Big UK price hikes for Steam Deck

Valve has raised UK prices for the Steam Deck OLED by up to £210, with the 512GB model now £649 and the 1TB model £779.

The 512GB version has moved from £479 to £649, a 35% increase. The 1TB version has climbed from £569 to £779, an increase of nearly 37%.

Both models returned to sale on Steam this week after several weeks of intermittent stock, with delivery estimated at 3 to 5 business days. The LCD Steam Deck has been removed from the UK store and is no longer available new.

Valve announced the new pricing in a Steam Community post on Wednesday (27 May).

“Steam Deck itself hasn’t changed; these new prices reflect the current state of component costs and other global logistical challenges across the industry as a whole. We’ll keep you updated if anything changes,” it said.

The hardware specifications are unchanged from the OLED units launched in November 2023. Both retain a 7.4 inch 1280 x 800 HDR OLED display with up to 90Hz refresh rate, Wi-Fi 6E, a 50Whr battery rated for 3 to 12 hours of gameplay, and a 45W power supply with a 2.5m cable.

The 1TB version still ships with premium anti-glare etched glass, a carrying case with a removable liner, and an exclusive startup movie and keyboard theme.

Memory market drives the increase

The price rise lands in the middle of what industry analysts have described as the worst memory price spike in 15 years.

DRAM contract prices rose roughly 58% to 63% quarter on quarter during Q2 2026, while NAND flash prices climbed 70% to 75% over the same period.

AI data centre buildouts are now consuming an estimated 70% of global memory chip production, up from around 25% several years ago, leaving consumer hardware vendors competing for a shrinking share of supply.

Valve is the latest in a line of hardware brands passing the cost on to UK buyers. Microsoft raised prices across its Surface range in April 2026. Raspberry Pi added $100 to its 16GB Pi 5 in recent months. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have all moved console pricing upward during 2026.

Refurbished Steam Deck OLED units remain available on the Steam store at a lower tier than new retail stock, though those prices have also risen.

In the US, the refurbished 512GB unit is now $629 and the 1TB unit $759, with UK refurbished pricing adjusted in line. The discontinued LCD model is still available in refurbished form for those seeking a cheaper entry point.

The new pricing puts the 1TB Steam Deck OLED above the launch price of the PlayStation 5 Pro in several markets and narrows the gap with rival Windows handhelds such as the Asus ROG Ally X.

The change also raises questions over the eventual UK price of Valve’s forthcoming Steam Machine and Steam Frame, both of which the company has said it still intends to ship before the end of 2026.

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