Valve's Steam Machine has been priced at $1,049 for the 512GB model and $1,349 for the 2TB version, excluding controllers that add further costs. These high prices result from Valve's decision not to subsidize hardware and a component crisis that forced a pricing rethink.
RAM Supply Struggles
Valve engineers detailed the tough reality of sourcing RAM in an interview with the YouTube channel Gamers Nexus. The market is dominated by a few players like Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix, offering take-it-or-leave-it prices. Valve's Pierre-Loup Griffais stated, “There’s no contracts. There’s nothing. Those guys… they give us a price every month or something and they say, ‘you can buy that many,’ and it’s yes or no.”
Industry-Wide Impact
Valve isn't alone in facing memory shortages. Many manufacturers are revising prices, with Apple CEO Tim Cook cautioning about price hikes for iPhones, Macs, and other devices. The RAM shortage shows no signs of easing.
Variable RAM Configurations
Due to supply constraints, Steam Machines may ship with either one stick of 16GB RAM or two sticks of 8GB RAM. Griffais notes this depends on available supply. While Gamers Nexus highlights better performance with dual-channel RAM, Valve’s Yazan Aldehayyat claims no measurable gaming performance difference between one or two sticks.
Pricing Context
Although Valve hasn't disclosed its original Steam Machine price targets, price hikes on the Steam Deck OLED—$240 for the 512GB and $300 for the 1TB version—suggest the initial targets were considerably lower. Estimated original prices were $809 for 512GB and $1,049 for 2TB, which, while high, are less daunting than current figures.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/games/953945/valve-steam-machine-memory-component-crisis
