Since the tail end of 2025, sky-high RAM costs have been negatively impacting the gaming industry. A lot of graphics cards, RAM sticks, and even SSDs are either out of stock or inflated beyond any semblance of a reasonable price. Now, according to the Steam Deck store page, Valve has also confirmed it is facing supply issues due to the RAM shortage:
“Steam Deck OLED may be out of stock intermittently in some regions due to memory and storage shortages… Steam Deck LCD 256GB is no longer in production, and once sold out, will no longer be available.”
It is unclear right now how this memory and storage shortage will affect the upcoming Steam Machine. People are already worried about the price of Valve’s console/PC hybrid, and this shortage situation is not making things any better.
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How To Navigate The RAM Shortage
Because of this memory shortage, we’ve seen Nvidia delay new graphics cards, reported delays for the next-gen consoles from Sony and Xbox, and ludicrous pricing for new graphics cards, RAMs, and storage. If you’re building a new PC, it’s an absolutely terrible time to do so right now. Handhelds are a good alternative, but with the most popular PC handheld having stock issues, it’s hard to find a silver lining here.
Now, you should still be able to snag a Steam Deck in some regions, though grabbing the OLED model will be significantly harder. As someone who has been involved with the PC gaming industry for the better part of a decade, I recommend you play it smart. If you can’t sit around waiting for prices to drop, consider buying certified refurbished parts from authentic sources. Check out Valve’s website for more information on certified refurbished Steam Decks.
Buying used is also an option, though that always comes with its obvious risks. And if you already have at least one decent enough console or PC to play on, maybe just make do with that for now. Publications that focus on PC/console hardware have been ringing alarm bells about the consequences of RAM shortage for months now, and unfortunately, they were right.
Published: Feb 17, 2026 02:30 pm