Valve has confirmed that the Steam Deck is out of stock in the United States due to ongoing memory and storage shortages. All three models listed on the Steam store are currently greyed out and unavailable for purchase, leaving buyers unable to secure one of the most popular gaming handhelds on the market.
A notice now displayed on the Steam store page reads: “Steam Deck OLED may be out-of-stock intermittently in some regions due to memory and storage shortages. Steam Deck LCD 256GB is no longer in production, and once sold out, will no longer be available.”
All Steam Deck Models Are Currently Unavailable in the US
The Steam Deck OLED comes in two configurations: a 512GB model and a 1TB model. Both are currently listed as out of stock on Valve’s US storefront. The older 256GB Steam Deck LCD was already discontinued in late 2025, so its disappearance from shelves is not a surprise. However, both OLED versions going simultaneously unavailable in a major market is a more unusual development.
Refurbished Steam Deck units are also no longer available on the United States site. Stock in the US had remained stable throughout the second half of 2025 and into early January 2026, before experiencing a sharp and sudden drop in February.
The Steam Deck has also been reported as sold out in Japan, though the Japanese store page has pointed to a possible restock in late February.
AI Demand for Memory Chips Is the Core Problem
The cause of the shortage traces back to the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence data centers, which have been consuming a disproportionately large share of global memory chip production. According to reports, data centers are expected to consume around 70 percent of all memory chips produced in 2026.
The Steam Deck OLED uses 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, a type of memory that has seen dramatic price increases as AI-driven demand continues to push costs higher. SSD prices have also been rising, compounding the issue for manufacturers like Valve that rely on both components to build their devices.
RAM prices have been climbing since the final quarter of 2025, and analysts have warned that the situation is unlikely to improve in the short term. The broader impact of AI-driven RAM costs on gaming and esports hardware has been widely documented as one of the most disruptive cost pressures heading into 2026.
Valve’s Upcoming Hardware Is Also Affected
The RAM shortage is not only affecting the Steam Deck. Valve had been preparing to launch the Steam Machine, a mini PC aimed at console-style PC gaming, during the first quarter of 2026. The company has since been forced to delay that release and has also had to put off revealing the pricing for both the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame VR headset. A new controller was also listed among the affected upcoming products.
Valve previously stated that the Steam Machine’s release date and pricing are directly impacted by rapidly increasing memory and storage costs.
The Broader Gaming Industry Is Feeling the Pressure
The Steam Deck is far from the only piece of gaming hardware caught in this situation. PC hardware maker Framework announced in January 2026 that it was raising the price of its Framework Desktop by as much as $460, directly citing the rising cost of RAM.
Apple has also acknowledged the memory shortage, confirming it is affecting supply. Mac Studio units with 512GB of Unified Memory are reportedly on backorder for up to six weeks. Even Sony has weighed in, stating that it intends to minimize the impact of ongoing RAM shortages on the PS5, though it stopped short of ruling out a price increase entirely.
Nintendo is also said to be considering price hikes for the Switch 2, while reports suggest the PS6 may not arrive until as late as 2029 partly due to component challenges. Nvidia, meanwhile, has reportedly shut down production of a new gaming GPU to redirect focus toward AI data centers.
Scalper Concerns Begin to Surface
As the Steam Deck shortage continues, concerns about price gouging have started to emerge within the gaming community. Shortly after units disappeared from Valve’s official store, one Steam Deck appeared on Newegg listed at $100 above the standard retail price, though it quickly sold through. Gamers are drawing comparisons to the GPU shortage period during the pandemic years, when graphics card prices on the secondary market soared well above their original price tags.
Will the Steam Deck Come Back at the Same Price?
There is currently no confirmed restock date for the Steam Deck OLED in the United States. Valve has not stated whether the handheld will return at its original price or whether a price increase is being considered. RAM prices are projected to continue rising, which puts further pressure on Valve’s ability to maintain the current retail cost.
The Steam Deck OLED remains available in some other regions, including the UK and Australia. However, with the LCD model now permanently discontinued, the OLED versions are the only new Steam Deck options still available globally, making restocks critical for anyone looking to buy one. Players waiting on the situation may also want to keep an eye on Steam Deck 2 developments, as Valve’s next-generation handheld plans could be further shaped by how the current memory shortage resolves.