Valve Says Component Crisis "Still Getting Worse" as Fears Grow of Steam Machine Price Hike

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Many people already think the Steam Machine is pricey for what it is, given that you can build an equivalent (if not better) PC for a lesser price, and the situation might be getting worse yet.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Valve Engineer Yazan Aldehayyat was quite open about the fact that component prices are still rising in the industry, and that retail prices tend to lag a few months behind industry prices. In short, that means expect devices to still be increasing in price for the remainder of 2026.

What does that mean for the Steam Machine itself? Well, he doesn't comment on that specifically, but this sounds like they're trying to cover themselves in the event of future price increases; they're already laying the groundwork for why prices might have to go up later in the year.

Of course, that might be a cynical view of the matter, but I think we've learned to be cynical these days, especially in this industry. With the PS6 and the Project Helix Xbox console rumored to cost around the $1000 mark, the Steam Machine would theoretically fit right in, albeit with much less powerful hardware.

Do you think the Steam Machine would be an appealing device, even with a further price increase in the future? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Bloomberg, via Polygon

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