RAM shortage hits Valve's four-year-old Steam Deck, now available "intermittently"

February 18, 2026
RAM shortage hits Valve's four-year-old Steam Deck, now available "intermittently"

Here's something that might surprise you — Valve's popular Steam Deck is now hitting supply snags, and it’s not just a temporary thing. According to Andrew Cunningham writing in TechCrunch, the ongoing global RAM shortage, which started late 2025, is finally affecting devices that have already launched. Valve had to pause sales of the Steam Deck in some regions because they simply can’t get enough memory and storage chips. Now, here's where it gets interesting — none of the three main configurations are available right now, and even refurbished units are out of stock. Valve hasn’t raised prices yet, but the entry-level 256GB LCD model, which sold out, has been discontinued, bumping the starting price from $399 to $549. As Cunningham reports, Valve announced last December that production of that version would end for good. So, what does this mean for you? Keep an eye on supply — it might stay patchy for a while as the industry struggles with this cascading chip shortage.

Earlier this month, Valve announced it was delaying the release of its new Steam Machine desktop and Steam Frame VR headset due to memory and storage shortages that have been cascading across the PC industry since late 2025. But those shortages are also coming for products that have already launched.

Valve had added a note to its Steam Deck page noting that the device would be "out-of-stock intermittently in some regions due to memory and storage shortages." None of Valve's three listed Steam Deck configurations are currently available to buy, nor are any of the certified refurbished Steam Deck configurations that Valve sometimes offers.

Valve hasn't announced any price increases for the Deck, at least not yet—the 512GB OLED model is still listed at $549 and the 1TB version at $649. But the basic 256GB LCD model has been formally discontinued now that it has sold out, increasing the Deck's de facto starting price from $399 to $549. Valve announced in December that it was ending production on the LCD version of the Deck and that it wouldn't be restocked once it sold out.

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Audio Transcript

Earlier this month, Valve announced it was delaying the release of its new Steam Machine desktop and Steam Frame VR headset due to memory and storage shortages that have been cascading across the PC industry since late 2025. But those shortages are also coming for products that have already launched.

Valve had added a note to its Steam Deck page noting that the device would be "out-of-stock intermittently in some regions due to memory and storage shortages." None of Valve's three listed Steam Deck configurations are currently available to buy, nor are any of the certified refurbished Steam Deck configurations that Valve sometimes offers.

Valve hasn't announced any price increases for the Deck, at least not yet—the 512GB OLED model is still listed at $549 and the 1TB version at $649. But the basic 256GB LCD model has been formally discontinued now that it has sold out, increasing the Deck's de facto starting price from $399 to $549. Valve announced in December that it was ending production on the LCD version of the Deck and that it wouldn't be restocked once it sold out.

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