Summary

  • Steam Deck OLED is intermittently out of stock due to memory and storage shortages.
  • US and Asia markets sold out; Europe still has models available — check your regional store.
  • Valve reassesses hardware prices; delays and potential price increases are possible for new devices.

A little while ago, Steam Deck OLEDs began performing a disappearing act. Steam Decks were going out of stock in various regions, but Valve hadn't confirmed why. As such, we just had to sit and look at the "sold out" notification and wonder when the handheld PC gaming device would finally return.

Well, Valve has finally broken the silence, and the reason behind the missing OLED models is what we originally feared. The company is currently undergoing issues with acquiring memory and storage, and we're not sure if this means we'll see a price increase or if Valve is trying to wait out the storm.

Valve confirms the Steam Deck OLED is experiencing "memory and storage shortages"

It may not be around for a little while

As spotted by The Verge, Valve has updated its Steam Deck sales page. Now, if you visit the Steam Deck store and scroll below the purchase buttons, you'll see this note:

Note: Steam Deck OLED may be out-of-stock intermittently in some regions due to memory and storage shortages. Steam Deck LCD 256GB is no longer in production, and once sold out will no longer be available.

The second half is not news for us; after all, Valve confirmed the Steam Deck LCD model would cease production. However, it does seem that, if the Steam Deck shortages have hit your region, you may not find them in stock for a little while now.

I say "region," because it appears the shortage hasn't hit every store. The US and Asia markets are all sold out, but from what I can see, the European Steam Deck store is still selling each model (including the LCD one, for now) for the foreseeable future. As such, it's worth double-checking with your region's Steam Deck store before writing off buying one for the time being.

This isn't the first time Valve has been burned by the recent hardware crisis. The company recently confirmed that the latest wave of Valve hardware, which includes the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame, has been delayed as the company reassesses the prices. It'll likely mean a price increase for the Steam Machine, which was already in danger of becoming too expensive in the public eye after Valve confirmed the console wouldn't be subsidized.