This is why you can't find a Steam Deck in stock and it is all because of artificial intelligence

Valve has confirmed that the Steam Deck OLED is out of stock in some regions, and it’s all down to artificial intelligence (AI).

The Steam Deck OLED was launched in late 2023 and offered gamers a more premium experience than the LED version. 

As well as an improved OLED screen, it also had boosted battery life, faster Wi-Fi, and a more ergonomic design. 

However, if you were hoping to get your hands on one soon, then you could have a bit of a wait.

DISCOVER SBX CARS – The global premium auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie 

Here’s why the Steam Deck OLED is ‘intermittently’ out of stock

Valve posted a notice on the Steam Deck page warning would-be buyers that the console ‘may be out of stock intermittently in some regions’ – one of which is the US. 

Both the 512GB and 1TB OLED models are currently out of stock, while the LCD model has been retired and will ‘no longer be available’ once it’s sold out. 

The post went on to explain that ‘memory and storage shortages’ were behind the lack of stock. 

And these shortages are caused by increased demand for RAM and storage from AI companies. 

AI companies have been scooping up hard drives and memory chips left, right and center, to support the rapidly growing new technology. 

But this means tech manufacturers, like Valve, are now finding it harder to get the components they need to build their products. 

As well as the gaming industry, other products like smartphones and laptops will also be impacted by the shortage.

Samsung’s marketing leader, Wonjin Lee, has recently warned that the scarcity of RAM has led to prices going up, and ‘it’s going to affect everyone’. 

“Prices are going up even as we speak,” Lee said at this year’s CES. 

“Obviously, we don’t want to convey that burden to the consumers, but we’re going to be at a point where we have to actually consider repricing our products.”

Click the star icon next to supercarblondie.com in Google Search to stay ahead of the curve on the latest and greatest supercars, hypercars, and ground-breaking technology

The shortages have also impacted the upcoming Steam Machine

The shortages have already had an impact on the release of the upcoming Steam Machine and Steam Frame. 

Valve unveiled the two new devices, alongside the Steam Controller, last November and said it expected to be able to share ‘specific pricing and launch dates’ a short while later. 

However, in a blog post from earlier this month, the company admitted that things were still uncertain.

“The limited availability and growing prices of these critical components mean we must revisit our exact shipping schedule and pricing (especially around Steam Machine and Steam Frame),” the company said. 

“But we have work to do to land on concrete pricing and launch dates that we can confidently announce, being mindful of how quickly the circumstances around both of those things can change.”

DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie