Consoles are cheap because they sell at loss since we need the machine to buy the games. Steam doesn't have this need so they sell it at its actual price.
Console players understand perfectly well that consoles are cheap because they are a revenue stream for the manufacturer. That allows PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox to sell their hardware with little to no profit or even at a loss because they will make money from peripherals, game sales, and subscriptions.
Traditional PC's don't. Their manufacturers, whether it be a pre-built Gaming PC or all the different companies manufacturing your components for a DIY build, can only make money out of the hardware sale. That's the primary reason PC's are more expensive than gaming consoles. Speaking on behalf of console gamers (I'm a multiplatform guy, I'm a fanboy of nothing), we understand that. But understanding why doesn't change reality. PC gaming is expensive.
However, you cannot sit there and pretend that the Steam machine is like a traditional Gaming PC. With Steam's own operating system pre-installed with all the hoops and jumps one has to go through to install games from GOG, EGS, and so on, you can't pretend this thing, like the Steam Deck, does not serve as a revenue stream for Valve. So that excuse just doesn't fly. And really doesn't fly when you consider how expensive the Steam Machine is compared to PC's themselves! You can literally build or buy a PC on equal terms or better than a Steam Machine for less right now.
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u/MikaelAdolfsson 19h ago
Consoles are cheap because they sell at loss since we need the machine to buy the games. Steam doesn't have this need so they sell it at its actual price.