All three models of the Steam Deck are out of stock and have been out of stock for at least 24 hours, according to a post from Wario64. With prices for gaming PCs and components skyrocketing, it’s possible that this could mean a longer-term shortage.
It’s no secret that PC hardware is in a weird place right now. With memory prices going through the roof, it was only a matter of time before handheld gaming PCs started getting hit by shortages and increased prices. And that makes it odd timing for all three models of the Steam Deck to go out of stock in the US.
Because the Steam Deck has been around for nearly five years, it’s possible that this is a sign that Valve is getting ready to wind down production on the most affordable handheld gaming PC. Either that, or raise the prices in response to increased RAM prices. But it’s probably not that serious.
There is plenty of reason to be hopeful this is just a short-term regional shortage. Because while a post on Tom’s Hardware spotted that the shortage extends to Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, and Korea, the system is still available in the UK and the EU at the time of writing.
With the handheld still being available in Europe, it’s likely this is just a short-term regional shortage. After all, anyone that wants to get into PC gaming right now probably finds the low price of the Steam Deck attractive, given the skyrocketing costs on pretty much every other piece of hardware. It’s not too much of a stretch to imagine that the demand for Valve’s handheld is higher than normal.
It’s likely that the demand will remain high, leading up to the Steam Machine. But recently, Valve put out a blog post saying that it’s pushed back its mini gaming PC due to the memory shortages. Either way, I’ve reached out to Valve for comment, and I’ll update this article if and when the company responds. Until then, let’s just hope that this is just a temporary blip and not the end of the Steam Deck.
Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra
