Valve Follows Switch 2, PS5 & Xbox With Major Steam Deck Price Hike

Depending on what kind of hybrid gaming system you’re in the market for, the Steam Deck might not be quite as appealing after a significant price increase this week.

Following in the footsteps of Nintendo and Sony recently, Valve has announced its 512GB OLED system has jumped from $549 to $789 ($240 extra), and the 1TB OLED model has increased from $649 to $949 ($300 more). It’s not all doom and gloom, as the price of the existing LCD model (which is still sold in select markets) remains unchanged. Refurbished models also offer more affordable options.

Here are Valve’s new regional prices for its Steam Deck OLED models. Keep in mind it hasn’t even released the Steam Frame or Steam Machine yet, which will function as both a console-style experience and PC.

• Steam Deck 512GB: $789/£649/€779
• Steam Deck 1TB: $949/£779/€919

While no hardware manufacturer seems to be safe from price increases or shortages on key components at the moment, as our colleagues at Push Square note, the big three console makers are arguably better equipped to deal with this kind of situation.

Fortunately, for the Switch 2, it’s already got some momentum as it nears 20 million sales and its first anniversary next month. Nintendo’s own $50 increase raises the price of its new hybrid unit (featuring an LCD panel) from $449.99 to $499.99. These price revisions are already in effect in Japan, and will take place this September in Western markets.

In saying this, the Japanese firm isn’t willing to rule out further Switch 2 price increases – with Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa stating earlier this month how the company could still be impacted by the “uncertainties” of component prices not only in 2026, but also next year.

What do you make of Valve’s decision to up the price of its portable system? Do you think it could clear up some space in Nintendo’s segment of the market? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.