Valve explains why it isn’t subsidizing the Steam Machine

Valve 解释为何不对 Steam Machine 进行补贴

Valve finally announced the price of the Steam Machine, and like a lot of new gadgets these days, it’s not cheap: It starts at $1,049 for a 512GB model, and a 2TB model costs $300 more. Configurations with a bundled Steam Controller cost an extra $79 each. Valve 终于公布了 Steam Machine 的价格，和如今许多新设备一样，它并不便宜：512GB 型号起售价为 1,049 美元，2TB 型号则需多付 300 美元。若配置捆绑的 Steam Controller，每台需额外支付 79 美元。

Despite Valve offering a console alternative with the Steam Machine — a compact piece of hardware that can easily hook up to your TV to play your Steam library — those prices mean the Machine is much more expensive than console counterparts like the PS5 ($599.99), Xbox Series X ($649.99), and PS5 Pro ($899.99) while performing similarly to a PS5. 尽管 Valve 通过 Steam Machine 提供了一种主机替代方案——这是一款可以轻松连接电视并畅玩 Steam 游戏库的紧凑型硬件——但这些价格意味着该设备比 PS5（599.99 美元）、Xbox Series X（649.99 美元）和 PS5 Pro（899.99 美元）等主机竞品贵得多，而其性能却与 PS5 相当。

While console makers sometimes subsidize their hardware to bring prices down, Valve is choosing not to do that with the Steam Machine. Here’s what Valve said in remarks provided to The Verge: 虽然主机制造商有时会通过补贴硬件来降低价格，但 Valve 选择不对 Steam Machine 采取这种做法。以下是 Valve 向《The Verge》提供的说明：

“While this might seem like an easy solution, it doesn’t align with our beliefs about how healthy ecosystems are built. If there’s anything we’re religious about at Valve, it’s our belief that open systems are better in the long run, for ourselves and customers. The openness of the PC ecosystem in particular has enabled it to be the primary driver of hardware and software innovation, because anyone with an idea for a way to do something better was able to take a shot at it. When companies sell their hardware under cost for competitive advantage, or buy exclusive content for it, they’re doing that to build a more closed system, one where you don’t get to choose what software you want to use.” “虽然这看起来是一个简单的解决方案，但这并不符合我们关于如何构建健康生态系统的理念。如果说 Valve 有什么坚守的信仰，那就是我们相信从长远来看，开放系统对我们和客户都更好。特别是 PC 生态系统的开放性，使其成为硬件和软件创新的主要驱动力，因为任何有更好想法的人都能尝试去实现它。当公司为了竞争优势而亏本销售硬件，或为其购买独占内容时，他们实际上是在构建一个更封闭的系统，让你无法自由选择想要使用的软件。”

“We don’t want that for PC hardware, and we don’t think you should want it either. You shouldn’t feel like you have to buy Valve hardware; you should be able to view it as just one option alongside all the devices for playing games, and select the one that makes sense for you. This means you get to decide which device fits your personal tradeoffs around things like price, performance, form factor, peripheral support, and everything else you care about. That’s the strength of the open PC platform, and subsidizing hardware runs counter to it.” “我们不希望 PC 硬件变成那样，也不认为你应该希望它变成那样。你不应该觉得非买 Valve 的硬件不可；你应该将其视为众多游戏设备中的一个选项，并选择最适合你的那一个。这意味着你可以根据自己在价格、性能、外形、外设支持以及其他你关心的方面所做的权衡，来决定哪款设备适合你。这就是开放 PC 平台的优势，而补贴硬件则与此背道而驰。”

The published version of those remarks differs but strikes the same core notes. “The traditional console model is to sell hardware at a loss and make up the revenue with subscription services or by selling games that are locked-in to the hardware,” reads part of Valve’s blog post. “We think this can make sense for a single business in the short term but that open ecosystems are better for customers over the long term. PC gaming’s history proves this: The openness of the PC gaming space has enabled it to be the primary driver of hardware and software innovation for decades.” 这些说明的发布版本虽有不同，但核心观点一致。Valve 的博客文章中写道：“传统的主机模式是亏本销售硬件，然后通过订阅服务或销售锁定在硬件上的游戏来弥补收入。我们认为这在短期内对单一企业来说是有意义的，但从长远来看，开放的生态系统对客户更好。PC 游戏的历史证明了这一点：PC 游戏领域的开放性使其几十年来一直是硬件和软件创新的主要驱动力。”

Valve is essentially selling the Steam Machine at cost: “The cost of the product is basically the cost of the components and what it takes to make it,” Valve’s Lawrence Yang tells The Verge. And with the Steam Machine, Valve is also being even more aggressive on price than it is with the Steam Deck: “I would say that we’re being more aggressive with margins and things to be as close to cost as possible now,” says Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais. Valve 基本上是以成本价销售 Steam Machine：“产品的成本基本上就是组件成本加上制造费用，”Valve 的 Lawrence Yang 告诉《The Verge》。对于 Steam Machine，Valve 在定价上甚至比 Steam Deck 更激进：“我想说，我们现在在利润率等方面采取了更激进的策略，以尽可能接近成本价，”Valve 的 Pierre-Loup Griffais 表示。

The component crisis also affected Valve’s planned launch quantity for the Steam Machine, with Griffais saying that “we’re probably looking at around two-thirds of what we were planning.” Griffais adds that Valve, at one point, wasn’t convinced that it could build “any significant quantity.” So the fact that the Steam Machine is launching at all might be a small miracle in and of itself. 组件危机也影响了 Valve 对 Steam Machine 的计划发布数量，Griffais 表示：“我们目前的产量可能只有原计划的三分之二左右。”Griffais 补充说，Valve 曾一度不确定能否生产出“任何可观的数量”。因此，Steam Machine 能够顺利发布本身或许就是一个小小的奇迹。