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RAM Shortage Sparks Console Price Hikes
6 Sep
Summary
- AI boom fuels unprecedented RAM demand, impacting tech.
- Console prices have significantly increased recently.
- Steam Deck saw a $300 price jump due to shortages.
A severe memory shortage, dubbed RAMageddon and fueled by AI companies' immense data center requirements, is profoundly affecting the technology sector, particularly the gaming industry. This scarcity has led to a noticeable increase in console prices over recent months, a departure from historical trends where prices typically decrease over time.
The Steam Deck, for instance, has seen a substantial $300 price hike. This escalating cost, coupled with the emergence of new handheld competitors, prompts serious consideration about the continued value proposition of such devices in 2026. The gaming landscape has evolved dramatically since the Steam Deck's initial release in February 2022.
Key advancements, such as the release of Unreal Engine 5 shortly after, have equipped developers with more sophisticated tools for creating increasingly complex game graphics. This, in turn, has made games more taxing on hardware. Even the Steam Deck OLED, now the sole model available, did not introduce performance enhancements upon its 2023 release, focusing instead on display and battery improvements.
Despite these challenges, the Steam Deck retains distinct features that help it maintain relevance among its 2026 competitors.
