The Price of Play Is Going Up. Here's Where Things Stand.
If you've been keeping a close eye on gaming hardware news lately, you'll have noticed that the cost of getting into the game, quite literally, keeps climbing. This week brought the clearest illustration yet of where the industry is heading, and it raises some interesting questions about what your collection is actually worth to you.
The Steam Machine Arrives, and It Isn't Cheap
Valve has finally confirmed pricing for the Steam Machine, and it's a significant ask. The entry-level 512GB model starts at £879, rising to £1,149 for the 2TB version. If you want the 2TB model bundled with the new Steam Controller, that comes to £1,208. The console launches on 30 June, with the pre-order waitlist closing on 25 June at 6pm BST, after which Valve will run a randomised draw to determine purchase order.
Under the bonnet, the Steam Machine pairs a six-core, twelve-thread AMD Zen 4 CPU running up to 4.8 GHz with a semi-custom RDNA 3 GPU carrying 28 compute units and 8 GB of dedicated GDDR6 video memory, alongside 16 GB of DDR5 for general workloads. It runs SteamOS out of the box, though users can also boot into a desktop Linux environment and configure additional storefronts including the Epic Games Store and GOG, or install emulators.
Valve designer Pierre-Loup Griffais was characteristically direct about the pricing philosophy: the Steam Machine is not a subsidised console. It's priced in line with what you'd expect to pay building a comparable PC yourself, and Valve has confirmed it will not offset hardware costs through game sales revenue the way Sony and Microsoft traditionally have.
That transparency is worth something. But it does mean the Steam Machine is competing in a very different bracket to what most people think of when they picture a living room console.
The Current Generation: Still Great Value, But That Window Is Narrowing
The irony of the Steam Machine's arrival is that, for a significant portion of gamers, current generation consoles remain an exceptional sweet spot. The PS5 and Xbox Series X are mature platforms at the peak of their software libraries, and the games releasing on them right now include some of the most technically accomplished titles we've seen.
But the affordability argument is getting harder to make. Sony raised PS5 prices for a second time in April 2026, with UK customers paying approximately £90 more per model. The PS5 Pro now sits at £789.99, while the standard PS5 has climbed to £569.99. Microsoft has raised Xbox prices twice in the space of a year, with the Xbox Series X now sitting at £499.99 and the Series S at £299.99 for the 512GB model.
It's an unprecedented situation. Previous console generations typically brought price cuts mid-cycle as manufacturers passed on efficiencies to the consumer. Instead, this generation has seen costs rise steadily, driven by component shortages, supply chain disruption, and the broader economic pressures squeezing everyone from chip manufacturers to retailers.
The machines themselves have never been better. The games have never been more ambitious. But the cost of entry is no longer the comfortable proposition it once was, which makes protecting what you already own all the more sensible.
Looking Ahead: What Gen 10 Could Mean for Your Wallet
The next generation is already visible on the horizon, and if current trends hold, it won't be arriving at a gentle price point. Both Sony's PS6 and Microsoft's Project Helix are widely expected to target a Holiday 2027 launch window, though Sony has also been reported as potentially pushing to 2028 due to the ongoing global memory shortage.
Leaked hardware projections suggest the PS6 will carry around 52 to 54 RDNA 5 compute units, while Project Helix is reported to feature 68, representing a significant step up in raw GPU capability over anything available today. Both systems are expected to use GDDR7 memory, with analysts estimating the PS6 could arrive somewhere between $700 and $900, and Project Helix potentially launching between $1,000 and $1,200. Translate those figures into pounds under current conditions and neither console is likely to feel like a bargain on day one.
Microsoft's Project Helix is also expected to blur the line between console and PC considerably, with signals that the system will allow users to run alternative storefronts, including Steam, directly on the hardware. Whether that represents the future of living room gaming or a strategic retreat from the traditional console model is a debate worth watching closely.
What all of this points to is a next generation that will be powerful, genuinely exciting, and expensive. The games that arrive in that launch window, the sequels, remasters and new IPs that will almost certainly define it, will earn their place as instant classics.
Your Collection Deserves Better Than a Shelf
Whether you're deep into the current generation or starting to think about what's coming next, the games you own tell a story. The physical copies sitting in your collection, whether that's a steelbook edition of something released this year or a beloved title from generations past, are worth displaying properly.
That's precisely what we do at Frame-A-Game. Our range covers everything from the latest steelbook releases to older-generation classics, PSA and ACE graded trading cards to raw cards and One Touch holders.
If it matters to you, we have a way to display it.