Valve's price hike reportedly wipes out 82% of Steam Deck sales as it goes into "near-total collapse"

Published Jul 21, 2026, 9:02 PM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Sign in to your XDA account Summary Steam Deck sales reportedly fell ~82% after the price hike, dropping weekly units from ~18k to ~3k. Weekly gross revenue plunged ~72%, now sitting about $1.2M–$2.5M vs $6M–$10M pre-hike. Its "Top Seller" rank dropped from #4–5 to #10–15, signalling a big shift in consumer attitudes. As the hardware crisis begins to bite, console manufacturers have had to increase their prices, and the Steam Deck was no exception. We saw the entry-level model increase from $549 to $789, causing concerns that potential buyers have been priced out. If one report is to be believed, those fears have come true, as Steam Deck sales have plummeted by around 82%. Steam Deck sales are ~18% of what they were pre-hike, claims Boiling Steam If correct, it's a huge blow to Valve The report comes to us via Boiling Steam, which previously ran a report that the Steam Machine was selling up to 15,000 units a week. It did this by looking at the Steam Machine's position on the Top Sellers chart and estimating how many units sold by comparing it to the entries directly above and below it. Boiling Steam did a similar check on the Steam Deck, comparing what it was like pre-price adjustment to today. Ever since Valve hiked up the price, the Steam Deck has fallen from around rank 4-5 down to 10-15. It doesn't sound too bad a shift on paper, especially if Valve makes more money per sale now, but Boiling Steam crunched some numbers and found something worrying: Metric Pre-Adjustment (2025) Post-Adjustment (Mid-2026) Shift Chart Position #4 to #5 #10 to #15 -8 to -10 ranks Weekly Gross Revenue $6.0M to $10.0M $1.2M to $2.5M ≈ -72% Average Selling Price ~$540 ~$835 +54% Weekly Units Sold 11k to 18k units 1.4k to 3k units ≈ -82% Despite the price increase, the Steam Deck is earning Valve around 72% less money than it did in 2025. Plus, the company is selling 82% fewer Steam Decks than it did before, going from a max of 18,000 units to a measly 3,000. Boiling Steam calls this "a near-total collapse in physical demand," and I'm inclined to agree. Of course, this is all extrapolated from publicly facing data, and isn't an exact science. However, it is, at the very least, an educated guess as to how the Steam Deck price spike harmed its sales. Chin up, Valve; at least you're not selling a $5,299 handheld.