Valve's Steam Deck is back in stock after months, but you won't like it

Source: Ars Technica

Availability

Valve’s Steam Deck handheld has been largely unavailable to buy since mid‑February, a victim of the RAM and storage shortages that have been driving up prices for most consumer tech since the fall of 2025. The good news is that the Deck is back in stock on Valve’s site and ready to ship in three to five days; the bad news is that it appears to have returned because somebody wished for it on a monkey’s paw.

Pricing

• 512 GB OLED version – now $789 (up $240 from the previous $549).
• 1 TB OLED version – now $949 (up $300 from the previous $649). This model includes an anti‑glare screen coating, a slightly nicer case, and an “exclusive startup movie and keyboard theme”.
• The 256 GB base model with an LCD screen has been discontinued, a decision that had been announced well before these price increases took effect: TechPowerUp announcement.

Competition

These prices are particularly hard to swallow for a nearly three‑year‑old revision of an over‑four‑year‑old handheld PC. If there’s a saving grace for Valve, it’s that most competing handhelds from the likes of Asus and Lenovo are also pushing or exceeding the $1,000 mark. Of the Deck’s major competitors, only the $600 Asus ROG Xbox Ally (and its AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, which is very similar to the Deck’s semi‑custom AMD chip) is significantly cheaper than the Steam Deck: Best Buy listing.