Following its February announcement of delays, Valve made a public plea for RAM suppliers at the 2026 Game Developers Conference, highlighting persistent global shortages impacting Steam Machine production and other devices. A spokesperson directly asked attendees for leads on purchases amid the crisis dubbed 'RAMaggedon.'
The global RAM shortage, known as 'RAMaggedon,' continues to disrupt hardware production across the industry, with shortages projected to last until at least 2027. Prices have surged, with Samsung raising DRAM costs by over 100% and further increases expected. Analyst Jukan from Cirini Research notes exacerbated issues from Middle East conflicts disrupting helium supplies vital for chip fabrication.
Valve, already facing challenges after delaying its Steam Machine, Steam Frame VR platform, and Steam Controller launches from Q1 to H1 2026 (as announced in a February blog post), escalated its response at the Game Developers Conference on March 12, 2026. In a session with developers and manufacturers, a spokesperson stated: “If you have a line on a bunch of RAM, we are in the market and would like to buy it.”
The shortages have caused ongoing availability issues for the Steam Deck, which has sold about five million units since 2022, and threaten low-volume production of new devices designed for gaming beyond desktops. Valve aims to expand its Steam ecosystem, but component sourcing remains a hurdle despite strong fan support.
