I keep seeing articles like this, but it was showing as sold out for at least three months before the price hike for me. I guess they’re better off selling some as long as there’s demand.
this post was submitted on 23 Jul 2026
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I would assume the entire gaming hardware sector is taking a similar hit. This article isn't too useful without industry comparative analysis
Xbox consoles were up 86% YoY in June. I wouldn't be surprised if people are seeing the eye-popping prices on hardware and choosing to make their purchases now. (June 2025 was also the Switch 2 release, which surely suppressed sales last year.)
That said, I think Steam's prices--along with with other swiftly rising handheld PCs--are the canary in the coal mine here. Next gen is going to have some wild sticker shock.
Gee ya think?
If I needed a replacement I’d probably be looking at the used market.
Some YouTubers are recommending that certain used ROG Ally devices may give better value and performance from the used market. These work really well with Bazzite. I don't particularly value the trackpads and have the knowhow to be able to install Bazzite myself. I wouldn't buy a Steam Deck if I were buying today. I'd look for an upgrade.
Pro tip: check pawn shops. I saw tons of handhelds for reasonable-great prices. Especially the steam deck and ROG ally. You can haggle too
OG ROG Ally cost me £320 on eBay and came with a JSAUX grip and battery upgrade. Absolute bargain.
Used ones are basically going for new prices. At least on eBay, I was seeing used and refurbished OLED models between $650 and $950.
They could probably turn that around by releasing half-life 3
I was about to buy a steam deck until they raised the price. Now I bought a ROG Ally Xbox X for basically the same price. I know they aren’t 1:1 but the steam deck is a terrible price now for what you get.
In case you're using Windows on the Ally X:
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/65B4-2AA3-5F37-4227
I might switch over later but for now I’ve just debloated windows the best I could and using it.
After a couple more years of the AI bubble it's going to look like a deal.
A free and open market of well informed sellers and buyers will naturally find rh cost of items and services. That is it'll bounce around like this. If sales tanked from day one the same hardware would likely be on a discount.
My understanding is that the hardware market is currently not a free and open market of well informed buyers and sellers. LLM companies are literally buying hardware that hasn't been made yet for uses which will never exist.
Oh wow? Is water wet Also? and perhaps the sky is blue?
Such a pointless article.