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Scalpers are already selling the Steam Machine for over $3000 on eBay despite Valve's efforts
(www.tweaktown.com)
this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2026
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This may go down as one of the biggest tech flops of all time. Just couldn't have picked a worse time to release it.
There's always a bigger flop. Apple Vision Pro is 3 times the price and less use than Steam Machine. Most people reportedly just leave it as a dust gatherer after the honeymoon period is over.
And then we have the OG Steam Machine. It's a weird product that no one wanted, it isn't different like a console is, and it isn't better than a PC can be. It's a product that isn't build by themselves, but a joint venture with hardware maker.
Then we have NFT. You can't top that.
I would argue that at least the Vision Pro offers something no other Apple product does.
The Steam Machine is a compact PC and its largest customer base are people who are invested in Steam, and thus they already own a PC.
It's the form factor that's different here. Steam Machine is for the living room like a console, most people build a PC station and use it with a desk. Steam Machine is getting into the market of couch gaming and that's what they aim for with the form factor and the ease of use. There is market here, but the price is the one thing that failed.
Exactly the steam mahcine isn't aiming for PC gamers, it is aiming for console players.
Base PS5: $649.99
PS5 Digital Edition: $599.99
PS5 Pro: $899.99
https://mashable.com/article/sony-playstation-ps5-price-hike-economic-pressure
Steam isn't the only one affected by the RAM shortage.
Or people like me. I used to own a PC. Life kept happening. I have a huge library. I'd like to dip back in.
I would also argue the Vision Pro was never expected to sell in volume or make a profit. It was always a test. If it established a market of content, it was a prototype and they win. If it was just a curiosity, the loss was budgeted and they never spent the money to scale up
I was always more interested in the Steam Frame. That will be my first VR-device ever, and i'm hyped for that.
The Machine has one advantage: Valve will probably keep it on the market for quite a while. When prices get a bit more "normal" again, i'm sure they will reduce the price to match the new reality. The Machine is really more like a PC for people who don't have the tech skills to setup a DIY PC, and that's what people are paying for.
Yeah I don't get why more people don't understand its just a prebuilt PC with SteamOS.
Because most prebuilts are not designed to be placed in the living room (neither dimensionwise nor acousticwise) except if you pay a shitton for a device with an uncommon form factor, and then you have to configure everything yourself. The Steam Machine combines the form factor of a small, very silent HTPC with enough performance to use it for gaming in an all-in-one package - that definitely is an attractive prospect, and it's the reason it's seen with different eyes, even tho - objectively seen - it's specs arent great at all.