As of January 10, 2026, the biggest mystery surrounding Valve's return to the living room has seemingly been solved, and it's a tough pill for budget-conscious gamers to swallow. A significant pricing leak from Smarty.cz (and corroborated by Alza.cz), both authorized Valve retailers in the Czech Republic, has revealed the potential MSRP for the upcoming Steam Machine.
The leaked prices, discovered hidden within the websites' source code by community sleuths, suggest that the "AI-fueled RAM crisis" of late 2025 has had a devastating impact on Valve’s hardware margins.
The Leaked Price Tiers
According to the source code findings, the Steam Machine will launch in two primary configurations. While the raw conversion from Czech Koruna (CZK) looks high due to European taxes and retailer markups, analysts have calculated the likely U.S. MSRP:
| Model | Leaked Price (CZK) | Est. U.S. MSRP (Pre-Tax) |
| 512GB Steam Machine | 19,826 CZK | $799.99 – $825.00 |
| 2TB Steam Machine | 22,305 CZK | $899.99 – $949.00 |
Note: With shipping and the current volatility of component costs, many insiders fear the 2TB "Pro" model could touch the $999 mark by its Spring 2026 launch.
Why the "Console-Killer" is so Expensive
Valve executives previously stated they aimed for the Steam Machine to be "positioned at the entry-level of the PC space." However, several 2026 market factors have pushed the price beyond the $500–$600 sweet spot:
The RAM-aggedon: Following Samsung's CES 2026 warning, the cost of the high-speed DDR5 and GDDR6 RAM required for 4K/60FPS gaming has skyrocketed. AI data centers are currently outbidding consumer hardware manufacturers for every available chip.
No Subsidies: Unlike the original Steam Deck, which Gabe Newell called "painfully" priced to gain market share, Valve has indicated they will not subsidize the Steam Machine. It is being sold as a sustainable hardware product, not a loss-leader.
The "GabeCube" Specs: The leaked internal specs explain the cost. It reportedly features a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 6-core APU and RDNA3 GPU with 28 Compute Units—roughly six times the raw power of the Steam Deck OLED.
Is it Worth $1,000?
The community is currently split. While Linus Tech Tips recently noted that building an equivalent PC with these small-form-factor parts would cost roughly $910 today, many gamers argue that at $800+, the Steam Machine loses its "console" appeal.
The Comparison:
PS5 Pro: $699.99 (Lower performance, closed ecosystem).
Xbox Series X (2TB): $599.99 (Fixed hardware, no Steam library).
Steam Machine: $849.00 (Access to 15,000+ games, no "Pro" mid-gen refresh needed, but higher entry cost).
Would you pay $849 for a "console" that plays your entire Steam library at 4K, or has the RAM shortage officially pushed you back toward building a traditional desktop PC?
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