Valve’s Steam Deck OLED will be ‘intermittently’ out of stock because of the RAM crisis

Valve has announced that the Steam Deck OLED may be "intermittently" out of stock in certain regions due to ongoing memory and storage shortages. This update was posted on the Steam Deck website, indicating that the handheld gaming console has been out of stock in the US and other parts of the world for several days. The shortages are attributed to a significant demand for RAM and storage components, particularly driven by the artificial intelligence industry, which has been acquiring available memory chips and hard drives for their infrastructure needs (The Verge, Ars Technica, Engadget). In addition to the availability issues with the Steam Deck OLED, Valve has also delayed the launch of other products, including the Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller, which were initially scheduled for early 2026. The company stated that it needs to work on establishing concrete pricing and launch dates, taking into account the current challenges surrounding component availability (The Verge). Furthermore, Valve has confirmed that the more affordable Steam Deck LCD is no longer in production and will not be available once existing stocks are depleted. The phase-out of the LCD model began in December, making the OLED version the only option for consumers looking to purchase a Steam Deck (Engadget). The combination of these factors suggests that Valve is facing significant challenges in maintaining product availability amid a broader industry-wide shortage of essential components.