TL;DR: Valve’s upcoming Steam Machine, set for release in 2026, aims to combine affordability and ease of use. Recent leaks suggest prices around $950 for a 512GB model and $1,070 for 2TB, comparable to high-end devices, though official pricing remains unconfirmed amid memory supply challenges.
Yes, we do. Valve themselves have said it.
https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/valves-decision-not-sell-steam-171635100.html
The purpose of the Steam Deck is not to take over PC gaming or lock people into a store. It is to further Valve’s goal of enabling Linux for gaming and reduce dependency on Windows.
See also: Valve putting SteamOS on other hardware and allowing self-installs on any commodity hardware rig. Can I install XboxOS or PlayStationOS on my PC today?
Steam doesn’t need a lock-in. It is the de facto store for PC gaming already. Even Epic giving away free AAA games for years hasn’t made a meaningful dent in Steam’s dominance.