The Steam Deck is out of stock as the RAM crunch hits gaming hardware

[Alfonso Maruccia]

In brief: The memory-shortage crisis is casting a long shadow over multiple electronic devices. Gaming machines appear to be particularly affected right now, and even PC giant Valve is experiencing supply chain disruption over its handheld systems.

Over the past few days, several gamers trying to buy a new Steam Deck have been unable to purchase the machine. Valve's increasingly popular handheld is nowhere to be found on the company's US store, with all three models listed as "out of stock" since Thursday.

Valve recently announced that it was going to eventually discontinue the 256GB Steam Deck LCD model, since production stopped by the end of 2025. However, both the newer, OLED-based versions should now be ready and stocked. The out-of-stock message is surprising to say the least, and Valve has yet to provide any meaningful update on the matter.

The most popular explanation blames the AI industry's frenzy and Big Tech's big appetite for memory chips and future chip-production prospects. Because of the unprecedented shortage in the silicon supply chain, Valve was already forced to increase the price and delay the launch date for its upcoming Steam Machine and Steam Frame offerings.

Steam Deck OLED is all sold out in America https://t.co/k3U9h1gMyy

apparently still available in other countries pic.twitter.com/aYyPIzyRA4

– Wario64 (@Wario64) February 11, 2026

Considering the current sad state of affairs in the hardware and chip market, Valve might choose to prioritize the memory stock required to mass-produce the Steam Machine. The Steam Deck, which was initially introduced in 2022, would temporarily be demoted to a marginal priority until the memory industry stabilizes a bit.

To reiterate, Valve still has not provided an official statement about the Steam Deck shortage in the US. The issue seems to be mostly related to a single national market – other countries still have the device in stock. Steam Deck machines appear to be in stock in Asian locations such as South Korea, Taiwan, and most European countries.

Source: Valve's Italian Steam Deck store

The situation highlights how the memory shortage crisis is eventually going to disrupt the whole IT industry if AI companies keep playing with Monopoly money and pass massive stock valuations back and forth. Everything from GPUs to gaming consoles and smartphones is becoming more expensive or even harder to find in both retail and online stores.

The apparent Steam Deck shortage could become the next ideal target for grifters, too. Gaming enthusiasts are still having nightmares about the GPU prices in the second-hand market during the pandemic years, so we can only imagine what kind of "opportunity" Valve's machine could become for scalpers if the shortage goes on.

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The Steam Deck is out of stock as the RAM crunch hits gaming hardware

 

[PXAbstraction]

I had been waffling buying a Steam Deck for about a month. First the refurbished ones disappeared and I maybe should have clued in then, but now the new ones are gone too. They'll almost certainly go way up in price when they come back too. Kicking myself over that. Pop this damn bubble already!

 

[yRaz]

I had been waffling buying a Steam Deck for about a month. First the refurbished ones disappeared and I maybe should have clued in then, but now the new ones are gone too. They'll almost certainly go way up in price when they come back too. Kicking myself over that. Pop this damn bubble already!

When the memory shortage is over. Steam hasn't said this publicly, but I don't think they're going to haggle with the memory companies running us dry while making billions on AI right now

 

[J95qRP7]

I don't believe Valve is taking supply from the Deck and saving it for the Machine. The Deck uses LPDDR5 6400MT, while the Machine is using sodimm 5600MT.

I suspect Valve simply can't get memory for the Deck at a price that allows them to make money.

 

[PXAbstraction]

I don't believe Valve is taking supply from the Deck to the Machine. The Deck uses LPDDR5 6400MT, while the Machine is using sodimm 5600MT.

I suspect Valve simply can't get memory for the Deck at a price that allows them to make money.

Yep. I just think Valve doesn't want to stockpile RAM and they don't sell enough Steam Decks for that to make sense anyway. They aren't moving Lenovo or Dell volumes or units. I don't blame them, it just sucks.

 

[magoid]

I welcome our new Chinese DRAM overlords to save us from the DRAM Mafia.

Too bad last year when I bought a memory stick from a unknown brand, it caused the laptop of a friend to randomly freeze... Had to go back crawling to Kingston while paying more of course, but at least the problems went away.

 

[PXAbstraction]

I welcome our new Chinese DRAM overlords to save us from the DRAM Mafia.

Too bad last year when I bought a memory stick from a unknown brand, it caused the laptop of a friend to randomly freeze... Had to go back crawling to Kingston while paying more of course, but at least the problems went away.

I forget which one, but one of the major Chinese DRAM makers also recently said they're devoting most of their production to datacenter products.

 

[Burty117]

I kinda wish Valve would release the Steam Machine with a “No RAM” SKU. I probably have some spare SODIMM RAM around here that’s fit for the job and would save me some serious money thanks to today’s RAM prices.

Edit: yep, I upgraded my laptop early last year, so I have 2x 8GB DDR5 5600MHz sticks here.

 

[Peter Farkas]

I welcome our new Chinese DRAM overlords to save us from the DRAM Mafia.

Too bad last year when I bought a memory stick from a unknown brand, it caused the laptop of a friend to randomly freeze... Had to go back crawling to Kingston while paying more of course, but at least the problems went away.

I am surprised by saying, but "Go China Go! Save us!"

 

[PXAbstraction]

I kinda wish Valve would release the Steam Machine with a “No RAM” SKU. I probably have some spare SODIMM RAM around here that’s fit for the job and would save me some serious money thanks to today’s RAM prices.

Edit: yep, I upgraded my laptop early last year, so I have 2x 8GB DDR5 5600MHz sticks here.

That would be amazing. My girlfriend wants a Steam Machine and I have RAM that could go in it. An SSD too for that matter. I'd also been waffling on buying a Steam Deck and now they've gone out of stock, also because of component shortages. I could do the same with that.

 

[Burty117]

That would be amazing. My girlfriend wants a Steam Machine and I have RAM that could go in it. An SSD too for that matter. I'd also been waffling on buying a Steam Deck and now they've gone out of stock, also because of component shortages. I could do the same with that.

The RAM’s soldered to the board on the SteamDeck, I had to send mine away to get upgraded.

SSD though, easy to change, re-installing SteamOS is easier than Windows, and while you’re in there, might as well upgrade the thermal paste to PTM7950.

 

[PXAbstraction]

The RAM’s soldered to the board on the SteamDeck, I had to send mine away to get upgraded.

SSD though, easy to change, re-installing SteamOS is easier than Windows, and while you’re in there, might as well upgrade the thermal paste to PTM7950.

It is soldered on the Steam Deck sadly, but Valve has confirmed that the RAM will be standard, upgradeable SODIMMS on the Steam Machine.