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Looks like the Steam Deck OLED is off my affordable gaming handheld list, as Valve quite quietly increased the 1TB model to just under a grand. Launched originally with a $649/£569 MSRP, the price hike means it's only $50 less than the ROG Xbox Ally X, and I'm now pretty concerned about future Steam Machine costs.
Just to confirm, the Steam Deck OLED 1TB now costs $949/£779 direct at Valve, while the 512GB model comes in at $789/£649. Earlier today, all versions of the handheld were out of stock at the US site, but new MSRPs have arrived alongside restocks. Simply put, you're paying $300 more for the top-end portable PC now compared to when it was last in stock, and the increase is undoubtedly tied to RAM and storage costs.
I won't lie, as someone who has platformed the Steam Deck since launch as an affordable handheld, I'm feeling pretty crushed. I had hoped the portable would shrug off component hikes sparked by AI data center demand, but it looks like Valve has been hit hard with this restock. Keep in mind that the AMD chipset within the device hasn't been refreshed, meaning you're paying nearly the same as premium portables like the Xbox Ally X that can boost fps far higher with newer Ryzen Z2 Extreme APUs.
The timing of this Steam Deck price hike is pretty unfortunate, given that Intel is rumored to announce Arc G3 handhelds tomorrow. I was fully expecting to advise players to wait for the OLED model to come back in stock rather than paying potentially over a grand for something like the new MSI Claw EX 8 AI+, but alas, it looks like the only "affordable" option left is the non-X white Xbox Ally.
ROG Ally (2023) | $499.99 at Best Buy(open-box)
ROG Xbox Ally | $539.99 at Amazon
I suspect Valve will drop a blog post addressing the increase soon, as the company is usually good at communicating strategic decisions. I'm not sure words can really comfort anyone who was planning to pick up the portable at its original price, and since the LCD version has been firmly discontinued, it looks like players who haven't got at least $800 to spend won't be enjoying the modern marvels of handheld gaming this year.
It's also hard not to worry about the Steam Machine's fate. It's reasonable to assume that the mini PC will be more expensive than the Deck when it eventually arrives, but the new handheld pricing signals that it will cost at least $1,000. If that ends up being the case, I fear that the console rival will fail to take off, and it could be disastrous for what is the biggest gaming hardware launch in 2026.
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