Valve Raises Steam Deck Prices by Over 40% Amid Soaring Component Costs

Valve has implemented a significant price hike for its Steam Deck lineup, with costs rising by more than 40%—equivalent to nearly £200—due to escalating expenses for memory and storage. The adjustment affects the OLED model, the company’s newer handheld gaming PC featuring an enhanced display. The 512GB version is now priced at $789 (£649, €779), marking a 43% increase or £170. Meanwhile, the 1TB variant costs $949 (£779, €919), representing a 46% jump or £210.

In a blog post, the gaming giant clarified that the hardware specifications of the Steam Deck remain unchanged. The company attributed the higher prices to "the current state of component costs and other global logistical challenges across the industry as a whole." The announcement has sparked disappointment among fans, with one user posting, "There goes my hopes of ever getting an OLED."

The Steam Deck OLED, introduced in November 2023 as a substantial upgrade to the original LCD model, is currently the only version sold directly by Valve, as the company has discontinued sales of the cheaper LCD units. These OLED models had already been experiencing stock shortages for months prior to the price revision.

The price surge has led to speculation regarding the future of Valve’s upcoming PC, the Steam Machine, which currently lacks a release date or confirmed pricing. The news follows the recent launch of an official Steam Controller priced at £85, a move that also faced mixed reactions from the gaming community.

Chris Scullion, deputy editor of Video Games Chronicle, told the BBC that the rising cost of components like RAM could severely impact the Steam Machine’s viability. He suggested that manufacturing costs might become so high that Valve could reconsider releasing the device entirely, or delay its launch until the economic situation improves.

This move by Valve is part of a broader trend in the tech industry, where hardware and subscription prices have risen due to hardware tariffs, persistent inflation, and RAM shortages. The cost of RAM has been driven up not only by general demand but also by the rapid expansion of data centers required to support artificial intelligence, which rely heavily on these chips.

Earlier this year, Sony increased the price of the PlayStation 5 by £90 in the UK and $100 in the US, citing "continued pressures in the global economic landscape." Sony also raised PlayStation Plus subscription fees in certain regions, pointing to "market conditions." Similarly, Nintendo announced that the Switch 2 will see a global price increase starting in September, rising from $449.99 to $499.99 in the US and from €469.99 to €499.99 in most European nations. A revised price for the UK, where the console currently retails for £395.99, will be announced at a later date.

In contrast to these hikes, Xbox recently lowered its Game Pass subscription price, though this decision came with the removal of day-one access to new Call of Duty titles.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-05-28 10:22:55 UTC