The domestic retail price of the Steam Deck OLED, a portable UMPC developed by Valve, is set to increase.

On the 1st, Komodo, the distributor overseeing Steam Deck sales in Asia, announced a price adjustment for the Steam Deck OLED models on its official website. The price hike affects four regions, including South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. In Korea, the price of the 512GB model will rise from ₩898k to ₩1,298,000, while the 1TB model will increase from ₩1048000 to ₩1578000.

This price increase is a measure taken in response to rising production costs and supply chain instability, such as semiconductor shortages. Prior to this adjustment in the Asian market, preemptive price hikes had already been implemented in North America, Europe, Australia, and Poland.

Following this move, there is speculation in communities like r/Handhelds and other handheld and UMPC forums that the Steam Deck, which has long relied on its 'value for money' as a key selling point, may see its market position somewhat diminished. Valve explained the price hike by stating, "We have adjusted our pricing to reflect current component costs and the global logistics landscape across the industry."