Steam Deck stock shortages have fans worried about price hikes

Valve announced that it’s working on new hardware — a console-like pre-built gaming PC, a new VR headset, and an updated controller — in November. The company hasn’t announced pricing for its upcoming hardware yet, but skyrocketing memory costs don’t bode well for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame’s affordability. Now, fans are worried that even the existing Steam Deck handheld could be in for a RAM-induced price increases.

NotebookCheck reports that in some markets (including here in the US), the Steam storefront is sold out of every Steam Deck model. The LCD model has officially been discontinued, but both versions of the OLED model are listed as sold out without any other info.

Commenters on a thread on the Steam Deck subreddit speculate that the current Steam Deck shortage is being caused by the broader memory crunch that’s been plaguing the consumer electronics space in recent months. There’s no proof of that theory (Valve hasn’t commented on the inventory situation), but it does make sense. Demand for RAM in particular has outstripped manufacturers’ capacity to produce it, an imbalance that’s lead to price hikes and product delays.

It is possible that Valve has been allocating resources away from the Steam Deck to produce its upcoming hardware. The Steam Machine is set to ship with 16 gigs of RAM, eight gigs of VRAM, and either 512 gigs or two terabytes of storage. Again, though, Valve hasn’t confirmed that that’s the case.

Memory supply has been constrained by rapid investment in AI infrastructure, with factories that produce RAM reportedly working at capacity to fulfill demand by the AI industry. Valve hasn’t announced release dates for its Steam Machine or Steam Frame hardware, but they’re expected to be available this year.