Steam Deck price hike hits all models, starting at $449

Valve increased Steam Deck prices across all SKUs, according to VGC. The entry-level 256GB model now costs $449, up from $399. The 512GB model went from $529 to $579, and the 1TB OLED edition jumped from $649 to $699.

No official reason was given. Supply chain costs, tariffs, or component shortages are the usual suspects for mid-cycle price bumps on hardware that's been stable for a year.

This is a bad look for a device that sold on value. The $399 entry point was the whole pitch — play your Steam library handheld without spending $600 on a gaming laptop. At $449, it's still cheaper than the ROG Ally X or Lenovo Legion Go, but the gap closed fast. If you were waiting for a sale, you missed it.

Run a fresh Steam Deck playbook to see if your library still makes sense at the new price.