Valve verifies that Steam Deck is currently unavailable owing to deficits in memory and storage — availability of the well-known portable gaming device is compromised by significant AI demand.
This does not bode well for the Steam Machine.
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Valve has announced on the Steam Deck page that there is limited supply for the handheld console in some areas, with all three models on the site marked as “Out of stock”. The firm mentioned on the store page that the “Steam Deck OLED may be out-of-stock intermittently in some regions due to memory and storage shortages.” This is discouraging news for players, particularly since the Steam Deck is among That best handheld gaming PCs currently available.
- AI data centers are consuming resources at an escalating rate, draining global storage capacities.
- Semiconductor shortages impact the automotive sector during the intensifying Nexperia and DRAM crisis.
- Samsung and other key players shorten their memory contracts as supply dynamics shift, shifting power back to suppliers.
- Memory producers are projected to generate $551 billion through the AI surge.
The Steam Deck OLED has become the most recent casualty of the artificial intelligence surge, as massive data facilities and AI hyperscalers deplete the worldwide inventory of memory and storage semiconductors. The Steam Deck LCD model was the first to go in Valve’s handheld lineup, with the company discontinuing the most affordable model in late 2025. Although it ran its course, eliminating all traces of its origins, the company ended up shutting down the entire operation, leaving it to be abandoned.
RAM prices are expected to keep rising, worsening the current situation. Valve isn’t the only company to increase prices, cut production, or run out of stock — Apple admitted that it’s chasing memory supply and that the shortage would have a greater impact on its Q2 earnings. Truly the costliest Mac mini units with M1 chip are currently sold out, with demand outpacing supply. Owing to requirements from OpenClaw users.
This is also a bad sign for the Steam Machine, which was expected to arrive during the first quarter of 2026, but has since been delayed by the company. Valve also said that it will not subsidize the living room PC console and that it’s expected to be priced competitively against entry-level gaming PCs. But with RAM, GPU, and SSD costs rising nearly every week, it seems that the console will break the $1,000 mark.
Initial evidence of the processor scarcity emerged affecting the Steam Deck last week, though this is the first instance Valve has recognized the insufficient supply of memory and storage chips. We trust that the company will locate a different supplier for these chips to allow it to restart orders and shipments of its well-known handheld. However, if the scarcity persists, players might be forced to select the costlier Asus ROG Xbox Ally X or Lenovo Legion Go 2 if they require a fresh gaming system immediately.
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