Valve explains why it isn’t subsidizing the Steam Machine
Valve finally announced the price of the Steam Machine, and like a lot of new gadgets these days, it's not cheap: It starts at $1,049 for a 512GB model, and a 2TB model costs $300 more. Configurations with a bundled Steam Controller cost an extra $79 each.
Despite Valve offering a console alternative with the Steam Machine - a compact piece of hardware that can easily hook up to your TV to play your Steam library - those prices mean the Machine is much more expensive than console counterparts like the PS5 ($599.99), Xbox Series X ($649.99), and PS5 Pro ($899.99) while performing similarly to a PS5. (Those console prices are also higher than …