Steam Machine price helps PS5 and Xbox, threatens PS6 and Helix

Valve insists the Steam Machine is not a console: it is an open, customizable system that works best with SteamOS but is not locked to it, and games tend to be cheaper on Steam. That claim has merit, yet the device is also a compact, sleekly engineered box meant to run the latest games on a TV; it runs silently, looks at home in a living room, and in its default state is swift, simple, and user-friendly.

Early reviews find the Steam Machine broadly comparable in power to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, even if frame rates and resolutions sometimes differ or require tinkering. The price comparison is stark: a 512 GB Steam Machine with Steam Controller is $1,128, while the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition (825 GB) and Xbox Series X Digital (1 TB) are $599.99 each, an 88% premium for less storage (dropping to about 75% more if you forgo the Steam Controller).

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