Valve raised Steam Deck prices sharply in late May 2026, discontinuing the budget-friendly $399 LCD version and boosting OLED model prices from $549 to $789 for the 512GB and from $649 to $949 for the 1TB variant [1, 2, 3]. The removal of the LCD version pushed the average selling price up by about 54%, from $540 to $835 [1].
Following the price hikes and supply issues earlier in 2026, weekly Steam Deck sales volume dropped approximately 80-82%, falling from roughly 11,000-18,000 units per week in 2025 to about 1,400-3,000 units by mid-2026 [1, 2, 3]. This steep decline caused the device to fall from a stable top 4-5 ranking on Steam's global top sellers list in 2025 to around 14th place after the price changes [1, 2, 3]. Weekly revenue from the Steam Deck dropped about 72%, a decline that technical media outlet Boiling Steam described as leaving the product "lying bleeding on the floor" [1].
Valve attributed the price increases primarily to higher component costs and a memory shortage affecting production capacity [1, 3]. Despite the drop in sales, some North American stock replenishments initially sold out at the higher prices, indicating some consumers absorbed the increases in the short term [2].
Steam Deck had maintained a consistent position among Steam's top sellers throughout 2025 across multiple models, including the budget 256GB LCD version [1]. Early 2026 brought supply shortages linked to component issues that constricted assembly and availability [1]. The official price increases and LCD model removal were announced on May 28, 2026 [1, 3].
Steam Deck shipments and ranking declined further through mid-2026, confirming the strong impact of Valve's pricing decisions and supply challenges [1, 2, 3].
