TL;DR
- All Steam Deck models are currently listed as out of stock on Steam’s storefront in the US.
- Fans are concerned that the stock shortages could portend price hikes.
- Valve is expected to release new hardware, including the Steam Machine pre-built gaming PC, this year.
Valve announced that it’s working on new hardware — a console-like pre-built gaming PC, a new VR headset, and an updated controller — in November. The company hasn’t announced pricing for its upcoming hardware yet, but skyrocketing memory costs don’t bode well for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame’s affordability. Now, fans are worried that even the existing Steam Deck handheld could be in for a RAM-induced price increases.
NotebookCheck reports that in some markets (including here in the US), the Steam storefront is sold out of every Steam Deck model. The LCD model has officially been discontinued, but both versions of the OLED model are listed as sold out without any other info.