Steam machines are popping up on reseller sites and successfully selling for insane markups, with some of the units going for double the standard price or more. While scalping isn't uncommon, none of these sellers actually have a Steam Machine in hand, as they haven't gone on sale yet from Valve.
Steam Machines will likely be in short supply, which will probably help drive these listings and sales. Valve noted that it has only been able to produce about two-thirds of the quantity it wanted to make available, due to parts shortages plaguing the industry right now. Given that Steam Decks were often out of stock after their launch before the AI hardware crisis was on the horizon, it's likely that the availability of Steam Machines will get even worse.
Valve explains why the steam engine is priced so high
Valve officially explains why the Steam Machine is so much more expensive than regular game consoles and how the demand for parts affected the price.
Steam engines are scalped before they are even secured
Steam Machine listings have appeared on eBay, with many of the listings being priced at $1,000 or more over the cost of buying one directly from Valve. Although there are still many listed, several have already sold. For example, a listing for the cheapest Steam Machine sold for $2,000, which would normally sell for $1,049 direct from Valve. A pair of 2TB Steam Machines sold for $2,700 and $2,900 respectively, and it normally costs $1,349 solo or $1,428 with a controller. Perhaps the most astonishing price belongs to a 512GB Steam Machine with a controller that sold on eBay for $2,800, which would normally cost $1,128.
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The most shocking part of the sale, however, is that none of the sellers have made a purchase yet, as the sale hasn't officially opened with Valve. Instead, these sellers only have emails confirming they've been selected to buy one when the consoles actually go on sale. Obviously, some fans of Valve are willing to spend exorbitant sums to secure the console, although many have been put off by even the standard prices of the systems.
Valve has shared why the Steam Machine is as expensive as it is, explaining that it doesn't subsidize the Steam Machine the way major console manufacturers sometimes do. Interestingly, it appears that this is a change from how the Steam Deck was handled, as Valve CEO Gabe Newell noted that the deck's pricing was “very aggressive” and “painful.” However, it had to compete with the Nintendo Switch, which is one of the most popular gaming consoles of all time.
For now, it remains to be seen how the future will play out for the Steam Machine and those hoping to purchase one. Some have become wary of the system, especially after Valve quietly changed details regarding the Steam Machine's 4K and FPS capabilities. But if the system lives up to the hype, even more gamers may end up wanting to buy one. However, with the AI boom leading to severe spare parts shortages worldwide, Valve could potentially struggle to meet demand for years to come. It's ultimately up to players who didn't get in line to decide if they want to try to wait or spend a lot more than MSRP to secure one.
