If you've tried to purchase a Steam Deck lately, you may have noticed that it's very difficult to purchase one from Valve if you live in specific regions. Right now, the popular handheld gaming device is going through a severe shortage issue due to RAM prices, delivery problems, and people opting for devices over PCs as the latter's prices skyrocket.

Well, it's been a few months since Valve first reported stock problems with the Steam Deck, and things are still looking dire. The good news is, a recent interview has revealed that Valve really does want to get them back on sale again. The bad news is, the memory crisis is still very much in effect, and there's only so much Valve can realistically do.

Valve wants its Steam Decks to return, but it's easier said than done

RAM isn't getting that much cheaper, after all

In an interview with IGN, the publication sat down with Pierre-Loup Griffais and Steve Cardinali from Valve to discuss the newly-revealed Steam Controller pricing. However, midway through the interview, IGN asked the two about what's happening with the Steam Deck and when we might expect them to return to specific markets.

Pierre-Loup Griffais responded by saying that, while they'd love to get the Steam Deck back on the market, it's still very much a challenge:

​​​​​​​Yeah, we don't really have any specific details to share about that, but it's something we're working hard on. And as you are aware, there's a lot of considerations right now with respect to shipping being difficult, and also memory shortages and all that.

So we've been trying to work through that because we are very cognizant of the fact that there's folks that want to get Steam Deck and they're not currently able to get it. It's available in some regions right now, but in general, it's something that we're working very hard on.

Griffais goes on to say that Valve has always been hesitant to plan its consoles around a single supplier, as any disruption would bring the device production line to a screeching halt. Because it's more open to working with multiple suppliers, Valve can more easily navigate the RAM crisis than if it had hedged all its bets on one provider.

Even if we don't have an ETA on when the Steam Deck will return to the market, it's good to hear that Valve hasn't given up on it. Unfortunately, given how the world of AI shows zero signs of stopping any time soon, we may be locked in RAM limbo for quite a while now.