Steam Deck OLED
News, coverage and analysis tracking Steam Deck OLED across the outlets.
"It's too dangerous for us to speculate": Valve don't know if Steam Machine prices will drop in the future, after admitting that "some people are going to priced out"Valve has opened reservations for the new Steam Machine, with prices starting at £879 / $1049 / €1039 for the base 512GB model. Valve designers Lawrence Yang and Yazan Aldehayyat attribute the high cost to ongoing component shortages and pricing issues, stating that the current prices reflect manufacturing realities. They acknowledge that some consumers will be priced out but believe it still offers good value compared to other market options, while declining to speculate on future price drops due to market uncertainty.
MSI has listed the official pre-order price of its new Claw gaming handheld and I think you're going to want to sit…MSI has listed its new Claw handheld gaming PC for pre-order at $1,799, a price point that has surprised many despite earlier leaks. This high cost is attributed to its Intel Arc G3 Extreme processor and substantial memory and storage configurations. The article also notes that other high-powered handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally X have also seen significant price increases, making the Steam Deck OLED appear more affordable by comparison.
Handheld Setups for Hotel Gaming No Monitor (2026) | TAGThis article provides a guide for setting up handheld gaming devices like the Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam Deck OLED in hotel rooms without a dedicated monitor. It covers handheld-only setups, docking to hotel TVs with considerations for input lag and HDMI access, and the use of portable travel monitors for frequent travelers. The guide also discusses optimizing audio with headphones or Bluetooth speakers and managing lighting and ergonomics in hotel environments.
I've run the numbers, and if the Steam Machine does arrive this summer, this is how much it should costThis article analyzes the potential cost of Valve's upcoming Steam Machine, estimating a starting price of around $775 for the 512GB model and $975 for the 2TB model based on current PC component prices. The analysis considers wholesale versus retail pricing and compares it to the recent price increases of the Steam Deck OLED, suggesting a final retail price for the Steam Machine could exceed $1,000.
New Intel-based handheld gaming PCs sound great but all signs point towards yet more prohibitively expensive price tagsIntel's new Panther Lake chips for handheld gaming PCs, the Arc G3 and G3 Extreme, are expected to be prohibitively expensive, following a trend of rising prices in the market. This is exacerbated by Valve's recent price increase for the Steam Deck OLED and high costs for other handhelds like the ASUS ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go, with upcoming MSI Claw models potentially exceeding $1,800 USD.
Why aren’t there more PC-first gamepads? Valve don’t know, but they "did see an opportunity" for the new Steam ControllerValve designers Lawrence Yang and Steve Cardinali discuss the lack of PC-first gamepads, noting an opportunity for their new Steam Controller. While acknowledging the dominance of console controllers like the Xbox Wireless Controller and PlayStation 5 DualSense, they believe there's a market for a controller specifically designed for PC gaming, offering features beyond 'good enough'.
Steam Controller review: even without a Steam Machine mate, this is a smartly crafted gamepad that puts PCs firstThe second-generation Steam Controller is a versatile and functional gamepad designed primarily for PC use, offering improvements over its predecessor with the addition of a D-pad and a second thumbstick. It features advanced inputs like dual trackpads with improved haptics and Hall Effect-style stick drift protection, making it highly customizable. While it may lack the premium feel of some high-end controllers and has compatibility limitations with non-Steam launchers, its unique PC-centric features and innovative magnetic charging make it a compelling option for PC gamers.
Lenovo Legion Go S Z1 Extreme Price Jumps to $1,579 AgainLenovo has again increased the price of the Legion Go S with the Z1 Extreme model to $1,579, a price point that is significantly higher than competitors like the Steam Deck OLED and ROG Ally. The article argues that this premium pricing strategy is unsustainable in the competitive handheld market, where value and performance per dollar are crucial for consumers.
Call 911, Lenovo now wants nearly $3,000 for its Legion Go 2 handheld, but it might actually be discontinuedLenovo is reportedly asking $2,849.99 for the Legion Go 2 handheld PC, nearly double its original MSRP, amidst rumors of discontinuation. The device's landing page states it is no longer available, while other Lenovo handhelds remain on sale at inflated prices. This price hike is speculated to be linked to a RAM shortage caused by AI demand, though the author suggests the handheld was already too expensive.
The Nex Playground is getting a price hike because of the memory crisisNex is raising the price of its Nex Playground console from $249 to $299 starting April 1, 2026, due to a global memory and storage component shortage exacerbated by AI infrastructure demand. CEO David Lee stated the company can no longer sustainably absorb the rising costs. Other companies like Valve and Nintendo are also facing pressures from the crisis, with potential impacts on their hardware pricing and supply.
The OrangePi Neo gaming handheld with Manjaro Linux is now "on ice" due to component pricesThe planned release of the OrangePi Neo handheld gaming device, running Manjaro Linux, has been put on hold due to high prices of DDR5 RAM and SSDs, exacerbated by the AI surge. Project Lead Philip Müller confirmed the delay, noting that certifications are complete but a favorable market condition is awaited. This marks another setback for the device, which was already facing delays.
Fate of console pricing uncertain after Supreme Court strikes down Trump tariffsThe US Supreme Court has ruled against tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, potentially impacting video game hardware pricing. Companies like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo had previously raised prices due to these tariffs, with manufacturing largely based in China. However, ongoing shortages of RAM and hard drives driven by AI data center demand, exacerbated by a deal between OpenAI and Samsung, continue to pose challenges to hardware availability and pricing.