Valve: Steam Machine Is An Extension Of PC Gaming, Not A Console

Valve insists the Steam Machine is not a video game console. "Is this the Valve console?" the company asks rhetorically, then adds, "We think of Steam Machine as an extension of PC gaming, not as a console." The company contrasts the traditional console model — selling hardware at a loss and making up revenue with subscription services or locked-in games — with the openness of the PC market.

Valve argues that open ecosystems serve customers better over the long term and that PC gaming’s openness has driven hardware and software innovation for decades. Price underscores the difference. The tiny 512GB Steam Machine is $1,050 and the 1TB model costs $1,350, while PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X all-digital editions are currently $600 and a PS5 Pro 2TB SSD is $900.

Valve notes console manufacturers may be losing money on current-gen hardware, but says it does not intend to subsidize the Steam Machine as a traditional console maker might.

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