Valve has dramatically raised the price of its Steam Deck handheld gaming PC, citing rising costs. The OLED model, which originally launched in November 2023, now starts at £649 for the 512GB tier and £779 for the larger 1TB version, marking a hefty 43% and 46% increase respectively.

Despite the hike, Valve maintains that no changes were made to the hardware itself. The price rise reflects broader industry challenges like soaring memory and storage costs, exacerbated by global logistical issues. Some gamers are left disappointed, with one posting: “There goes my hopes of ever getting an OLED.”

The increase has sparked speculation about future pricing for Valve’s other products, such as the Steam Machine. The company’s recent launch of its official pad, the Steam Controller, also faced criticism from gamers over its price.

Other tech giants have similarly boosted prices recently to reflect rising component costs and inflation. Sony increased the PlayStation 5 price by £90 in the UK, while Nintendo raised the Switch 2's global price in September. Only Xbox has bucked the trend so far this year by lowering its Game Pass subscription cost.

With these changes, will gamers still be able to afford their next must-have gaming device? Time will tell as more companies grapple with increasing costs and market pressures.