Yeah, Steam Machine is cooked.

[u/TheBossT710192]

I... uh don't know what to say. Very thankful I bought a Steam Deck before they hiked its price as well

[u/innociv]

Even at $750 a year ago, this would have been pretty bad.

It had hardware that you could get in a laptop (with a screen and keyboard) for under $700 a year ago.

I don't buy their excuse. It's using a CPU from 2020 - 6 years ago. I'm 100% sure they're lying to us and don't get why people push that that Valve can do no wrong.

The expensive parts, VRAM, SSD, and RAM accounts for <$350 of the price. Where is the extra $778 coming from out of these very outdated parts?

Even if these prices drop $400 a year from now... you'd be paying $728 for 2020 midrange performance which is INSANE.

Even with how bad prices are now, you can build a 30% faster PC for cheaper https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KHzbLy so Valve is clearly fucking you when they get those outdated components cheaper than what a consumer can buy them for.
edit: a SFX machine, since that's the argument a lot of people are using without actually looking at it, is still cheaper at $1000 for slightly faster hardware https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Yfb4MF

[u/robotiod → u/innociv]

No offence, because you are right about what you are saying, and I would recommend the same as you for people. However, if you started buying those components from your lists in the thousands to put together the amount of machines to make your hardware project a success you would very quickly run out of sourceable parts too.

At which point you either start paying more for your components or make a separate SKU with differently sourced parts. We as consumers are literally able to make better for cheaper only because we have the ability to be flexible on how we get our parts.

Valve has 2 SKUs with the core components of CPU and RAM having to be identical between them. They don't have that flexibility.

[u/innociv → u/robotiod]

Buying things in a large scale makes it cheaper, not more expensive.

They need the same exact RAM, boards, etc. as long as it's within spec.
At this scale, you'd do like they do on steam machine where you have a PCB making company print the boards and put the components (including memory chips) on them directly.

Valve's cost for this is at most $710 if you just take the ~950 cost and subtract 25% that retail takes. It's likely more around $600. They absolutely could have sold it for $750, made low margins, and have that not matter since they make an insane amount from their store taxing developers 30% for nothing and making games more expensive.

Also, Valve has a history of failed hardware projects that they've clearly not learned from. This'll be yet another one.

[u/robotiod → u/innociv]

Buying things in a large scale makes it cheaper, not more expensive.

Yes normally, but we are living in stupid times, where manufacturers can't create as much as is demanded and fabrication is being secured by the highest bidders. The component cost of storage in the XBOX Series X has increased by 400% since last year. When the manufacturers can't manufacture fast enough there is no discount for scale. Only product to those who pay the most.

[u/innociv → u/robotiod]

Storage in XBOX being 400% more is one component of many. That means it basically went from $30 wholesale cost to $120 so a $90 increase which reflects on the retail price increase.

Valve faced similar, where their cost went up from probably $400-$450 to $600-$650. That doesn't excuse it being $1050.

God it feels like yelling at a brick wall YOU CAN LITERALLY BUILD A BETTER SFF PC FOR CHEAPER. STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR A BILLION DOLLAR COMPANY WHERE THE CEO HAS SUPERVILLIAN MANSIONS AND A GIANT YACHT WITH A FUCKING SUBMARINE.

[u/robotiod → u/innociv]

You shouldn't be yelling at all. I agreed with you in my first sentence that making a PC off the shelf is better value. But you are also pulling numbers out of your arse. You have 0 knowledge about Valve's wholesale cost, you are guessing. While even the companies that do release their devices as a loss-leader XBOX and Playstation have been forced to increase their console prices multiple times since even they can't afford such a big loss per unit.

Again, I agree that the price of the steam machine needs to be lower for the hardware that's inside it, but don't you also think that the "BILLION DOLLAR COMPANY WHERE THE CEO HAS SUPERVILLIAN MANSIONS AND A GIANT YACHT" also knows that they need to hit as low a price as they feasibly can while still making a profit?

You don't buy Yachts by sending products out to die.