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As Steam Machine and Xbox are latest to fall to the RAMpocalpyse, Micron CEO says RAM shortages won't ease until…
Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra predicts that global RAM shortages, exacerbated by AI demand and economic factors, will persist until at least 2028, leading to continued price hikes for gaming hardware. This situation has already caused price increases for platforms like Steam Machine, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5, with future consoles like the PlayStation 6 and Xbox Project Helix expected to be significantly more expensive.
Xbox Series X/S to get second price increase in less than a year
Microsoft is increasing the prices of the Xbox Series S by $100 USD and the Xbox Series X by $150 USD, effective August 1st, 2026, due to a global memory shortage driven by AI data center demand. The company is also discontinuing the 2TB Xbox Series X model. This follows a previous price hike in October and comes amid reports of studio closures and other gaming systems, like Valve's Steam Machine, also facing increased component costs.
Microsoft announces even more Xbox Series price increases for 1st August
Microsoft is increasing the prices of Xbox Series X and Series S consoles globally starting August 1st, with some models seeing a 33% hike. The company cites rising component costs, particularly for SSDs and memory, as the primary reason for the price adjustments. This follows similar price increases last year and affects consoles worldwide, with specific US pricing detailed.
Valve has "a nice thing going on on PC," Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney says, but "they're missing out on a lot of opportunity" without the likes of Fortnite and Genshin Impact
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney believes Valve's Steam platform is missing significant opportunities by not including popular games like Fortnite and Genshin Impact. He argues that Steam's closed ecosystem limits its reach compared to more open platforms like the Epic Games Store and Microsoft Store, suggesting Valve could benefit from a more collaborative approach to digital distribution on PC.
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The article indicates a '404 Page Not Found' error, humorously comparing the situation to the non-existence of Half-Life 3. It prompts users who followed a link to report the issue to Eurogamer.net for correction.
Valve clarifies that all Steam Machines have a single 16GB RAM stick — here's what this means, and why I think it's another reason gamers may hold off buying the PC
Valve has clarified that all Steam Machines will ship with a single 16GB RAM stick, correcting previous statements that suggested some models might have two 8GB sticks. While this configuration offers a better upgrade path to 32GB, it sacrifices the performance benefits of dual-channel memory. The article suggests this detail, along with potential pricing issues, might be reasons for gamers to delay purchasing a Steam Machine.
The Steam Summer Sale goes live with 'deep-a** discounts' across thousands of games
The annual Steam Summer Sale has begun, featuring significant discounts on thousands of games, including Mass Effect Legendary Edition. While Grand Theft Auto 6 preorders are also live for some platforms, the article focuses on the Steam sale's extensive offerings and its duration until July 9.
Microsoft raises price of Xbox consoles once again, sunsets 2TB model
Microsoft is increasing the prices of its Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles globally starting August 1, 2026, citing a global memory hardware shortage driven by generative AI companies. The 512GB Xbox Series S will rise by $100 to $499.99, and 1TB models of both consoles will increase by $150, with the 2TB Xbox Series X being discontinued. This follows similar price hikes from Sony and Nintendo, with Microsoft explaining that consoles are typically sold at a loss, making them particularly vulnerable to component cost increases.
Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney is at it again, says Steam’s AI disclosure requirement is ‘irresponsible’
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has criticized Valve's AI disclosure requirement for Steam, calling it 'irresponsible.' Sweeney believes that it is not Valve's role to ensure the success of games submitted to their platform.
After mysteriously vanishing from the game, Dota 2's Axe has been 'replaced' by a fake
Dota 2's hero Axe mysteriously disappeared from the game and was replaced by a placeholder, only to return with a new 'Axe?' designation and a mechanical, clockwork design. This change, along with new ability icons and a hammer replacing his axe, is speculated to be part of an upcoming 'Dark Carnival' in-game event, possibly related to the character Ringmaster. Valve has since fixed crashes associated with the new hero.
Valve says Steam Machine won't have 'as long of a timeframe' as Steam Deck, and new models are 'just…
Valve engineers discussed the product strategy for the Steam Machine, indicating it will not have as long of a product lifecycle as the Steam Deck. Unlike the Steam Deck, which requires a fixed performance target for developers, the Steam Machine is more akin to a gaming PC with a variable performance gradient. Valve is observing the evolving PC hardware market and new game demands before committing to a new Steam Machine iteration.
Morning Interviews
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney discussed the future of gaming, artificial intelligence, and the competitive landscape with Valve. He stated that no single company is likely to achieve an absolute monopoly in the industry.
"We have our own list of features that we wanted to add": Valve say the Steam Machine's update support will be similar to the Steam Deck's
Valve hardware designer Lawrence Yang stated that the Steam Machine will receive software support and feature updates comparable to the Steam Deck. Valve plans to continuously ship updates and improvements, incorporating user feedback and their own internal feature wishlist, similar to how the Steam Deck evolved post-launch with new features and performance enhancements.
Online retailers are stating that PS5 GTA 6 codes can only be played in the country they're bought
Online retailers in the UK and Ireland are displaying warnings that PlayStation 5 codes for Grand Theft Auto 6 can only be redeemed in the country where they were purchased, citing account registration requirements. This contradicts standard EU law which prohibits geo-blocking across European Economic Area borders for digital products, though some European retailers have different disclaimers. Similar warnings were initially present for Xbox Series X/S but have since been removed as those codes are typically region-free.
The RAM crisis comes for Apple: Mac and iPad prices jacked up by hundreds as company says 'We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly'
Apple has significantly increased the prices of its Mac and iPad lines due to a rapid and substantial rise in component costs. The company stated that it has never experienced such a swift and large increase in component prices before. While iPhones are currently unaffected, CEO Tim Cook indicated that price hikes for all products might become unavoidable if the situation persists.
Epic Games boss calls Steam AI disclosures "really irresponsible of Valve" as they make it "much, much, much harder for a game developer to have a chance of success"
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has criticized Valve's decision to require developers to disclose the use of generative AI in games on Steam, calling it "irresponsible." Sweeney argues that these disclosures create a negative stigma, making it significantly harder for smaller developers to succeed. He believes AI tools are crucial for developers to remain competitive and that such tags discourage innovation.
Valve wasn't sure it was gonna have any Steam Machines to sell at the start of 2026: 'Things looked really…
Valve engineers Yazan Aldehayyat and Pierre-Loup Griffais discussed the challenges in producing Steam Machines, particularly due to the RAM crisis impacting component costs and availability. At the beginning of the year, Valve was uncertain if they would have any units to sell, but they have since managed to secure a sizable amount for launch, though day-one demand is expected to exceed supply.
Steam Machine sold out already in some regions ahead of release
The Steam Machine has already sold out in Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan ahead of its official release date. Valve is using a lottery system in some regions like the US and UK to prevent scalping, a strategy implemented after the Steam Controller's rapid sell-out. All four configurations of the Steam Machine are unavailable in the affected Asian markets, with prices noted as being higher than in the US.
Tencent, Xbox, Game Angels, Ansible and Flick to speak on Game Republic New Horizons investor stage
The Game Republic New Horizons conference will feature speakers from Tencent, Xbox, The Game Angels, Ansible, and Flick Games on its investor stage. The event, co-hosted by Games London, aims to connect game studios with investors and funders. Separately, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra discussed the ongoing global chip shortage, predicting gradual improvement in 2028 due to increased demand from data centers powering AI.
Micron says chip shortage will "improve gradually" in 2028
Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra stated that the global RAM and NAND chip shortage, exacerbated by AI demand, is expected to persist through 2027 and gradually improve in 2028. He admitted that the company has no visibility on when supply will meet demand, citing long fab construction times, worker shortages, and regulatory hurdles. This shortage is driving up component costs, impacting hardware markets and console prices, with companies like Valve facing higher costs for their Steam Machine.
