Ever since its debut in 2022, Valve’s Steam Deck has helped usher in a handheld PC gaming revolution.
Of course, it wasn’t the first handheld device to deliver PC/console quality gameplay on the go. That would be the Nintendo Switch, releasing in March 2017. Now, the Switch was quite underpowered compared to its competitors, even on release. The Steam Deck, however, was more than capable of playing most games thrown its way.
Over time, Valve has released updated versions of the Steam Deck, notably with the introduction of an OLED screen in 2023. Similar devices, such as the Lenovo Legion Go, began offering more horsepower.
Valve countered that by offering the OLED Steam Deck at a more affordable price. That all changed today, though, with a massive price increase that’s, in a word, shocking, and people are none too happy.
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The Steam Deck OLED IS Now Over 40% More Expensive
Valve announced on its blog today that the Steam Deck OLED, which is now back in stock at the time of writing, is receiving a new price.
- Steam Deck OLED 512GB: Now $789 USD; CAD 1,129; EUR 779; GBP 649; AUD 1,199; PLN 3,279
- Steam Deck OLED 1TB: Now $949 USD; CAD 1,349; EUR 919; GBP 779; AUD 1,429; PLN 3,879
The company stresses that the price of the Steam Deck itself hasn’t changed. Instead, it’s due to “the current state of component costs and other global logistical challenges across the industry as a whole.”
They’re no doubt referencing the economic pressures from global escalation, tariffs, and the effect of the AI boom on computer hardware. Despite that, fans are, unsurprisingly, none too pleased, with one person on the Valve community forums even calling this “a rare Valve L.”
To be fair, Valve is not the only company being forced to raise hardware prices. Sony announced a price increase of their own earlier this year, with the PS5 Pro topping out at $899.99. On September 1st, 2026, Nintendo will also increase the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 from $449.99 to $499.99.
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How Does the Steam Deck OLED Compare to the Competition?
We have far more options in the world of handheld PC gaming today, and with the recent price increase, Valve’s Steam Deck is looking far less attractive.
The biggest competitors are, again, Legion, with their most recent model being the Legion Go S, and ASUS’s Microsoft-branded ROG Xbox Ally. Here’s a quick breakdown of the various models from all three companies, including price point.
|
Steam Deck 512 GB OLED |
Steam Deck 1 TB OLED |
Legion Go S Powered by SteamOS |
Legion Go S Powered by Windows |
ROG Xbox Ally |
ROG Xbox Ally X |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Price |
$789 |
$949 |
$1,331.99 |
$1,452.99 |
$599.99 |
$999.99 |
|
Processor |
Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32) |
Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32) |
AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor (3.30 GHz up to 5.10 GHz) |
AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor (3.30 GHz up to 5.10 GHz) |
AMD Ryzen Z2 A |
AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme |
|
Memory |
16 GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM |
16 GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM |
32 GB LPDDR5X-7500MT/s |
32 GB LPDDR5X-7500MT/s |
16 GB LPDDR5-6400 |
24 GB LPDDR5X-8000 |
|
Storage |
Steam Deck 512GB NVMe SSD |
Steam Deck 1TB NVMe SSD |
1 TB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe Gen4 TLC |
1 TB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe Gen4 TLC |
512 GB M.2 2280 SSD |
1TB M.2 2280 SSD |
The Legion Go 2 is not available on Lenovo’s website and is therefore not included in this table.
It feels like the biggest difference between these options is the Steam Deck’s OLED display, combined with the Linux-based operating system. Having said that, you’re looking to spend quite a bit of money now for what’s an outdated piece of hardware, especially since there is a Legion Go model that has SteamOS. It’ll cost you roughly $400 more, yes, but you get twice as much RAM and a more powerful CPU.
Of course, that all could change if Lenovo and ASUS decide to raise prices, too.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
