Fans of Valve and its portable consoles steam deck It is increasing in some areas. While the Western world won't be affected by the new Steam Deck pricing, this is the latest troubling development for Valve hardware.
The Steam Deck has been a popular portable gaming device since it was first released in 2022, but recent developments surrounding the device are concerning. The Steam Deck is currently completely sold out in the US as well as other regions such as the EU and Canada. Valve has stated that high demand for RAM has led to supply shortages, and now systems are taking another hit in some regions.
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Steam Deck Prices Are Going Up
Now, official retailers of the Steam Deck system in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan have announced that the price of the system will be increasing. Komodo Station says that starting March 6, prices will increase to $100 USD per system, making it the largest price increase in Japan. Both capacities, 512GB and 1TB versions, are affected. Komodo notes that prices are rising due to exchange rate volatility and increased logistics costs, which may be a separate issue from the current computing component shortage.
|
region |
512GB old price |
512GB new price |
Previous price for 1TB |
1TB new price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
japan |
84,800 yen |
99,800 yen |
99,800 yen |
114,800 yen |
|
korea |
839,000 won |
898,000 won |
989,000 won |
1,048,000 won |
|
taiwan |
18,880 TWD |
18,980 TWD |
21,980 TWD |
22,480 TWD |
Unfortunately, the Steam Deck isn't the only Valve hardware that's been affected by recent parts demand. Last November, Valve unveiled three new pieces of hardware, including a new VR headset called the Steam Frame, a new Steam Machine, and a new Steam Controller. These devices quickly got the gaming community excited, with many eagerly looking forward to getting their hands on them when they launch in early 2026. However, Valve announced in February 2026 that the system was still in the works and planned to launch in the first half of 2026, but due to the volatile situation in the market and component prices, a release date or price could not be announced yet.
Valve is being hit particularly hard by the increased demand for RAM and other components, but it's not the only company that could be affected by these changes. The price of the Nintendo Switch 2 remains stable for now, but the company has acknowledged that it may need to increase prices in the future if supply continues to be limited and component prices remain high or rise further. Some industry analysts have expressed concern that next-generation gaming consoles, including from Sony and Microsoft, could potentially be delayed if the situation does not improve.
These console issues are only a possibility for now, but PC gamers are already feeling the pressure as prices for components like SSDs and RAM have risen sharply in recent months. Things may get worse before they get better, as some manufacturers pull out of the consumer market and instead choose to sell exclusively to AI companies. AI development and hosting are one of the biggest causes of price increases and shortages, so companies choosing to only sell to AI companies could add to the injury to affected gamers. This is a particularly unfortunate situation. That's because gamers have already been hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic by shortages and price increases, especially affecting GPUs. Some games are pushing prices up to $80, so there's no noticeable end to the parts shortage, and gamers' wallets may suffer going forward.
