Valve just revealed something pretty damning about how the companies that control the world's memory supply operate. When Valve tries to buy RAM for the Steam Machine, it doesn't negotiate. It gets a price each month, takes it or leaves it, and if it says no, the RAM maker ghosts them completely.
"There's no contracts," a Valve employee told Gamers Nexus. "They give us a price every month or something and they say 'You can buy that many' and it's yes or no. And if we say no, then they never talk to us again."
That's the entire deal. No back-and-forth. No haggling. No long-term agreements. Just a monthly take-it-or-leave-it offer.
Why The Steam Machine Costs So Much
The Steam Machine starts at $1,050. That's expensive for what you're getting inside. A huge chunk of that price tag comes straight from RAM costs. The handful of companies that make DRAM globally have basically decided they don't care about gaming PCs or consumer devices anymore. They're all in on AI datacenters, which buy memory in massive bulk, months in advance, and pay whatever price is asked. It's a much better business than selling to Valve.
Zero Planning
Valve can't plan ahead. It can't lock in prices. It can't even predict what the bill will look like next month. And because of that uncertainty, the Steam Machine costs more than it should.
Supply Chaos
Some Steam Machines will ship with a single 16GB stick of RAM. Others get two 8GB sticks. Valve tested both configurations and found no performance difference, which is fine, but the fact that they can't guarantee which RAM they'll get speaks to how chaotic this situation is.
The Bigger Picture
This is what happens when a handful of companies control an entire supply chain. Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron basically run the world's DRAM. They've decided gaming and PCs aren't worth their time anymore. Even companies like G.Skill, which exist solely to make consumer RAM, can't get enough supply because they're not big enough compared to OpenAI or other AI companies.
No Leverage
Valve has no leverage. G.Skill has no leverage. If you want a gaming PC, you're paying the price they set, whenever they set it.
Some of these same companies were caught running an actual price-fixing cartel 25 years ago. The U.S. government had to come in and break it up. Nothing has really changed except now it's all legal because everyone's chasing the same money from AI companies.
What Happens Next
Nothing gets better from here. Companies are pouring billions into AI infrastructure. That demand isn't going away. RAM makers have zero reason to care about consumers or gaming. Micron already killed off its consumer RAM brand completely. Others are probably next.
So get ready to pay more for gaming PCs. Pay more for consoles. Pay more for anything that needs RAM.( That includes Smartphones,TVs, Laptops, etc.) And that's going to be the reality for the foreseeable future.
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