Just when you thought PC gaming was already in a rough spot, with RAM, GPUs, storage, and several handheld PCs seeing constantly rising prices, Valve had to come along and give us even worse news. Announced today, the Steam Deck has received a major price hike.
The 512GB Steam Deck OLED model, originally priced at $549, is now priced at $789. Meanwhile, the 1TB Steam Deck OLED model, originally priced at $649, is now $949. That is a $240 jump for the 512GB model and a $300 jump for the 1TB model, which is a considerable increase. It also takes what I considered one of the best deals in PC gaming and pushes it out of reach for many players.
Valve says the Steam Deck itself has not changed, and that these new prices reflect the current cost of components, including memory and storage. Frankly, that sounds like the sort of explanation companies give when they know people are going to be upset. Valve could have eaten some of that cost and kept the Steam Deck closer to its original pricing, but that likely would have meant making less money on the hardware.
The good news,...
