Valve breaks its silence on Steam Deck OLED scarcity and yes, it's because of the RAM and storage crisis

Valve Steam Deck OLED handheld PC — (Image credit: Future)

Reports last week that the Steam Deck is sold out in the United States prompted speculation ranging sober through to outlandish, but the actual reason is simple and you've likely already guessed it: like the rest of the games industry, Valve has been hit by the memory crisis.

"Steam Deck OLED may be out-of-stock intermittently in some regions due to memory and storage shortages," Valve now acknowledges on the Steam Deck store page, confirming that the handheld's scarcity can be blamed on the same phenomenon that has delayed the Steam Machine, jacked up RAM and SSD prices, and threatens to shutter "many electronics manufacturers".

While the Steam Machine is still on track to release in the first half of 2026, Valve hoped to announce a price and firmer release date by now. "But the memory and storage shortages you've likely heard about across the industry have rapidly increased since then," Valve wrote last week. "The limited availability and growing prices of these critical components mean we must revisit our exact shipping schedule and pricing (especially around Steam Machine and Steam Frame)."

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Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.

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