In early 2026, a leak caused a stir among gaming fans: the price of the Steam Machine, Valve’s PC-console, may be much higher than expected. Meanwhile, the company has not yet announced official prices, but listings from retailers in the Czech Republic revealed surprising figures. The 512GB version appears for around R$ 5,200 and the 1TB version surpasses the R$ 5,800 mark, before taxes. Thus, if confirmed, these prices would place Valve’s hardware in a price range well above traditional consoles, such as the PlayStation 5 Pro and the Xbox Series X.
How did this leak happen? The information emerged from the source code of major Czech retailer websites, which raises doubts about its accuracy. However, the fact that two different sources presented similar values gives some credibility to the numbers. Valve, which revealed the Steam Machine in November of last year, remains silent on price and release date. Therefore, experts recommend caution, as the values may only be estimates or placeholders. Still, the possibility of such a high price has already sparked debate about the product’s positioning in the market.
Why could the price be so high?
There are strong reasons behind a possible high price. Unlike Sony and Microsoft, Valve does not usually subsidize its hardware, meaning it does not sell at a loss to profit from games. The Steam Machine will be priced as a compact gaming PC, with all the costs of high-end components built-in. Furthermore, the world is still facing a global shortage of chips and NAND memory, which pushes prices upward. Because of this, even if Valve wants to keep tight margins, the component landscape makes the task difficult. Thus, the device arrives at a challenging time for the consumer’s wallet.
What does this mean for the Brazilian gamer? If the leaks are confirmed, the Steam Machine will arrive in Brazil with a very high starting price, possibly above R$ 6,000 for the more robust versions. This price places it in a different category from current consoles, competing more directly with high-performance custom-built PCs. Therefore, the big question remains: will gamers be willing to pay this premium for hardware that promises the freedom of a PC with the convenience of a console? The answer, however, will only come with the official announcement, expected to occur in the first quarter of 2026.
