The Steam Deck is probably the alternative to the gaming PC if you don’t want to go for a console like the PS5 right away. However, AI is causing prices to rise everywhere, and now it could also affect the Steam Deck. In some countries, it is already sold out, but in Europe, it is still available.
What is the current situation? RAM, SSDs, and graphics cards. Currently, prices are significantly increasing everywhere, or the products are completely sold out.
The English-language magazine TomsHardware reports that numerous users claim that the Steam Deck is currently sold out for them. The Steam Deck is regarded as the best-selling handheld and for many as the ultimate alternative to the gaming PC if they want to use their Steam games.
The cheap LCD variant has not been available for a while, but now the two more expensive OLED variants are reportedly affected as well.
In Europe, however, the Steam Deck is partially still available. A sample on Steam shows us that both OLED variants are still available in Germany. With a delivery time of 3 to 5 days.
Is the Steam Deck soon to be the next victim of the RAM crisis and AI hype?
How does all of this fit together? Valve recently stated that they will have to postpone the new Steam Machine and Steam Frame due to shortages and high prices (Source: TheVerge). It is still unclear what role the Steam Deck will play within Valve’s hardware plans.
Some are already concerned that the Steam Deck may soon be unavailable or that Valve may significantly increase prices. Something many other manufacturers are already doing or have done. Because the Steam Deck also contains DDR5 memory. In addition, a manufacturer has already warned that players could face the worst in terms of prices still to come.
How this will progress in the future is still unknown, and Valve has thus far remained silent on the matter. Even a Steam Deck 2.0, which has been speculated about for a long time, is likely off the table in the current situation.
How long will prices continue to rise? The AI-driven boom in RAM and other components is expected to last throughout 2026, according to experts. Some even predict continued high prices into 2027. If you absolutely need new hardware in 2026, you should expect to pay significantly more than in 2025.
And even the Steam Deck may no longer be an affordable option then. After all, there are already some alternatives to the Steam Deck, but they are also not necessarily cheap: Steam Deck: Here are the 10 most exciting alternatives 2026
