Steam Deck Availability Affected by RAM Shortages

If you’ve been considering picking up a Steam Deck, there’s some disappointing news. The handheld gaming PC is currently out of stock due to RAM shortages.

Valve offers three versions of the Steam Deck: the 256GB LCD, the 512GB OLED, and the 1TB OLED. The LCD model is no longer being produced, which explains its unavailability. However, the situation with the OLED models is more concerning. According to Valve’s official Steam Deck page, “Steam Deck OLED may be out of stock intermittently in some regions due to memory and storage shortages.” The 1TB version is still available in select areas outside the US.

This isn’t the first time Valve has faced hardware acquisition issues. The Steam Machine, which aimed to make PC gaming more accessible from the comfort of your living room, was recently delayed due to rising component costs.

In a blog post earlier this year, Valve elaborated on how component shortages were impacting their plans, specifically citing memory and storage. “When we announced these products in November, we planned on being able to share specific pricing and launch dates by now. But the memory and storage shortages you’ve likely heard about across the industry have rapidly increased since then. The limited availability and growing prices of these critical components mean we must revisit our exact shipping schedule and pricing.”

The entry-level Steam Deck OLED is priced just under $600, which is a considerable investment, even for a fantastic gaming device. However, with Valve acknowledging rising costs for essential components, it raises questions about potential price increases for the Steam Deck when it becomes available again.

An outlet has reached out to Valve for insights on how long they anticipate the shortage to last and whether prices will rise once the Steam Deck is back in stock. Valve has yet to respond, but updates will follow as more information becomes available.