A major pricing leak for Valve’s highly anticipated Steam Machine has emerged from an unlikely source: Czech retailer Smarty.cz. According to backend code uncovered on the retailer’s listing, two configurations of the upcoming gaming PC-console hybrid may retail at roughly $950 USD for the 512GB model and about $1,070 USD for the 2TB version — figures that have quickly spread across tech news outlets and gaming forums. These prices aren’t officially confirmed by Valve, but they represent the first concrete indication of what the Steam Machine could cost if released in 2026.
The leak was originally spotted by users inspecting the source code of a product page that didn’t publicly display prices. Hidden within, the price fields suggested 19,826 Czech koruna (~$950) for the base model and 22,305 koruna (~$1,070) for the larger-storage unit. Because these values came from a third-party retailer rather than Valve itself, industry analysts caution that they could be placeholder figures or include retailer markup — meaning Valve’s official MSRP could differ significantly once announced.
The revelation arrives amid ongoing global hardware supply challenges, particularly with RAM shortages that have inflated component pricing across the PC market. Some analysts believe this supply pressure helps explain why the Steam Machine could carry a significantly higher price tag than traditional consoles like the PS5 Pro or Xbox Series X.
Summary: A Czech retailer’s backend pricing leak suggests the upcoming Steam Machine could cost about $950 for 512GB and $1,070 for 2TB, significantly higher than many anticipated. These figures — pulled from Smarty.cz’s source code — are not confirmed by Valve and may include markup or placeholders, but they represent the first concrete price indicators ahead of an official announcement.
Leaked Pricing Breakdown: More Expensive Than Expected
The rumored pricing from Smarty.cz places the Steam Machine in a premium bracket compared with many consumers’ expectations:
- 512GB version: ~19,826 CZK (~$950 USD pre-tax)
- 2TB version: ~22,305 CZK (~$1,070 USD pre-tax)
These figures, translated from Czech koruna, indicate that Valve’s Steam Machine could cost substantially more than current next-gen consoles — even before regional taxes and retailer markups. While official Valve pricing has yet to be announced, this would put the device closer in cost to well-equipped gaming PCs than traditional console hardware.
The Steam Machine’s rumored position as a high-performance living-room PC — not subsidized like PlayStation or Xbox consoles — adds context to the pricing speculation. Valve has historically avoided selling hardware at a loss; this was similarly observed with the Steam Deck, where third-party listings often priced units significantly above Valve’s direct MSRP.
Community reactions to the leak have been mixed. Many gamers express sticker shock, noting that the price points would rival or exceed a well-spec’d laptop or custom small form-factor PC. Others argue that the backend pricing may be inflated by local tax rules or retailer margin, and that the true cost — once Valve formally announces details — might land lower than the leaked numbers suggest.
What This Means for Steam Machine Expectations
While this leak provides a first look at possible pricing, several key caveats should be emphasized:
- Unofficial figures: The prices are from retailer backend code, not a confirmed MSRP by Valve.
- Markup risk: Smarty.cz and similar resellers often include their own margins or placeholders, so the final consumer price could differ.
- Market conditions: Global hardware and memory shortages — especially for DDR5 RAM — may continue to push component costs higher throughout 2026.
If this leak proves even partially accurate, Valve’s Steam Machine could land well above many gamers’ expectations, positioning it as a premium alternative to budget consoles and a compact rival to more expensive gaming PCs. The pricing discussion is likely to intensify as Valve prepares to release official information, expected sometime ahead of a broader 2026 launch window.
