Valve Admits Steam Deck Is Experiencing Delays and Stock Issues Due to AI-Driven Memory Shortages

Valve has updated its website to admit that customers successful immoderate regions are struggling to bargain a Steam Deck "due to representation and retention shortages."

Memory is successful precocious request due to the fact that companies similar Nvidia and Google necessitate truthful overmuch of it for their AI chips, with a caller CNBC study pointing retired that these companies "are the archetypal ones successful enactment for the components." This has already pushed up RAM prices for user electronics, and has had a knock-on interaction connected some console retail prices and availability.

Now, acknowledging a parts shortage that is delaying the physique and shipment of its Steam Deck handhelds, Valve has confirmed earlier rumors of a proviso issue, admitting the handheld whitethorn beryllium "intermittently" retired of banal successful immoderate countries.

"Steam Deck OLED whitethorn beryllium out-of-stock intermittently successful immoderate regions owed to representation and retention shortages," the institution has present added to its Steam Deck store page. "Steam Deck LCD 256GB is nary longer successful production, and erstwhile sold retired volition nary longer beryllium available."

The aforesaid contented has besides scuppered Valve's program to merchandise its Steam Machine successful aboriginal 2026. When the Steam Machine was archetypal announced backmost successful November 2025, Valve suggested that the console-like PC would motorboat successful the archetypal 4th of this year, but the institution present says that arsenic AI shortages that are causing PC hardware to spike successful price, it needs much clip to nail down the terms and merchandise day for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame. You tin work our archetypal impressions of Valve's caller console-like gaming PC close here.

This follows quality yesterday that the AI-fueled spot situation has reportedly upended Sony and Nintendo’s console plans, too, and whitethorn origin a hold to the merchandise of the PlayStation 6 and a terms emergence for the Switch 2.

Vikki Blake is simply a newsman for IGN, arsenic good arsenic a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years acquisition moving with immoderate of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.