Concerned about the price of a steam engine? There is already a cheaper alternative

Valve recently announced Steam engine is poised to build a PC gaming giant in direct competition with home console makers such as Xbox and PlayStation. Given that the Steam Machine boasts features that make it more of a living room PC than a traditional gaming console, it's likely to come with a hefty price tag. For gamers looking for a way to play their Steam library on their TV without having to cash in on the Steam Machine, there's a more affordable option.

Gamers might be hard-pressed to find a more powerful living room gaming setup than the Steam Machine, which packs some impressive specs:

• CPU: Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 6C / 12T up to 4.8 GHz, 30 W TDP

• GPU: Semi-custom AMD RDNA3 28CUs 2.45 GHz max continuous clock, 110W TDP

• Supports 4K gaming at 60 FPS with FSR

• Ray tracing supported

• More than 6x more powerful than Steam Deck

• 16GB DDR5 + 8GB GDDR6 VRAM

• SSD models with a capacity of 512 GB and 2 TB

• Micro SD card slot for extended storage/portable catalog

• Internal power source, AC power supply 110-240V

However, this powerful hardware will likely come at a price that may be too high for the casual gamer to consider getting into. While Valve is introducing its new line of hardware alongside the Steam Machine, the existing Steam Deck handheld is surprisingly a fantastic alternative to a home console when combined with several peripherals.

A Steam Machine can cost a pretty Penny, so a Steam Deck might be the next best thing

Despite revealing the Steam Machine's internal specs, Valve has been tight-lipped about its price. Speculation suggests that the Steam Machine could cost anywhere between $700 and $1,000, making it closer to the price of a gaming PC than a home console. All that Valve has confirmed is that the Steam Machine will not have a subsidized price, meaning it will not be sold at a loss like other console manufacturers who make up the loss with profit from the games themselves.

Valve hasn't announced the price of the Steam Machine, but the Steam Deck is already a more affordable option

For the 50% of Game Rant readers who don't plan to buy a Steam Machine, the Steam Deck may be able to effectively achieve the same result for a fraction of the cost. Currently available Steam Deck prices include:

• 256GB LCD model – $400 (currently on sale for $319.20)

• 512GB OLED model – $549

• 1TB OLED model – $649

While the 1TB OLED Steam Deck is close to the expected price point of the Steam Machine, gamers can still replicate the home console experience with two cheaper models. Since the Steam Deck is primarily a handheld device, these cheaper models are comparable in price to the Nintendo Switch 2, which retails for $450 or $500 along with a game like Mario Kart World or Pokemon Legends: ZA.

How to make Steam Deck work as a home console

For the Steam Deck to be compatible with a TV, users will need to purchase a separate dock for it. Valve sells the official Steam Deck docking station for an additional $79, but there are compatible third-party options that are cheaper. The dock allows players to use their Steam Deck similar to the Nintendo Switch where an HDMI cable is used to connect the dock to a TV to display the Steam Deck screen on it.

Additionally, players will need some kind of controller to use with their Steam Deck while it's docked. The newly announced Steam Controller didn't receive an award, but the Xbox Series X/S Controller or the PlayStation DualSense Controller are also compatible with the Steam Deck. Both of these controllers can be had for around $50, especially with the PlayStation Black Friday sale.

That brings the total for this setup to around $530 with the cheapest 256GB LCD Steam Deck, official Steam Deck dock and controller. While the Steam Deck is less powerful than the Steam Machine, gamers who care more about the experience of playing their Steam library from the couch than raw performance can use this budget setup to avoid the cost of the Steam Machine.

Mark

Valve

Original release date

September 12, 2003

Original MSRP (USD)

ON

Weight

ON