• QubaXR@lemmy.world
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    3 years ago

    According to the logic of this video it costs Valve $0 to produce steam decks. Jeez, the Internet is so filled up with these unresearched, amateurish attempts at journalism.

    • HughJanus@lemmy.ml
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      3 years ago

      Yeah, title is clickbait. In reality it would be nigh-inpossible to calculate how much money it has made them.

      Not only because Valve is a private company but because they mostly make money on games and it’s impossible to say which games were sold because Steam Deck exists, though you could probably get a pretty close estimate based on playtime % on Steam Deck vs. other hardware, users who ONLY register a Steam Deck, and other such data. But again, because they’re a private company we don’t have access to most of that data.

      Likely they are breaking even or even taking a small loss on the actual hardware, but I’m sure they have achieved the intended goal of increased game sales well into the millions.

      • PeachMan@lemmy.world
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        3 years ago

        I would bet they’re basically losing money on the $399 model, but making money on the higher spec models. No other manufacturer has been able to offer similar performance at that low price point (yet).

        • Fubarberry@sopuli.xyzM
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          3 years ago

          Cost analysis estimates I’ve seen have them also taking a small loss on 256GB units, only making a profit on 512GB units.

          They didn’t have official data though, they were mostly working backwards from taking the ifixit part costs and assuming ifixit used their standard markup.

          • PeachMan@lemmy.world
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            3 years ago

            Makes sense, Gabe said in an interview that making that $399 price point was “painful”. But I guess the point is that the Deck sales drive Steam game sales.

          • HughJanus@lemmy.ml
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            3 years ago

            they were mostly working backwards from taking the ifixit part costs and assuming ifixit used their standard markup.

            I mean that’s pure BoM and doesn’t include costs of development or assembly.