Recently, we covered how Steam Deck OLED stock was beginning to dry up. At the time, many (including us) speculated that rising RAM and storage prices across the industry could be the cause. Now, Valve has stepped in and addressed the situation directly.
Updating the Steam Deck store page with a comment that leaves very little room for interpretation, Valve says, "Steam Deck OLED may be out-of-stock intermittently in some regions due to memory and storage shortages. Steam Deck LCD 256GB is no longer in production, and once sold out will no longer be available."
It doesn't leave much to the imagination, and it isn't the first time Valve has commented on RAM and storage constraints. Not long ago, Valve delayed the release of its Steam Machine and has yet to provide a concrete price. The reason, again, comes down to RAM and storage pricing.
It’s also worth noting that when I checked the store page in the US, all Steam Deck variants are currently in stock, so buying one now could be your last chance for a while.
Memory and storage prices continue to rise, in part due to AI demand reshaping the industry. Some suppliers are prioritizing large AI-focused deals, sending more stock toward data centers and enterprise clients, and leaving less available for consumer hardware.
Even recently, Western Digital ran into HDD stock shortages (via Reddit). Its CEO confirmed the company had secured major AI-related agreements. At this point, a Steam Deck OLED price increase would not be surprising. The same likely applies to the Steam Machine, though we never knew the price to begin with.
And it is not just Valve. Future Xbox and PlayStation consoles will face the same market pressures. In Sony’s case, IGN suggests it could push the PS6 as far back as 2030 due to rising component costs. Nintendo Life also covered rumors of a price increase for the Nintendo Switch 2 this year.
RAM and storage aren't the only components facing issues across the industry, as NVIDIA is reportedly slashing GPU supply, with no new GPU set to release for gamers until 2027.
Are you concerned about how rising RAM and storage prices could impact Steam Deck, Steam Machine, or next generation consoles? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and make sure to take part in our poll below:
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