Steam Deck won't get a price hike just yet, says Gabe Newell

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"We wouldn't expect to be adjusting the SKU pricing"

Steam Deck
(Image credit: Valve)

Gabe Newell, head of Valve, has confirmed that despite the popularity and scarcity of its new handheld system, there are currently no plans to increase the retail price of Steam Deck.

"I mean, part of what you do with pricing is you're making a promise to customers. [...] But we wouldn't expect to be adjusting the SKU pricing," Newell told IGN in an interview, acknowledging that initially pricing the system had been "painful" but "critical". 

It'll be good news for Steam fans who hope to lay their hands on the handheld PC but struggled to get the model they wanted in the pre-order scrum.

Newell has, however, acknowledged the team has looked at introducing "higher-end configurations" at a later date.

"So, we're absolutely going to ride that as hard as we can. That's part of the thing about being in the PC space - everybody's essentially driving everybody else's price performance improvements over time."

Despite the release of its highly-anticipated and all-new handheld system, Newell says that while he understands that subscription services are "clearly a popular option" with some gamers, he doesn't "think it's something [Valve] needs to do" despite their popularity.

He did, however, suggest that the company would be open to working with third-party partners such as Microsoft to "get [subscription services] on Steam".

Still undecided on Steam Deck? In our Steam Deck review, we said: "Steam Deck is everything Valve promised, a handheld with all the potential of a PC and a huge library of games ready to go," giving it 4.5 stars out of 5.

Vikki Blake
Vikki Blake
Weekend Reporter, GamesRadar+

Vikki Blake is GamesRadar+'s Weekend Reporter. Vikki works tirelessly to ensure that you have something to read on the days of the week beginning with 'S', and can also be found contributing to outlets including the BBC, Eurogamer, and GameIndustry.biz. Vikki also runs a weekly games column at NME, and can be frequently found talking about Destiny 2 and Silent Hill on Twitter.