Steam Deck sells out in North America within 24 hours of price hike
Recorded: May 31, 2026, 8:02 p.m.
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Steam Deck sells out in North America within 24 hours of price hike - Ars Technica Skip to content Ars Technica home Sections Forum Subscribe Search AI Biz & IT Cars Culture Gaming Health Policy Science Security Space Tech Feature Reviews AI Biz & IT Cars Culture Gaming Health Policy Science Security Space Tech Forum Subscribe Story text Size Small Width Standard Links Standard * Subscribers only Pin to story Theme HyperLight Day & Night Dark System Search Sign In Blink and you’ll miss it Steam Deck sells out in North America within 24 hours of price hike Europe, Australia, and Asia can still get it while the getting’s good. Kyle Orland May 28, 2026 11:43 am | 86 The Steam Deck OLED (bottom) sunbathing with its older brother.
The Steam Deck OLED (bottom) sunbathing with its older brother.
Text Story text Size Small Width Standard Links Standard * Subscribers only Minimize to nav Well, that was fast. Less than 24 hours after Valve announced renewed availability of the Steam Deck OLED (at a massively increased MSRP), the handheld is once again listed as “out of stock” in the US and Canada. Spot checks of other regional Steam stores on Thursday morning showed the hardware as still available across Europe and Australia for the time being, as well as in Asian countries through Valve’s sales partner Komodo. Kyle Orland Kyle Orland Kyle Orland has been the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica since 2012, writing primarily about the business, tech, and culture behind video games. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He once wrote a whole book about Minesweeper. 86 Comments Comments Forum view Loading comments... Prev story Next story Most Read 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Customize Ars Technica has been separating the signal from More Contact Manage Preferences |
Following Valve's announcement of renewed availability for the Steam Deck OLED at an increased Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price, the handheld experienced rapid sellouts in North America, with stock depleting within twenty-four hours of the price hike. While this event drove the hardware to the top of Steam’s Top Sellers list based on revenue, the sales volume for the physical unit was comparatively lower than that of the software, such as the First Light, in the same period. The article points out that Valve has previously indicated potential intermittent stock shortages for the handheld due to memory and storage constraints, a warning that has appeared on the store site since February. This suggests that the current scarcity may continue, particularly as Valve reportedly prepares for the upcoming launch of the Steam Machine using hardware shipments from China. Despite the immediate shortage in the US and Canada, the Steam Deck OLED remained accessible in other regions, with availability persisting across Europe and Australia, and in Asian countries through Valve’s sales partner Komodo. For consumers seeking access to the platform, alternatives exist in the secondary market, where new and used units, including both OLED and standard versions, are frequently listed on eBay at prices comparable to or below the official retail pricing. Furthermore, other hardware options remain viable, such as Lenovo’s SteamOS-powered Legion Go S, which is still available at recently adjusted prices, and modified versions of the Windows-powered ROG Xbox Ally running SteamOS, which are also obtainable at their initial launch pricing. |