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.

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.

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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.