Steam Deck OLED Prices Surge Amid Global Memory Crisis

Global memory shortages affecting the tech industry have now impacted the handheld gaming console Steam Deck. The price of the Steam Deck OLED version has surged significantly after months of scarcity in the market. This increase is visible on Valve’s official page, which announced the return of Steam Deck OLED availability but at revised prices.

The 512GB variant, previously priced at $549 (approximately Rp9 million), has risen to $789 or around Rp14 million (based on a rate of $1 = Rp17,800). The 1TB model has increased from $649 (approximately Rp11 million) to $949, or about Rp16.8 million.

The price hike is linked to the global memory crisis, dubbed ‘RAMageddon’, where scarce RAM supplies have driven up costs across various tech devices. Nintendo Switch 2 has also seen a $50 price increase despite less than a year on the market.

For those seeking more affordable options, Valve still offers refurbished models. The refurbished 512GB Steam Deck OLED is priced at $629 (around Rp11.1 million), while the 1TB version is $759 (approximately Rp13.5 million). Additionally, the discontinued Steam Deck LCD model remains available in refurbished form, starting at $279 (about Rp4.9 million) for the 64GB capacity.

The Steam Deck OLED features several upgrades over the LCD version, including an OLED display and improved battery life. OLED pixels emit their own light, unlike LCD screens, which require a backlight. Valve has also increased the screen size from 7 to 7.4 inches, raised the refresh rate from 60Hz to 90Hz, and boosted brightness from 400 to 1,000 nits. The panel supports HDR, covers 110% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, and has a touch polling rate of 180Hz for better responsiveness, though the resolution remains at 1,280 x 800 pixels.