This does not bode well for the price of the Steam Machine.
Valve has increased the prices of the Steam Deck “due to rising memory and storage costs.” The numbers are not pretty at all. The 512GB OLED model has jumped up from $549 to $789. That’s an increase of $240, as Wario64 noted.
If you’ve been interested in getting a 1TB OLED, I hope you bought one recently because that model will now run you a whopping $949. That version of the device previously cost $649, so that’s an increase of 300 American dollars (almost 50 percent).
“Steam Deck itself hasn’t changed; these new prices reflect the current state of component costs and other global logistical challenges across the industry as a whole,” Valve said in an announcement. “We’ll keep you updated if anything changes.”
Those are shocking price increases. You can largely pin the blame on AI companies driving up the prices of components as they scramble to build data centers as quickly as possible. Sony and Nintendo also announced price increases for the PS5 and Switch 2 recently. Lenovo has been bumping up the prices of its handheld devices too.
The RAM crisis has impacted the Steam Deck in other ways, as it has contributed to shortages of the portable PC. However, the system is back in stock.
If you’re looking to pick up a Steam Deck any time soon, your best bet might be a refurbished model from Valve. The prices of discontinued models with LCD displays haven’t changed — you can pick up a refurbished one with 512GB of storage for $359, a relative bargain. (There is a way to upgrade the LCD panel to an OLED display.)
However, prices of refurbished OLED units have gone up as well. It’s now $629 for a 512GB unit and $759 for a 1TB model. Current Steam Deck owners will be dearly hoping that their system doesn’t break anytime soon.
What’s more, this news seems ominous for the pricing of Valve’s Steam Frame and Steam Machine. While it managed to ship the Steam Controller recently, the company delayed its other new hardware due to memory and storage shortages. The company said in March that it’s still hoping to ship the Steam Frame and Steam machine this year, but it didn’t seem too confident about that. When they do arrive, however, they may well be more expensive than most folks anticipated.
