Featured Image Credit: Valve/Microsoft
Steam is widely regarded as the king of modern gaming, and it’s not hard to see why. Its digital storefront has been the place to go for the latest gaming deals and now the company is leaning more into hardware.
We’ve been waiting for more news on the Steam Machine for quite some time, as there’s still no release date attached, nor is there a price to talk about.
While we were waiting, Steam did offer up a pricing update, though it wasn’t the one we wanted. Valve’s handheld device, the Steam Deck, is getting one of the biggest price hikes we’ve ever seen, which is great news for Xbox for one big reason.
Those unfamiliar with the Xbox ROG Ally and Xbox ROG Ally X will want to get acquainted right about now.
The handheld made in collaboration with Asus is an impressive bit of kit and supports not just the Xbox Store, but Steam and the Epic Games Store too.
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GAMINGbible’s Kate Harrold called the device an “impressive all-rounder”, praising its performance but questioning if it was worth the price when the Steam Deck was such a cheaper alternative.
Times have changed though. Nowadays, you’ll be paying $789/£649 for the 512GB version of the Steam Deck, or $949/£779 for the 1TB model.
In comparison, you can grab a 512GB Xbox ROG Ally for $599/£499 or the more expensive 1TB ROG Xbox Ally X for $999/£899.
The difference between the most-expensive Steam Deck and most-expensive ROG is still around $100/£100 but you’re getting better performance, more games and a newer handheld for almost the same price.
That’s taking into account retail prices too. You’re likely to find an even better deal if you look for one second-hand rather than brand-new, though that of course, runs the risk of it having a fault or there being no warranty/returns.
Your other option is to hang on for the Steam Machine if you’re looking for a console-like experience for your PC games. Be warned, though. If Valve has raised the price of its Steam Deck by this much, it doesn’t place the Steam Machine in good stead. It’s already rumoured to cost nearly $1,000/£1,000 and it doesn’t even have better performance than an Xbox Series X.
Valve’s hardware succeeds in making your Steam library playable in a different format, but these updated prices are bound to put many gamers off. If you’re going to spend a silly amount of money on a console, you at least want it to be cutting-edge.
Good job Steam still excels at handing out free games…
