Just when you thought PC gaming was already in a rough spot, with RAM, GPUs, storage, and several handheld PCs seeing constantly rising prices, Valve had to come along and give us even worse news. Announced today, the Steam Deck has received a major price hike.
The 512GB Steam Deck OLED model, originally priced at $549, is now priced at $789. Meanwhile, the 1TB Steam Deck OLED model, originally priced at $649, is now $949. That is a $240 jump for the 512GB model and a $300 jump for the 1TB model, which is a considerable increase. It also takes what I considered one of the best deals in PC gaming and pushes it out of reach for many players.
For that price, you can get a new ROG Ally X for $50 more, with more updated hardware, and you can still install SteamOS or Bazzite on it. Not to mention countless other devices preowned/used at most retail shops, or at least you can in the USA.
Valve says the Steam Deck itself has not changed, and that these new prices reflect the current cost of components, including memory and storage. Frankly, that sounds like the sort of explanation companies give when they know people are going to be upset. Valve could have eaten some of that cost and kept the Steam Deck closer to its original pricing, but that likely would have meant making less money on the hardware.
The good news, if you want to call it that, is that the Steam Deck OLED is at least back in stock. So yes, you can purchase one at the increased price. That is only good news if you can actually afford the new pricing.
This also raises questions about Valve’s upcoming Steam Machine. If memory, storage, and other component costs are already pushing the Steam Deck OLED this high, it is hard not to wonder if the Steam Machine will also end up being priced well beyond what Valve originally wanted. If that happens, it could put Valve’s next piece of hardware out of range for many potential buyers before it even gets started.
Also, will this price hike also extend to parts that many of us purchase to repair the Steam Deck? I have a Steam Deck that needs fixing, all thanks to an incident will it met face first into a wall. And I’ve been sitting on getting it fixed, since I have another handheld device I use, but have been meaning to get it fixed. I suppose I better do that sooner than later.
Between the rising prices of the PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Lenovo Legion Go 2, Legion Go S, and now the Steam Deck OLED, it is becoming harder to argue that gaming is not turning into a hobby that many people are slowly being priced out of.
