Valve has unveiled the final figures for its Steam Machine, with a starting price of $1,049 for the 512GB configuration and $1,349 for the 2TB version. This hefty price tag is due to the lack of hardware subsidies and component shortages driven by a few dominant suppliers.

During an interview with Gamers Nexus, Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais revealed the brutal realities of negotiating RAM prices. With only a select few vendors—Samsung, Micron and SK Hynix—the choice becomes ‘take it or leave it.’ A no for them means no more deals.

The memory shortage is not unique to Valve; other tech giants are also reeling under this crisis. Even Apple’s Tim Cook has warned of impending price hikes across their range. The situation is so dire that Valve has opted for a minimum of one 16GB stick or two 8GB sticks in each Steam Machine, based on available supply.

Despite these challenges, Valve’s tests show that the choice between single and dual channels of RAM does not significantly impact gaming performance. However, the final prices are still steep compared to an earlier theoretical estimate that would have made them more palatable for customers.