Steam Machine Could Have Been ~30% Cheaper Without RAM Crunch, Valve Says
Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais said the Steam Machine's launch price was inflated by the DRAM shortage, and without that RAM crisis it could have cost about $730–$750—roughly 30% cheaper than the actual price—putting it closer to PS5 pricing and underscoring how an open PC hardware approach can raise costs compared with subsidized consoles.