summary
RAM crisis intensifies. Memory prices have skyrocketed, forcing companies to change prices and downgrade hardware.
Steam Deck stocks are disappearing around the world due to memory and storage shortages.
Valve may change Steam Deck prices or delay updates. Availability date is unknown.
As the RAM crisis begins to intensify around the world, its ripple effects are also beginning to be seen. It started when PC builders noticed that the price of RAM sticks had quadrupled in a few months. But it wasn’t long before companies that manufactured devices in bulk started feeling the impact, too.
Some companies responded to the change by changing prices, while others downgraded their hardware. Despite having an overwhelming position in the PC market, Valve had to postpone three upcoming hardware products For better pricing. However, for a while, the steam deck appeared to be unscathed, with no prospect of price increases.
But cracks soon began to appear. first, Steam decks started disappearing from shelves. Valve then confirmed it The problem had to do with memory and storage prices. And now steam decks are starting to disappear all over the world.
Steam decks begin to run out on a global scale
And we don’t know when it will come back
as discovered by Games on LinuxSteam decks are gradually disappearing from stores around the world. Previously, both the US and Japan are no longer able to purchase the Steam Deck OLED from the Steam Store as all options are sold out. Instead, potential shoppers were shown the following message:
Note: Steam Deck OLED may be intermittently out of stock in some regions due to lack of memory and storage. Steam Deck LCD 256GB is no longer in production and will be discontinued once sold out.
It now appears that similar shortage issues are starting to occur in EU stores, indicating that stocks around the world are starting to evaporate. Unfortunately, this shortage is likely the result of a perfect storm, a combination of cheap RAM and storage becoming extremely difficult to obtain, people flocking to Steam Decks instead of building their own PCs due to rising prices, and people rushing to snap up models after seeing Valve confirm the issue.
The bad news is that we don’t know how Valve will solve this problem. My guess is that they plan to reprice Steam Deck at the same time as they reveal upcoming hardware prices, and could provide one unified update to avoid confusion. Until then, portable gaming seems pretty daunting.