Valve's Steam Deck sales plunge after price hikes

Valve raised the price of its OLED Steam Deck handheld by up to 46% in May 2026, increasing the 512 GB model from $549 to $789 in the United States and the 1‑TB model from $649 to $949. At the same time, the company discontinued the lower‑priced LCD version, removing the entry‑level option for many buyers.

Analysts at Boiling Steam estimate that weekly sales have fallen from a pre‑hike range of roughly 11,000‑18,000 units to just 1,400‑3,000 units – a decline of about 75‑80%. The device’s ranking on Steam’s global weekly bestseller list slipped from the top four‑to‑six positions to between eighth and fourteenth. The revenue impact could be as much as six million dollars per week for Valve.

The sharp drop is attributed primarily to the steep price increase, which pushed the Steam Deck into a price tier where competition from other handhelds is stronger, and to the loss of the affordable LCD model that had broadened its market reach.