Component Shortage
Ongoing coverage on Component Shortage.
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Steam Machine prices start at £879 / $1049, Valve confirm, as "randomised reservations" open for the SteamOS PC
Valve has confirmed pricing for the Steam Machine, with models starting at £879 / $1049, and has opened a randomized reservation system for orders. The company also clarified that Half-Life 3 will not be releasing with the Steam Machine. The article discusses the pricing in the context of current component shortages and the ordering system designed to mitigate reseller bots.
The Steam Machine is the biggest victim of the RAMpocalypse to date, and that's made me unreasonably annoyed
The Steam Machine, Valve's TV-focused PC, has become a victim of the 'RAMpocalypse,' leading to a significantly higher price than anticipated. The base 512 GB model retails for $1,049, with the 2 TB version costing $1,349, making it poor value compared to budget gaming PCs. This pricing, driven by memory component shortages, reflects a broader trend of inflated PC hardware costs.
A ray of hope for PC builders desperate for an upgrade - one of my favorite motherboards is being bundled with 32GB of…
Amidst component shortages and a lean Prime Day, PC builders are advised to look at motherboard bundles from retailers like Newegg for potential upgrades. The article highlights specific MSI and ASRock motherboard bundles that offer quality-of-life features and future-proofing for AMD's AM5 platform and Intel's upcoming CPUs.
Apple Says Price Hikes Are Coming, But Won’t Say Which Devices Will Be Hit
Apple CEO Tim Cook has indicated that price increases for its hardware are unavoidable due to ongoing component shortages and rising costs. While specific devices were not named, the company is working to mitigate the impact on consumers. The Mac Mini has already seen a price hike, and similar increases may affect iPhones and other products.
Xbox announces business 'reset' amid reports of layoffs and studio closures
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced a business 'reset' for Microsoft's gaming division, signaling significant layoffs and potential studio closures following years of declining revenue. The memo cites a substantial increase in component costs for hardware and memory, exacerbated by past expansion choices, as a major challenge. Sharma and Xbox content chief Matt Booty aim to revive the company by evolving its business model and partnerships over the next 100 days.
Steam Machine and Steam Frame This Summer
Valve has announced that both the Steam Machine and Steam Deck will ship this summer. This confirmation comes despite concerns about potential delays due to component shortages affecting the game machine and VR headset.
Valve really isn't budging: Steam Machine and Steam Frame are still 'shipping this summer,' it insists
Valve insists that the Steam Machine and Steam Frame hardware will still ship this summer, despite ongoing component shortages and price hikes affecting the industry. The company is expanding its Verified program to include this new hardware, with developers encouraged to use the Steam Deck for compatibility testing due to the absence of Steam Machine dev kits.
There's a new Omen in town, but this gaming laptop's spec sheet is making me wince
The 2026 refresh of the HP Omen Max 16 gaming laptop is criticized for its reduced value proposition, featuring 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD at a $2,679.99 price point. Despite upgrades like a 300W power level and redesigned cooling, it falls behind its predecessor and competitors in terms of storage and RAM, highlighting industry-wide issues like component shortages and rising prices.
New Intel-based handheld gaming PCs sound great but all signs point towards yet more prohibitively expensive price tags
Intel'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.
Despite the significant price increase, the Steam Deck is already sold out in certain regions
Despite a significant price increase, the Steam Deck OLED has sold out in regions like the USA and Canada, indicating continued strong demand. While other handhelds like the Legion Go S and ASUS ROG Ally X offer more powerful hardware at comparable prices, the Steam Deck remains a top seller, though Valve notes intermittent stock issues due to component shortages.
Steam Deck sees massive £200 price rise but Steam Machine will cost even more
Valve has significantly increased the price of the Steam Deck by approximately £200, with the 512GB model now costing £669 and the 1TB model £779, citing component costs and global logistical challenges. This price hike makes the Steam Deck more expensive than the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, which is expected to see a £34 increase. The article also speculates that Valve's unreleased Steam Machine could cost around £1,000 due to similar industry pressures.
Valve announces significant Steam Deck price rise of almost £200 in the UK, over 40% around the world
Valve has announced significant price increases for its Steam Deck OLED models globally, citing rising memory and storage costs due to component shortages and logistical challenges. For example, the 512GB model in the UK has risen from £479 to £649. This follows similar price hikes for the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2, with companies pointing to economic pressures and component costs.
Steam Deck OLED is back in stock, but it’s now much, much more expensive
The Steam Deck OLED is back in stock but has seen significant price increases of up to 40% in various regions due to rising component costs and global logistical challenges. Valve cited the AI boom's impact on component availability and higher market rates for new production contracts as reasons for the price hike.
Guess what else the PC industry is short of now? Yes, that's right: multilayer ceramic capacitors
The PC industry is facing a significant shortage of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), a vital component used in CPUs, graphics cards, and motherboards. This scarcity, exacerbated by high demand from the AI sector, is leading to extended shipping times and price increases, with suppliers like Holy Stone reporting over 20-week lead times. While AI servers require specific types of MLCCs in large quantities, the overall demand is impacting the availability and cost of standard PC components.
"We’ve held off these increases as long as we responsibly can" - Maingear warns of price increases coming after its Memorial Day sale ends, so here's what's on offer
Maingear has announced upcoming price increases for its pre-configured gaming PCs and laptops, citing industry-wide flash memory shortages affecting GPUs, RAM, and SSDs. The company warns that prices will rise by over $150 after its Memorial Day sale concludes, encouraging customers to purchase before the end of the sale to secure current pricing and discounts.
Here's how the Iran war is hitting key supplies for components, according to supply chain experts
The conflict in Iran is significantly impacting global supply chains, particularly for materials essential to semiconductor and component manufacturing. Key substances like helium, sulphuric acid, PPE resin, aluminium, and solvents for photoresists are facing shortages due to disrupted trade routes and damaged production facilities. Experts warn of sustained price increases and potential multi-year disruptions, with AI infrastructure likely prioritized over consumer electronics.
Gigabyte, Asus, MSI, and more reportedly adjust their sales targets as the RAM crisis strangles motherboard sales
Major motherboard manufacturers including Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, and ASRock are reportedly lowering their sales targets for the remainder of 2026 due to ongoing RAM and storage shortages. These shortages, exacerbated by AI infrastructure demand and global supply chain issues, have led to significant price increases for PC components, impacting consumer purchasing decisions and the overall gaming PC market.
PlayStation 5 hardware sales down amid price hikes and memory shortage
Sony's PlayStation 5 hardware sales saw a significant year-on-year decline in Q4 FY25, selling 1.5 million units compared to 2.8 million in the previous year. This downturn is attributed to recent price increases across multiple regions and an ongoing component shortage impacting memory procurement. Despite lower hardware sales, Sony reported that the PlayStation platform maintained a large installed base and stable profits from software and network services.
Sony has not decided on a price or when to launch the PS6
Sony has not yet decided on the launch timing or price for the PlayStation 6, citing the current high cost and expected shortage of components like RAM. President and CEO Hiroki Totoki indicated that the company is exploring various simulations and business models to determine the best strategy. He also confirmed no further price increases for the PlayStation 5 for the remainder of 2026.
Sony PS5 sales fall off a cliff amid memory shortages
Sony's PlayStation 5 console sales have significantly decreased, reportedly due to memory shortages. This decline may impact the company's gaming division financial results in the upcoming year, potentially exacerbated by higher console prices.