Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
The "Rampocalypse" has officially claimed its latest victim, The Steam Deck, and it’s a massive bummer for the Steam machine & Steam Frame's future.
Support the channel with a one off donation paypal.me/BluntNate or become a regular supporter; patreon.com/BluntNate
Exactly 10 days ago, I was looking at the official storefront for the Steam Deck to get some baseline context for an entirely different video. Today? Valve dropped a massive bucket of cold water on the entire community. The Steam Deck OLED models are back in stock, but they have just suffered a devastating 30% price hike.
While Valve claims this is strictly due to "rising memory and storage costs and other global logistical challenges" (thanks, AI slop builders and "global instability" caused in large part by you-know-who), the fallout goes way past the handheld market.
What does this horrifying 30% jump mean for the highly anticipated upcoming Steam Machine and Steam Frame VR headset?
For months, I’ve held a carefully considered, cautiously optimistic view on what Valve's upcoming hardware could do for Linux gaming, Proton, and kicking Microsoft windows in the junk. I previously insisted the Steam Machine wouldn’t dare launch higher than a base PS5. But looking at the new real-world data outside of pure guesswork, that optimism is officially cooling off.
If a 30% premium forces the Steam Machine and Steam Frame way past the cost of a home console or simple DIY PC build, does the argument for "off-the-shelf convenience" completely fall apart? Let’s look at the numbers, look at the reality of the component market, and try not to spiral into full Gen-X doomer mode just yet.
#SteamDeck #SteamMachine #SteamFrame #PCGaming #GamingNews #Valve
twitch.tv/bluntnate - youtube.com/BluntNate
The "Rampocalypse" has officially claimed its latest victim, The Steam Deck, and it’s a massive bummer for the Steam machine & Steam Frame's future.
Support the channel with a one off donation paypal.me/BluntNate or become a regular supporter; patreon.com/BluntNate
Exactly 10 days ago, I was looking at the official storefront for the Steam Deck to get some baseline context for an entirely different video. Today? Valve dropped a massive bucket of cold water on the entire community. The Steam Deck OLED models are back in stock, but they have just suffered a devastating 30% price hike.
While Valve claims this is strictly due to "rising memory and storage costs and other global logistical challenges" (thanks, AI slop builders and "global instability" caused in large part by you-know-who), the fallout goes way past the handheld market.
What does this horrifying 30% jump mean for the highly anticipated upcoming Steam Machine and Steam Frame VR headset?
For months, I’ve held a carefully considered, cautiously optimistic view on what Valve's upcoming hardware could do for Linux gaming, Proton, and kicking Microsoft windows in the junk. I previously insisted the Steam Machine wouldn’t dare launch higher than a base PS5. But looking at the new real-world data outside of pure guesswork, that optimism is officially cooling off.
If a 30% premium forces the Steam Machine and Steam Frame way past the cost of a home console or simple DIY PC build, does the argument for "off-the-shelf convenience" completely fall apart? Let’s look at the numbers, look at the reality of the component market, and try not to spiral into full Gen-X doomer mode just yet.
#SteamDeck #SteamMachine #SteamFrame #PCGaming #GamingNews #Valve
twitch.tv/bluntnate - youtube.com/BluntNate
