The stultifying RAM crisis has already made Steam Deck consoles intermittently available; now it might cause prices to increase. Prices for Valve's handheld are going up for buyers in Asia.
Komodo, the official distributor for the Steam Deck in Japan and other Asian countries, recently announced a roughly $100 price increase. Specifically, those in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan can expect the bump starting March 6.
The increase hits both the 512GB and 1TB versions. So in Japan, the increase is ¥15,000; the 512GB Steam Deck OLED moves to ¥99,800 (up from ¥84,800), while the 1TB OLED climbs to ¥114,800 (up from ¥99,800).
Komodo doesn't specifically blame AI, which has caused prices to go up for TVs, smartphones and laptops. "Due to increased logistics costs and shifting exchange rate conditions that have persisted," the distributor said.
That all may be true with President Trump's tariffs that were recently struck down by the Supreme Court. Though he has instituted a 15% global tariff instead.
Rising prices
As mentioned, the Steam Deck is currently intermittently available in the US, explicitly due to the memory shortage. It's possible this price increase could remain only in Asia, but it would not surprise us if the U.S. versions also see a bump.
Valve isn't alone here. The Nintendo Switch 2 is likely to see a price increase in the coming year, and it's possible the memory shortage has caused Sony to delay the next-generation PlayStation 6.
It's unclear how Xbox will shift under the leadership of new CEO Asha Sharma, but before her ascension, it was rumored that the company was working on a hybrid console/PC that could have versions made by OEMs. That device for sure will be impacted by the RAM crisis as every PC manufacturers have been forced to raise prices or alter production tables.
The RAM crisis isn't expected to begin to abate until 2027 at the earliest, so expect more price increases or device shortages over the next year.
Meanwhile, here are three Steam Deck alternatives that are currently available and for similar prices.
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