You'll have to shell out at least US$240 more if you want to get a Steam Deck now.
Valve has announced that Steam Deck OLED models are now back in stock, but there's a catch: both models have received significant price increases. The Steam Deck's 512GB model is now priced at US$789 while the 1TB version is now at US$949.
Those two models previously retailed at US$549 and US$649, respectively, which means you now have to pay US$240 or US$300 more to get a Steam Deck compared to before. Unfortunately, going for a cheaper alternative in the Steam Deck's LCD model is no longer an option either as Valve has already stopped producing them six months ago.
Why did Valve increase the prices for the Steam Deck?
Valve stated that the price increases for the Steam Deck were driven by “rising memory and storage costs.”
“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. We’ll keep you updated if anything changes,” added Valve.
Rising memory and storage costs have also affected other Valve products aside from the Steam Deck. Earlier this year, Valve was forced to delay its announcement of the launch details for its new line of Steam Hardware. The company first announced last November that the Steam Machine, Steam Controller, and Steam Frame will be released in the first half of 2026.
With June right around the corner, it remains to be seen if Valve can fulfill its promise of launching its new line of Steam Hardware in the first half of the year. With rising memory and storage costs still an issue, another delay may be on the cards.
At the time of its announcement of the delay of Steam Hardware launch details, Valve admitted that they have work to do before settling on definite launch dates and prices while being “mindful of how quickly the circumstances around both of those things can change.”
How do the new Steam Deck prices compare to other consoles?
The Steam Deck had been arguably the best entry-level portable gaming console, partly because of how much value you can get out of it for its relatively affordable price. That may no longer be the case with this latest price increase, even if other console lines have also raised prices due to rising memory and storage costs.
The new Steam Deck prices now bring it in line with the likes of the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X|S. The PlayStation 5's 1TB and 2TB versions currently retail at US$649 and US$899, respectively. The Xbox Series S' 1TB version is priced at US$449.99 while the Xbox Series X's 1TB and 2TB models retail at US$649.99 and US$799.99, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch 2 may now arguably be the best entry-level handheld console available, retailing at US$449.99.
