Valve has recently acknowledged that the limited availability of the Steam Deck OLED is a result of ongoing memory and storage shortages. This crisis reflects a broader issue affecting the gaming industry, as high demands in AI sectors have led to increased prices for components needed in devices like the Steam Deck.

“Steam Deck OLED may be sporadically out-of-stock in specific territories due to memory and storage shortages,” Valve remarked on their official Steam Deck store page, highlighting that the same issues have also caused delays for the upcoming Steam Machine and increased costs for RAM and SSDs.

In addition to Valve, major companies like Sony and Nintendo are feeling the effects, with Sony reportedly contemplating postponing its next console release until 2029 and Nintendo considering a price hike for the Switch 2.

Reports from various outlets note that these shortages, attributed largely to the escalating demand from the AI industry, are amplifying issues already present in the gaming hardware market. For those interested in a detailed overview of the RAM crisis, Jacob Fox’s explainer provides insightful context into the rising costs and manufacturing challenges facing the electronics sector.