The golden age of handheld gaming is already over | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.The golden age of handheld gaming is already overNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...GamingCloseGamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GamingReportCloseReportPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReportAnalysisCloseAnalysisPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AnalysisThe golden age of handheld gaming is already overThe Steam Deck’s huge price hike is the end of an era for gaming handhelds.The Steam Deck’s huge price hike is the end of an era for gaming handhelds.by Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterSenior EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean HollisterMay 28, 2026, 6:30 AM UTCLinkShareGiftIf you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.Photo: Vjeran PavicPart OfSteam Deck, ROG Ally, and more: all the news about the handheld PC gaming revolutionsee all updates Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean Hollister is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.For a few glorious years, a $399 portable gadget could run almost anything you’d want to play. In 2022, the Steam Deck finally made PC gaming portable and affordable. I played through the vast majority of Elden Ring on a Steam Deck, agape that such a rich world could comfortably fit between my two hands.Today, that Steam Deck experience starts at $789 — nearly double the price.Similarly, a Nintendo Switch cost $299 at launch — but after Nintendo’s Switch 2 upgrades and “changes in market conditions,” the starting price of today’s Nintendo handheld gaming experience will soon be $499, more than a disc-less PS5 cost at launch.You might say so what: doesn’t everything cost more right now? Welcome to RAMageddon, tariffs, and rising oil prices due to Trump’s war on Iran. And I can’t fully blame Nintendo or Valve. Heck, I credit them for being among the last to raise prices.“Console gaming is continuing its slow and steady march towards becoming a niche, luxury good,” my colleague Andrew Webster wrote earlier this month, pointing out how both Sony and Microsoft have hiked prices multiple times and that Nintendo was one of the last holdouts. (He also wrote how everything about buying games is getting more confusing and expensive — and remember when game consoles used to go down in price instead of up?)Meanwhile, desktop PC gamers are beginning to worry their hobby may never be affordable again, now that RAM and storage prices have skyrocketed and every chipmaker is chasing AI servers. (Nvidia isn’t even officially a gaming company anymore.)But handhelds hit different. They were supposed to be the affordable alternative to consoles and PCs, and I can’t help feeling sad they had such a short time in the full sun.There wasn’t even enough time for a true Valve or Nintendo competitor to emerge — no other manufacturer ever meaningfully challenged them on price, ceding the market accordingly. When Microsoft finally woke up to the Steam Deck’s threat of pushing Windows gamers toward Linux, it did so at $1,000 instead of $400, pricing the Xbox Ally X like a PC instead of a console.At $789 rather than $399, the Steam Deck may no longer be a threat to Microsoft’s dominance over Windows gaming. For those with the spare cash, it makes a $1,000 Microsoft / Asus Xbox Ally X actually look good, considering how much more power you get at that price and how Microsoft keeps plugging away at fixing its flaws.Every other handheld gaming PC worth its salt costs even more than that now: the Lenovo Legion Go S is nearly double its launch price at a staggering $1,579.99, the Legion Go 2 costs nearly $2,000 with the same chip as the Xbox Ally X, and leaked retail listings suggest Intel’s new handheld platform won’t be much cheaper. The MSI Claw 8 AI Plus has gone from $1,000 to $1,299 (though I still see it on sale for “only” $1,099).At these prices in today’s world, we’re just not talking about the same kind of product anymore. It’s no longer “you can afford to try a handheld and experience the joy of gaming everywhere.” It’s “you probably have to choose a handheld instead of something else.”That kind of zero-sum thinking may impact the value of these handhelds in other ways, too — one of the joys of the Steam Deck was how it made PlayStation’s biggest games portable, but Sony reportedly won’t bring its big single-player games to PC anymore. It’s taking that ball and going home.When I bought my Steam Deck in 2022, I wasn’t sure it would pay off, that I would truly become a handheld gamer again. I already had a perfectly good homebuilt PC.But I didn’t need to be sure. It only cost $400. That’s not pocket change — but it’s not rent money, either. I know I wouldn’t have bought a $1,000 handheld back then. I’m torn on whether I would now.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterSenior EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean HollisterAnalysisCloseAnalysisPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AnalysisGamingCloseGamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GamingPC GamingClosePC GamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PC GamingReportCloseReportPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReportMore in: Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and more: all the news about the handheld PC gaming revolutionValve raises Steam Deck prices by more than $200Jay PetersMay 27Valve launches the Steam Controller without the Steam MachineSean HollisterApr 27The Lenovo Legion Go S is RAMageddon’s latest victimSean HollisterApr 20Most PopularMost PopularValve raises Steam Deck prices by more than $200Sony’s first RGB TV is a statement pieceSony is offering up to 50 percent off some of our favorite PS5 gamesHere’s how Google is responding to Fitbit users who don’t like the new Health appThe AI fight brewing inside The New York TimesThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native adMore in GamingValve raises Steam Deck prices by more than $200Sony is offering up to 50 percent off some of our favorite PS5 gamesSony’s DualSense controllers are almost 30 percent off007 First Light is like a James Bond movie in the best way possibleThe best part of Mina the Hollower is how it randomizes the Zelda formulaThe Witcher 3 is getting another expansion, more than a decade after launchValve raises Steam Deck prices by more than $200Jay PetersMay 27Sony is offering up to 50 percent off some of our favorite PS5 gamesBrandon WidderMay 27Sony’s DualSense controllers are almost 30 percent offCameron FaulknerMay 27007 First Light is like a James Bond movie in the best way possibleTauriq MoosaMay 27The best part of Mina the Hollower is how it randomizes the Zelda formulaJay PetersMay 27The Witcher 3 is getting another expansion, more than a decade after launchAndrew WebsterMay 27Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native adTop StoriesMay 27Roids were all the rage at the Enhanced GamesMay 27Sony’s first RGB TV is a statement pieceMay 27Here’s how Google is responding to Fitbit users who don’t like the new Health appMay 27The AI fight brewing inside The New York TimesMay 27A Google employee allegedly used inside information to win $1.2 million on Polymarket An hour agoIt’s the Samsung Fold 8 Wide, dummy.The VergeThe Verge logo.FacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSContactTip UsCommunity GuidelinesArchivesAboutEthics StatementHow We Rate and Review ProductsCookie SettingsTerms of UsePrivacy NoticeCookie PolicyLicensing FAQAccessibilityPlatform Status© 2026 Vox Media, LLC. All Rights ReservedNotifications DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Sign in to see your notifications or create an account to join the conversation.Sign in

The golden age of handheld gaming is concluding, primarily evidenced by significant price increases for major handheld devices, signaling a transition in the market. The substantial price hike for the Steam Deck, which now costs $789, contrasts sharply with its initial accessibility, and this trend is mirrored by the anticipated rising cost of the Nintendo Switch, which is expected to reach $499 following updates and market shifts. This economic reality is contextualized by broader inflationary pressures, including increased costs for RAM, storage, and chip manufacturing, as well as external factors such as tariffs and rising oil prices.

This price escalation reflects a broader trend where console gaming is evolving into a more specialized, luxury market segment. As noted by Andrew Webster, both Sony and Microsoft have repeatedly increased prices, positioning some of these platforms—and Nintendo as one of the last to resist—as premium offerings. Concurrently, desktop PC gamers are facing affordability concerns as component prices have soared due to the competition for resources in the AI server market, which has complicated the cost structure for PC gaming hardware.

Handheld devices were intended to serve as affordable alternatives to established consoles and PCs, but they have lacked the necessary competitive pressure from manufacturers to maintain low pricing. This lack of meaningful competition has allowed pricing to escalate. While the Steam Deck initially provided a platform for portable PC gaming, its increased cost diminishes its competitive edge against other portable gaming options. For instance, other handheld gaming PCs, such as the Lenovo Legion Go S and the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus, have experienced dramatic price inflation, with some models nearly doubling their launch prices, further illustrating the escalating cost of portable hardware.

The shift impacts the strategic value of handhelds; the Steam Deck’s initial appeal derived in part from its ability to enable portable gaming for major titles. However, the rising costs suggest a changing dynamic where the pursuit of portability is increasingly dependent on choice rather than simple affordability. This shift may also affect the relationship between console and PC platforms, as the portability advantage offered by devices like the Steam Deck is being reevaluated, particularly concerning how major console holders approach bringing their significant single-player games to PC. Ultimately, the market is moving toward a scenario where consumers must actively choose a handheld experience rather than simply having an affordable option for portable gaming everywhere.