Steam Week in Review: A Shift in PC Gaming’s Mainstream Future?
Last week, PC Gamer’s Andy Edser highlighted an article that seemed to indicate a massive drop in Steam Deck sales. While the math involved, conducted by Boiling Steam, might be questionable, it does capture some of the anxiety surrounding Valve’s hardware and its potential future.
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The Steam Deck OLED’s price increase in May was a significant blow to the platform’s mainstream-friendly appeal. The 1TB model rose from $649 to $949, and the 512GB model went from $549 to $789. Valve attributed these price hikes to the current state of component costs and global logistical challenges across the industry.
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The Steam Machine, initially predicted to cost around $600 in November 2025, now comes with a minimum price tag of $1,049. This drastic price increase has made it unaffordable for many potential buyers. As Andy Edser wrote in June, the Steam Machine is ‘the biggest victim of the RAMpocalypse to date.’
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Valve’s compatibility module hasn’t been updated to reflect the Steam Machine’s existence, and browsing Steam often leaves the device’s existence unnoticed. Developers aren’t discussing their games’ compatibility with the Steam Machine, unlike with the Steam Deck. External factors have seemingly demolished the viability of these products.
Despite this, the Steam Deck consistently appears in Valve’s list of Steam’s top products by revenue, reaching 14th place last week and 9th the week before. This result is influenced by the fact that the Steam Deck is much more expensive than average games, but it still proves that people are buying them.
The Steam Machine and Steam Deck were intended to mark a shift in how PC gaming is perceived. Gaming on a PC is significantly easier in 2026 than it was in 2016, but consoles are still considered the easier route by millions of people. With the Steam Machine and Steam Deck, Valve had a chance to prove everyone wrong.
However, the timing seemed immaculate in November 2025, given the existential crises facing Xbox and PlayStation. Now, three months later, Steam Machine’s long-term effect on the industry seems highly unlikely.
Steam’s Top Sellers and Deep Cuts
Counter-Strike 2 holds its position as the number one seller on Steam, despite the release of Halo: Campaign Evolved and the 1.0 launch of Palworld. DragonSword: Awakening, a non-gacha take on Genshin Impact, is a popular title, as is Shift at Midnight, an indie game that blends retail sim trappings with horror.
Machine Party, a collection of gruesome party games, and Dog of Wisdom, a cheeky 8-bit action throwback, are just a couple of the interesting releases on Steam. Midnight Moments, a chill diorama builder with a cyberpunk theme, and Dverghold, a promising new blobber, are also worth checking out.
Steam Review of the Week
A review of Alien Kink VR praises the game’s humor, saying ‘I now understand why people push people in front of trains. It’s super funny.’
