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

Valve has updated its website to acknowledge that customers in some regions are struggling to buy a Steam Deck “due to memory and storage shortages.”

Memory is in high demand because companies like Nvidia and Google require so much of it for their AI chips, with a recent CNBC report pointing out that these companies “are the first ones in line for the components.” This has already pushed up RAM prices for consumer electronics, and has had a knock-on impact on both console retail prices and availability.

Now, acknowledging a parts shortage that is delaying the build and shipment of its Steam Deck handhelds, Valve has confirmed earlier rumors of a supply issue, admitting the handheld may be “intermittently” out of stock in some countries.

“Steam Deck OLED may be out-of-stock intermittently in some regions due to memory and storage shortages,” the company has now added to its Steam Deck store page. “Steam Deck LCD 256GB is no longer in production, and once sold out will no longer be available.”

The same issue has also scuppered Valve’s plan to release its Steam Machine in early 2026. When the Steam Machine was first announced back in November 2025, Valve suggested that the console-like PC would launch in the first quarter of this year, but the company now says that as AI shortages that are causing PC hardware to spike in price, it needs more time to nail down the price and release date for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame. You can read our first impressions of Valve’s new console-like gaming PC right here.

This follows news yesterday that the AI-fueled chip crisis has reportedly upended Sony and Nintendo’s console plans, too, and may cause a delay to the release of the PlayStation 6 and a price rise for the Switch 2.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.