Last week, we reported on the news that the Steam Deck OLED was completely out of stock via Valve's official website in the US, and now, we've got an update. According to a new note from the gaming giant, the Steam Deck OLED "may be out-of-stock intermittently in some regions due to memory and storage shortages." That's bad news for anyone who was still hoping to get their hands on the handheld, as there's no indication of when Valve might be capable of replenishing stock.
While it might not be the most powerful handheld on the market, the Steam Deck OLED has proven popular since its introduction in 2023, thanks to its user-friendly operating system, massive library of Verified games, and consistent price point. That last factor is a major part of the OLED's consistent success, as in the years following its launch, we've seen some much more expensive handheld consoles, such as the ROG Xbox Ally X and the Lenovo Legion Go 2, both of which are almost double the price of the 256GB Steam Deck OLED.
The Steam Deck OLED isn't the only Valve product affected by the ongoing RAM shortages. Earlier this month, the company revealed that it still couldn't confirm launch dates or pricing details for the Steam Controller, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame due to the RAM and storage shortages. While the statement suggests that Valve is still planning to introduce these products in the "first half of the year," we're already more than halfway through February, so there's not all that long left for the company to meet its target.
Outside of Valve, another report posits that the next victim of the RAM shortage could be the Nintendo Switch 2, or rather, those hoping to pick one up. Bloomberg has suggested that Nintendo is currently considering a price increase for the Switch 2, which could be controversial, given that the current $449.99 price point prompted backlash last year. The same report also contains some bad news for PlayStation fans, as it points to a potential delay for the next Sony home console, pushing it back as far as 2028 or 2029.
It's worth noting that the Steam Deck OLED isn't completely out of stock globally. I'm currently in the UK, and both the 256GB and 512GB models are available to buy from Valve's site. However, if you're reading this from the US or Canada, your only option right now is via a third-party retailer such as Best Buy or Amazon, and they're charging upwards of $100 more than Valve for the handheld. Now, more than ever, it might be a better time to check out some of the best Steam Deck alternatives instead.