Overview
- Valve implemented a major repricing for the Steam Deck this week, with the top OLED model now listed at $950 and the company citing global logistical and memory‑component cost pressures.
- On May 28 Epic CEO Tim Sweeney posted a sarcastic message on X blaming the hike on 'component parts supply chain for megayachts' in an apparent jab at Gabe Newell.
- Sweeney’s public swipe prompted mixed online reaction that frequently referenced Epic’s recent layoffs of more than 1,000 employees and compared the two companies’ personnel records.
- Despite the backlash and near‑50% price increases, Steam Deck inventory in North America reportedly sold out within 24 hours of Valve’s repricing, showing strong buyer demand.
- The dispute highlights a longer history of tension between the two CEOs and sits against a broader industry memory‑price surge that is pushing hardware makers to raise costs or alter margins.