If you want a Steam Deck and don’t have one already, get ready to pay top dollar for Valve’s portable console. On Wednesday, the PC platform and hardware maker announced that the original Steam Deck is getting a price hike amounting to $200 or more, depending on the hardware model.
On the lower end, the 512GB OLED portable is going from $549 to $789. Steam Decks with 1TB of storage capacity will go from $649 to $789, Valve said.
Both models are currently up for sale with these new price tags. Valve has yet to announce the price of its upcoming Steam Machine hardware, but if the prices of its less powerful portable are any indication, it wouldn’t be surprising if we’re looking at $1,000 or more.
Valve is the latest game company to announce price increases for its products. Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft have all hiked up prices for their respective consoles, in some cases more than once. Publishers have tried to offset these increased costs through new measures and initiatives. Nintendo’s digital games are slightly cheaper than its physical counterparts. Xbox recently announced that its flagship subscription service would cost less going forward. And Sony has been testing dynamic pricing that offers games at a discount.
Unlike its competitors, Valve has Steam, a platform that has amassed an incredible amount of goodwill. The new prices are major, but not only do PC games tend to be cheaper, there are constant seasonal sales. Valve also does not change its multiplayer, nor does it offer a subscription service for games. Steam games also do well across a wide range of prices, meaning that budget-conscious consumers have plenty of options on the platform. Unlike a PS5 or NIntendo Switch 2, a Steam Deck is also a much more ancillary product for a different platform. Yet, through the success of products like the Steam Controller, the company has proven that it can sell products at luxury prices — provided the quality is there.
At the same time, the Steam Deck and its OLED upgrade are several years old at this point. With prices rising across the gaming world, wallets everywhere are hurting.
