All four Steam Machine prices
We checked the US Steam store’s four package prices on 8 October 2026. These are USD list prices before applicable taxes and shipping:
- 512GB — $1,049. Steam Machine without a Steam Controller.
- 512GB with Steam Controller — $1,128.
- 2TB — $1,349. Steam Machine without a Steam Controller.
- 2TB with Steam Controller — $1,428.
The same figures appear in Valve’s launch announcement. Its regional prices include VAT where applicable; a US dollar figure is not a currency conversion or a checkout quote for another country. Check the offer attached to your own Steam account before paying.
The 2TB model buys space, not a faster GPU
Both storage models have the same published processor and graphics specification: a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 CPU with six cores and twelve threads, and an RDNA 3 GPU with 28 compute units. Both have 16GB of DDR5 system memory and 8GB of GDDR6 graphics memory. The technical specifications identify the differences as 512GB or 2TB of NVMe storage; both also have a microSD slot.
That makes the storage choice more straightforward than a typical “base versus Pro” console comparison. Paying for 2TB gives you more room to keep games installed. It does not buy a higher frame-rate tier. Valve also includes two extra faceplates with the 2TB options, in red fabric and solid walnut.
Choose around the library you actually keep on the machine. If you mainly rotate through a few games and can download them again, the smaller drive keeps the initial cost down. A large local collection, a slow connection or frequent switching between big installations gives the larger drive a practical purpose.
Controller inclusion is a separate decision. The premium over the corresponding PC-only option is $79 in either capacity. The $79 is the bundle upgrade cost. Check the separate controller listing if you are comparing it with buying later. If you already have a suitable controller, the bundled one needs to earn its place in your setup.
The release date has passed; your queue decides availability
The original June sign-up window ended with a one-time randomization on 25 June. Later sign-ups go to the back of the waitlist, according to Valve’s product FAQ. Lists are separated by model and shipping region: North America, the UK/EU and Australia. Another buyer receiving an invitation tells you little about the progress of a different list.
In its 28 July update, Valve said it expected everyone then in a reservation queue to have an opportunity to purchase by the end of 2026. That was an expectation about purchase offers for reservation holders, rather than a delivery guarantee for everyone joining a waitlist later. The update also explained that some product-and-region queues had already reached their waitlists.
A waitlist means there is no unit reserved for you yet. A reservation means you have a reserved place and are waiting for the purchase offer. When Valve sends that offer, the 72-hour deadline begins. Under the Limited Drop Program terms, letting the link expire also ends that purchase opportunity. Joining a list or receiving a reservation confirmation does not itself start the payment clock.
Use your signed-in product page and Valve’s emails to establish your own status. The original program required an unlimited Steam account in good standing, an account purchase before 27 April 2026, residence in an eligible country and a buyer aged at least 18. It limits purchases to one per household. Purchase opportunities are nontransferable, so paying someone for their queue position is not an official route around the wait.
What the price is paying for
Valve links the launch price and limited supply to component sourcing. In the announcement, it said RAM and storage costs had changed enough to make its original target price unviable, and that some parts had been unavailable at any price. That is the manufacturer’s explanation; it does not establish how much margin is in any individual unit.
This leaves the buyer with a concrete tradeoff: a compact machine designed around SteamOS, with an internal power supply and a built-in Steam Controller wireless adapter, against the price and flexibility of assembling or reusing a PC. Our analysis of Micron’s customer funding looks at the supplier side of hardware capacity. It is background on financing, rather than proof of Valve’s retail price.
An existing AMD PC gives you another route
You can separate wanting SteamOS in the living room from wanting this particular box. Valve’s current installation and repair guide permits SteamOS on additional AMD-powered PCs and lists AMD discrete GPUs under beta support. It also distinguishes those machines from officially “Powered by SteamOS” devices and warns that Steam Support may have limited ability to troubleshoot other hardware.
Reusing a suitable PC can therefore make sense if you already own the hardware and are comfortable setting it up. Buying Steam Machine makes more sense if the small enclosure and integrated living-room setup are the things you want to pay for. Game compatibility and hardware support still need to suit your library and setup.
If the new machine will use a family library, plan the licenses as well as the hardware. Our Steam Families DLC guide explains how copy selection affects access when two people own the same game. An extra PC gives you another place to play; simultaneous access still depends on the available game copies.
