The Steam Deck has been one of the most recommended pieces of gaming hardware since it launched in 2022. That recommendation just got a lot harder to make.
Valve's flagship handheld now starts at $789 for the 512GB OLED model, with the 1TB version hitting $949. Refurbished units from Valve start lower, around $279 for the older 64GB LCD model, but stock has dried up. The used market on resale platforms isn't much better, with secondhand Steam Decks running $450 to $500 with no guarantee of condition.
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The RAM crisis nobody wanted
The price surge isn't Valve being greedy. The global RAM shortage, driven largely by demand from AI datacenter construction, has pushed hardware costs up across the board. The PS5, several PC components, and even the newly launched Steam Machine have all felt the impact in 2026. Valve simply couldn't hold the line.
Asus, somehow, has. For now.
The ROG Xbox Ally sits at $599 at Best Buy. The more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X is $999. Neither has received a price increase yet, which makes the base Xbox Ally one of the most compelling handheld deals currently available.
Performance numbers that flip the argument
The standard ROG Xbox Ally used to get knocked for being too close to the Steam Deck in performance without enough price separation to justify switching ecosystems. That argument doesn't hold anymore.
In the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark, the Xbox Ally scores 1834 points versus the Steam Deck's 1715. That's not a massive gap, but it's a win for the Asus device. More importantly, you're now getting that comparable or slightly better performance for $190 less than the cheapest new Steam Deck. The math is straightforward.
For players who want serious performance headroom and have the budget, the Ally X is worth the premium. But for anyone trying to keep costs down, the base Xbox Ally is where the value lives right now.
What this means for handheld buyers right now
The handheld PC market has genuinely shifted. The Steam Deck built its reputation on being the affordable, capable option. At $789 new, it's no longer that. The Lenovo Legion Go 2 and MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ round out the competition, but neither hits the same price-to-performance ratio as the Xbox Ally at its current retail price.
The caveat worth keeping in mind: prices can move fast. Asus has held steady so far, but the same RAM supply pressures squeezing Valve could affect Asus at any point. If you're in the market for a budget handheld, waiting isn't necessarily the safer play.
For players who run into performance issues on handheld PCs regardless of which device they pick, optimization matters as much as hardware. Our Death Stranding 2 PC settings guide covers how to get the most out of upscaling and frame generation on portable hardware, and the same principles apply across most modern titles. If you're dealing with stuttering on newer games, our Everwind crash fix guide walks through UE5-specific issues that show up on lower-power handhelds.
The Steam Deck isn't a bad device. It's just no longer the obvious first recommendation it was for four years running. For more handheld-friendly tips and hardware optimization guides, the full gaming guides hub has you covered as the market keeps shifting.
