Steam Machine's Price Leak Suggests It's Going to Quite Expensive

Valve still hasn't confirmed Steam Machine pricing, but a retailer leak is doing what Valve won't: giving people numbers to argue about. A Czech store listing didn't show prices on the page, but the site's code allegedly did. And if the figures are real, this "hybrid PC/console" is heading into premium territory.

If you want the quick UAE context: $950 is roughly AED 3490, and $1070 is roughly AED 3930. That's before any regional markup (and there will be because Valve doesn't ship to the UAE).

For a fuller explainer on Valve’s new hardware push, here’s our earlier breakdown: Valve just announced three new hardware — Steam Machine is back from the dead.

What exactly leaked (and where it came from)

The pricing didn’t appear as a normal product price tag. It was reportedly found by checking the retailer page’s source code.

• Leak source: Czech retailer Smarty (listed Steam Machine, but no visible price)
• Method: source-code digging shared by ClawSomeGamer
• Valve status: no official Steam Machine pricing yet

Tom’s Guide says Smarty is reportedly an authorised Valve seller in Europe, which gives the leak a bit more weight. But it’s still a leak. Retailers use placeholders all the time, and internal pricing fields can be guesses. So treat this like “useful noise”, not confirmation.

The leaked prices and the “maybe it’s lower” twist

The numbers spotted in code point to two storage options, and both start high.

• 512GB: 19,826 CZK (about $950)
• 2TB: 22,306 CZK (about $1,070)
• Possible explanation: Smarty may apply a 17% markup, implying lower baseline pricing
• “Lower” estimate mentioned: about $814 (512GB) and $916 (2TB)

Even if you take the “markup-adjusted” numbers, you’re still looking at around AED 2,990 to AED 3,365 on a straight conversion. And that’s before you add UAE retail margins, VAT handling differences, and stock availability. So yes, “lower” can still mean “not cheap”.

For more on why a PC-style price was always on the cards, see: Valve Steam Machine will cost PC-level money.

How it compares to PS5 Pro and Xbox pricing

This is where the leak gets awkward. If the Steam Machine lands near these numbers, it’s pricing itself closer to a compact gaming PC than a mainstream console.

• Tom’s Guide comparison: PS5 Pro and priciest Xbox Series X variants are still under $800
• Stated baseline console prices: PS5 $499 and Series X $649 (both 1TB, per the article)
• Implication: Steam Machine would be asking you to pay extra for the “PC console” idea

If you’re shopping in the UAE and you’re simply trying to get the most gaming for your dirhams, it’s worth sanity-checking console options before you mentally budget for a Steam Machine. Our guide is updated with local pricing ranges: Which PS5 should you buy in the UAE?.

Why prices might be climbing (and what Valve might do)

Even if the leak turns out to be off, Tom’s Guide makes one point that’s hard to ignore: hardware pricing pressure is real right now.

• The article points to a worsening RAM crisis linked to AI memory demand
• It suggests price rises across devices, including phones, MacBooks, laptops, and consoles
• It notes Valve could still undercut third-party pricing by selling direct
• Release timing: no official date yet for Steam Machine or Steam Frame

Tom’s Guide also gives a simple example of how third-party pricing can balloon versus buying direct from Valve, using Steam Deck OLED pricing differences. That’s a useful reminder for UAE buyers: if the Steam Machine is sold here mainly via resellers at first, early pricing could be… spicy.

If you’re trying to decide whether to wait, this might help: Steam Deck 2 isn’t ready yet — should you wait or buy OLED?

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