Valve's Steam Machine may be selling between 12,000 and 15,000 units per week despite its high price

[midian182]

Connecting the dots: Given its high price and the far-from-cutting-edge hardware, some have assumed that the Steam Machine isn't going to be a big seller for Valve. But according to a new report, the mini-PC/console hybrid is selling between 12,000 and 15,000 units per week.

Those figures come from Boiling Steam, which used Steam's own global best-sellers list to estimate the number of Steam Machine sales.

The device is currently the platform's second-biggest seller globally, sitting behind Counter-Strike 2 and above Palworld. Based on real-time revenue data, it's estimated that Counter-Strike 2 generates around $19 million and $20 million in revenue each week. Palworld, meanwhile, earns around $7 million to $9 million weekly. That puts the Steam Machine's revenue somewhere between $10 million and $18 million each week.

A weighted average distribution model shows that 65% of people who buy a Steam Machine pick the $1,049 base option with 512GB of storage, while the remaining 35% opt for the $1,349 2TB version. Using that model, the average price someone pays for a Steam Machine is $1,154.

In the lower-bound scenario, around 8,700 Steam Machines are sold each week. The upper bound is limited to 15,600 units, and the mid bound is 12,000 to 15,000 units. That would put annual sales somewhere between 600,000 and 750,000 units.

One of the big caveats here is that most hyped products experience a boom in sales upon launch before an inevitable slowdown over the following weeks and months, which could cause sales to fall by 20% to 30%. That cooling-off period could be exacerbated as cheaper competitors are released. One also has to wonder how many initial units were bought by scalpers.

Despite a lot of these calculations being based on rough estimates, they still offer a good idea of how many Steam Machines are being purchased – Valve doesn't release official figures. One million Steam Machines sold in just a year and a half would certainly be an impressive feat for something that has faced plenty of criticism over its price and performance.

What might also help Steam Machine sales is the recent release of official Windows drivers for the device, allowing owners to install software and games that SteamOS does not yet support, such as multiplayer titles with strict anti-cheat systems. Benchmarks found that in most games, SteamOS and Windows 11 were within a few frames of each other.

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Valve's Steam Machine may be selling between 12,000 and 15,000 units per week despite its high price

 

[Theinsanegamer]

780k a year. That puts it behind such stories successes as the Dreamcast, the Wii u, and the 3DO.

Truly an incredible achievement.

 

[yRaz]

Something I have seen from some people who have bought the steam machine inspite of it's price is that they want a Linux gaming machine but are afraid to have to touch the console and look up scripts. They essentially want Linux with official support and a seem less experience.

I've told people that this is fubar and you can just install Mint or Zorin on any machine, but I guess people are willing to pay a premium to escape windows. That, and afraid of touching computers. I had this 23 yr old kid at work pay me $80 to replace his 1050ti with a 9060. He bought the card but was just afraid to install it

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Something I have seen from some people who have bought the steam machine inspite of it's price is that they want a Linux gaming machine but are afraid to have to touch the console and look up scripts. They essentially want Linux with official support and a seem less experience.

I've told people that this is fubar and you can just install Mint or Zoron on any machine, but I guess people are will to pay a premium to escape windows. That, and afraid of touching computers. I had this 23 yr old kid at work pay me $80 to replace his 1050ti with a 9060. He bought the card but was just afraid to install it

People being afraid of the magic black box that is the PC make up half my business.

 

[yRaz]

People being afraid of the magic black box that is the PC make up half my business.

A trend I've noticed is that PCs are easier than ever to build and there are more people than ever afraid to touch them. Computer literacy seems to be dropping. They think swapping a GPU is hard? I can't imagine these guys in the age of adjusting jumpers on motherboards and drives. God forbid they have to read the manual!

 

[stewi0001]

Something I have seen from some people who have bought the steam machine inspite of it's price is that they want a Linux gaming machine but are afraid to have to touch the console and look up scripts. They essentially want Linux with official support and a seem less experience.

I've told people that this is fubar and you can just install Mint or Zoron on any machine, but I guess people are will to pay a premium to escape windows. That, and afraid of touching computers. I had this 23 yr old kid at work pay me $80 to replace his 1050ti with a 9060. He bought the card but was just afraid to install it

insert spit take here

 

[Evrsr]

What else is readily available of this size that has these GPU capabilities and is not just another low end APU?
I mean, Valve would happily have used a cut down Strix Halo if it was cheap.

I have yet to see an alternative other than "build your own with junk parts". People who think this is replaced by a big box are not getting the point.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

What else is readily available of this size that has these GPU capabilities and is not just another low end APU?
I mean, Valve would happily have used a cut down Strix Halo if it was cheap.

I have yet to see an alternative other than "build your own with junk parts". People who think this is replaced by a big box are not getting the point.

My media pc is 5 liters, smaller then either of the current consoles, and beats the snot out of the steam box. Oh yeah, it's also capable at running well under 100c, unlike the GabeCube, and it is fully upgradeable, again unlike the GabeCube.

There is more to the world then ATX cases you know.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Stats are flawed - the initial rush of purchases (and the backlog of actual units to ship) makes it look like they are selling tons… let’s look at REAL numbers in 6 months…

Marketing it as a console is a genius move - most people aren’t knowledgeable enough to realize that it can be replaced by a PC that can do everything it can do (and more) at a comparable (often cheaper) price.

Many purchasers think this is similar to a PlayStation or Xbox where the games are exclusive to it… sucker born every minute…

 

[Rudyduu]

My media pc is 5 liters, smaller then either of the current consoles, and beats the snot out of the steam box. Oh yeah, it's also capable at running well under 100c, unlike the GabeCube, and it is fully upgradeable, again unlike the GabeCube.

There is more to the world then ATX cases you know.

What are the specs of this, unpriced, machine? Being a SFF computer it's going to have to make some compromises for sure on noise, heat and cost.

 

[Squid Surprise]

What are the specs of this, unpriced, machine? Being a SFF computer it's going to have to make some compromises for sure on noise, heat and cost.

Ask ChatGPT if you can build this and here’s your answer I use CAD but if you are American, just subtract about 30% from all prices.
____________________________________

Yes. In fact, if your goal is a living-room gaming/media PC, you can build something in under 5 L that is significantly faster than a Steam Deck/Steam Machine-class device while still costing less than buying a current handheld or many mini gaming PCs.


Here is the build I’d recommend today.

Component	Recommendation	Approx. Price (CAD)
Case	Densium 4+ (4.0 L) or NFC Skyreach 4 Mini	$180–250
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 8600G	$260
Cooler	Noctua NH-L9a-AM5	$70
Motherboard	Mini-ITX B650I	$220
RAM	32 GB DDR5-6000 CL30	$120
SSD	1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe	$80
PSU	HDPLEX 250W GaN or Enhance Flex ATX	$150
Total		~$1,100 CAD

Performance


The Ryzen 8600G’s Radeon 760M iGPU is roughly:

• 2–3× faster than the Steam Deck’s RDNA2 GPU
• Strong enough for:
  • Baldur’s Gate 3
  • Elden Ring
  • Cyberpunk 2077
  • Diablo IV
  • Helldivers 2

Typical performance:

• 1080p Medium: 45–70 FPS
• 720p High: 60–120 FPS
• Excellent emulation up through PS3, Wii U, and Switch (game dependent)

It also has a much faster CPU than the Steam Deck, making Windows and general desktop use feel substantially snappier.


Media capabilities


It also excels as an HTPC:

• AV1 hardware decode
• HEVC 10-bit
• HDR
• HDMI 2.1
• DisplayPort 2.1
• Dolby Atmos passthrough
• Plex, Jellyfin, Kodi, Steam Big Picture, or SteamOS-compatible Linux

Power draw during video playback is only around 10–20 W.


If you want maximum gaming performance


If you’re willing to go just slightly larger (around 5 L), you can fit a low-profile discrete GPU.


For example:

• Ryzen 5 7500F
• RTX 4060 Low Profile (or newer equivalent if available)

That system would be approximately:

• 5–7× faster than a Steam Deck
• Capable of 1080p Ultra and even 1440p gaming
• Around $1,200–1,400 CAD, depending on GPU pricing

My favorite option


If I were building the smallest practical all-in-one media and gaming PC today, I’d choose:

• Densium 4+ (4 L)
• Ryzen 5 8600G
• 32 GB DDR5-6000
• 2 TB NVMe SSD
• Noctua NH-L9a

It’s virtually silent during media playback, compact enough to disappear beside a TV, and substantially more capable than a Steam Deck as both a gaming machine and a general-purpose PC.


If your budget is under $800 CAD, I can also spec a sub-5 L build using the Ryzen 5 8600G that still outperforms the Steam Deck while keeping costs as low as possible.

 

[yRaz]

My media pc is 5 liters, smaller then either of the current consoles, and beats the snot out of the steam box. Oh yeah, it's also capable at running well under 100c, unlike the GabeCube, and it is fully upgradeable, again unlike the GabeCube.

There is more to the world then ATX cases you know.

You built that at different time in different market. build a computer under the same requirements steam had to make the steam machine today. All components are commercially available new and still currently being manufactured, add in the cost of having some assemble it and then add the 20% margin that is industry standard. I would like to point out that memory prices have started rising again after being stable for a couple months so if that trend continues, it will become a better deal over time, not worse. Sure, you can customer build a PC that's cheaper and probably a little faster, but no custome build will ever be a commercially viable product and that's what the steam machine is.

It is also important to note that people arent just paying for the hardware, its official linux support and warranty support. I will never trust a warranty again after Asus refused to replace my 1080ti, but that's still important to some people

 

[yRaz]

The Ryzen 8600G’s Radeon 760M iGPU is roughly:

• 2–3× faster than the Steam Deck’s RDNA2 GPU

You have that backwards. The steam machine equivalent is a rx7600 and thats ~3x faster than the 760m

 

[Rudyduu]

Something I have seen from some people who have bought the steam machine inspite of it's price is that they want a Linux gaming machine but are afraid to have to touch the console and look up scripts. They essentially want Linux with official support and a seem less experience.

I've told people that this is fubar and you can just install Mint or Zorin on any machine, but I guess people are willing to pay a premium to escape windows. That, and afraid of touching computers. I had this 23 yr old kid at work pay me $80 to replace his 1050ti with a 9060. He bought the card but was just afraid to install it

You charged a work colleague $80 to "help" them out? I know you are trying to make this young person feel bad about themselves, but you made yourself out to be the bad guy. You could have helped them to do it themselves so they could have the feeling of accomplishment you only get for doing something you didn't think you could do, but instead of helping you decided to make some money off of them and then complained about it like a massive hypocrite.

Many people need just one moment where they do something they didn't think they could do to change their life's trajectory or at least to be more comfortable trying to do something they don't know how to do. Way to perpetuate and be part of the problem you complained about.

 

[Squid Surprise]

You have that backwards. The steam machine equivalent is a rx7600 and thats ~3x faster than the 760m

And I had a 8600G instead…

 

[yRaz]

And I had a 8600G instead…

Both are zen4 CPUs but the 8600g has a lower TDP

 

[Theinsanegamer]

What are the specs of this, unpriced, machine? Being a SFF computer it's going to have to make some compromises for sure on noise, heat and cost.

I5 14600k, 32gb of ddr5 6400 ram, and a rtx 5060 low profile.

It runs 20c cooler on the GPU, and ~35c cooler on the CPU, then the GabeCube. 2tb SSD.

Rough coat for this machine, at current memory and ssd pricing, would be right around $1400.

The gabecubes rx 7400 and mobile CPU are a massive ripoff. Sorry to burst your bubble, but you can do a lot better then the steam machine if you are not scared of screwdrivers.

You charged a work colleague $80 to "help" them out? I know you are trying to make this young person feel bad about themselves, but you made yourself out to be the bad guy. You could have helped them to do it themselves so they could have the feeling of accomplishment you only get for doing something you didn't think you could do, but instead of helping you decided to make some money off of them and then complained about it like a massive hypocrite.

Many people need just one moment where they do something they didn't think they could do to change their life's trajectory or at least to be more comfortable trying to do something they don't know how to do. Way to perpetuate and be part of the problem you complained about.

You may value your time so poorly that you'd give it away for free, but others do not. A work college is not a close friend, you are not getting my time for free.

You built that at different time in different market. build a computer under the same requirements steam had to make the steam machine today. All components are commercially available new and still currently being manufactured, add in the cost of having some assemble it and then add the 20% margin that is industry standard. I would like to point out that memory prices have started rising again after being stable for a couple months so if that trend continues, it will become a better deal over time, not worse. Sure, you can customer build a PC that's cheaper and probably a little faster, but no custome build will ever be a commercially viable product and that's what the steam machine is.

It is also important to note that people arent just paying for the hardware, its official linux support and warranty support. I will never trust a warranty again after Asus refused to replace my 1080ti, but that's still important to some people

I built it this year. Stop making statements when you are ignorant of the facts.

I don't have the advantage of scale or negotiating power of megacorps. There is no reason the steam machine, with such pathetic hardware, should cost this much.

 

[yRaz]

I built it this year. Stop making statements when you are ignorant of the facts.

I don't have the advantage of scale or negotiating power of megacorps. There is no reason the steam machine, with such pathetic hardware, should cost this much.

Literally not even 2 hours after I decided to unblock you....

Noone has negotiating power right now, thats part of the problem. valve even stated publicly they had no choice in what memory was avaliable to them to put in the steam machine, they wanted 2x8gb and anything anyone would sell them was 1x16gb sticks

Owell, wish I could say it was nice while it lasted. Guess I'll put you back on my block list

 

[Squid Surprise]

Both are zen4 CPUs but the 8600g has a lower TDP

oops... wrong cut/paste:

Component	Recommendation
Case	Custom_Mod SLM2 (~5 L)
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 7500F
Cooler	Thermalright AXP90-X36 or Noctua NH-L9a
Motherboard	B650 Mini-ITX
RAM	32 GB DDR5-6000 CL30
GPU	RTX 5060 Low Profile 8 GB
SSD	1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe
PSU	Enhance Flex ATX 500–600 W

​

Estimated total: ~$1,550 CAD

Still cheaper and better than Steam machine

 

[yRaz]

You charged a work colleague $80 to "help" them out? I know you are trying to make this young person feel bad about themselves, but you made yourself out to be the bad guy. You could have helped them to do it themselves so they could have the feeling of accomplishment you only get for doing something you didn't think you could do, but instead of helping you decided to make some money off of them and then complained about it like a massive hypocrite.

Many people need just one moment where they do something they didn't think they could do to change their life's trajectory or at least to be more comfortable trying to do something they don't know how to do. Way to perpetuate and be part of the problem you complained about.

I didn't want to do it at all. I had to goto his house, uninstall the old drivers and install the new ones for something he should have been able to do himself. Whole thing added 4 hours to my day because I had to goto his house after work, put it in and then drive the opposite direction back to my house.

 

[yRaz]

oops... wrong cut/paste:

Component	Recommendation
Case	Custom_Mod SLM2 (~5 L)
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 7500F
Cooler	Thermalright AXP90-X36 or Noctua NH-L9a
Motherboard	B650 Mini-ITX
RAM	32 GB DDR5-6000 CL30
GPU	RTX 5060 Low Profile 8 GB
SSD	1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe
PSU	Enhance Flex ATX 500–600 W

​

Estimated total: ~$1,550 CAD

Still cheaper and better than Steam machine

Im not saying you can't build something cheaper, faster or both. What im saying is that you can't get a commercially viable product with a warranty and offical linux support for less. Everyone is showing plenty of great alternatives to the steam machine, but obviously people still want it and the reason they want it isn't just a performance thing.

I dont understand the hate behind the steam machine. If you don't like it, dont buy it. It's perfectly okay if the steam machine doesn't make sense for you, but it does make sense for plenty of other people

 

[ceebee]

780k a year. That puts it behind such stories successes as the Dreamcast, the Wii u, and the 3DO.

Truly an incredible achievement.

Literally all of those had highly publicized marketing push (especially Dreamcast) and were widely available at various retailers. Steam Machine is exclusive to the Valve's store, so it's way more niche, just like the Steam Deck. It was never going to move the needle, but it's still a success (so far) for its absurd price.

 

[ceebee]

Im not saying you can't build something cheaper, faster or both. What im saying is that you can't get a commercially viable product with a warranty and offical linux support for less. Everyone is showing plenty of great alternatives to the steam machine, but obviously people still want it and the reason they want it isn't just a performance thing.

I dont understand the hate behind the steam machine. If you don't like it, dont buy it. It's perfectly okay if the steam machine doesn't make sense for you, but it does make sense for plenty of other people

The hate really seems forced. Some people seem offended by its mere existence.

 

[Evrsr]

And I had a 8600G instead…

So it is not comparable... A 32GB DDR5 kit is also not $120 CAD.

Your build is cool but the issue is fitting a GPU in that form factor. If people do not mind a bigger box, sure go get it.

I am gaming on an similar system and do not have the urge to upgrade. If DDR prices come down, Steam Machine is top of my list to get.

Or if AMD gets Strix Halo 388 system down to SM prices, sure why not. (it is still slower)

 

[yRaz]

So it is not comparable... A 32GB DDR5 kit is also not $120 CAD.

Your build is cool but the issue is fitting a GPU in that form factor. If people do not mind a bigger box, sure go get it.

I am gaming on an similar system and do not have the urge to upgrade. If DDR prices come down, Steam Machine is top of my list to get.

Or if AMD gets Strix Halo 388 system down to SM prices, sure why not. (it is still slower)

Well it looks like camm2 might solve some of the LPDDR5 upgradability problems but I have a feeling that manufacturers like the non upgradablity of lpddr5. My biggest problem isn't so much upgradablity, its that memory issues are the most common hardware fault I encounter. It's impossible to diagnose and repair memory issues with lpddr5