Steam Machine Pricing Has Been Revealed
Image Source: Gamespot
The woes of the video game industry continue, and economic policy is a large driver of these misfortunes. Studios are closing at breakneck speed, Microsoft is reportedly looking into the possibility of selling off Xbox, and every console has increased in price. In some instances, dramatically so. With the looming release of the next generation of console in the next year or so, conversation swirls around how much they will cost.
The imminent release of the Steam Machine by Valve, announced a few months ago, and its recent price reveal give us a glimpse into what that horrible reality may be.
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Valve revealed on Monday that the Steam Machine, their entry into the console world by releasing plug-and-play PC to consumers, would run $1049 for the base 512-GB model (no controller) and $1349 for the 2-TB model (again, no controller). To get these models with Steam Controllers, you need to shell out another $79.
Image Source: Gamespot
Upon reveal, the internet exploded with woe, and analysis, on whether this was a good buy. It slightly depends on what angle you look at it. If you look at it as a console, no. It has base PS5 performance, for nearly twice the price. Even the PS5 Pro, which with price increases will run you north of $900 dollars, is cheaper than either model and has better performance specs. However, others argue that if you look at this from a PC perspective, this is about the average for an entry level rig, and, with it’s aimed-for plug-and-play goal, the pricing makes sense. More so if you consider Steams unsurpassed library.
Still, this does not paint a good picture of the video game industry. The obsessive drive of technocrats toward AI has created the RAMpocalypse that is driving the ridiculous costs of hardware, and in some cases outright unavailability. Considering that the Steam Machine was reportedly supposed to cost $750 before this industry’s economy collapsed, it paints a bleak picture for the affordability of gaming for the foreseeable future. It’s why many in the video game industry look toward the looming announcements of the next generation of consoles with dreadful anxiety.
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