions
- Valve claims that an open system drives innovation
- Critics highlight Valve's contradictory practices with exclusive games
Interesting facts
- Valve initially considered a $750 price point for the Steam Machine
- Only AMD GPUs are currently supported for SteamOS 3.8
Coverage gaps