Tim Sweeney Criticizes Valve Over Steam Deck Price Hikes
Photo: Tom's Hardware
Quick answer
Тим Суини раскритиковал Valve за рост цен на Steam Deck до $949, обвинив компанию в приоритете роскоши (яхты Ньюэлла) над доступностью гаджетов. Причины подорожания — дефицит чипов и ИИ-инфраструктура.
Valve has raised prices for its Steam Deck portable gaming console, drawing criticism from Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games. The 1TB model now retails at $949, with base versions increasing by $240–300. Valve cited rising component costs due to memory and chip shortages, fueled by the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure.
In a post on X*, Sweeney initially acknowledged the legitimate reasons for the price hike but later quipped that "economic trends have caused major disruptions in the megayacht component supply chain." This remark was a jab at Gabe Newell, Valve’s co-founder, who is known for his collection of luxury yachts. According to media reports, Newell owns six vessels, including the 111-meter *Leviathan*, valued at approximately $1 billion, which he uses for private travel and oceanographic research.
The Steam Deck is positioned as a PC gaming alternative rather than a traditional console like PlayStation or Xbox, where hardware costs are partially offset by game sales. Compared to competitors such as the Lenovo Legion Go 2 and Asus ROG Ally, the Steam Deck’s pricing remains competitive. However, rumors of an upcoming Steam Machine console, which won’t be subsidized, suggest it could launch at $1,000 or more due to current memory and storage costs.
Common questions
- Почему Steam Deck подорожал?
- Valve объяснила рост цен дефицитом комплектующих из-за бурного развития инфраструктуры для ИИ и высокого спроса на память/чипы.
- Что именно сказал Тим Суини о Valve?
- Суини иронично отметил, что рост цен на Steam Deck связан не только с дефицитом, но и с «проблемами в цепочке поставок для мегаяхт», намекая на увлечение Габена Ньюэлла роскошными судами.
- Сколько стоит топовая модель Steam Deck сейчас?
- Модель с 1 ТБ памяти стоит $949, что на $240–300 дороже прежних ценников.
- Как Steam Deck сравнивается с конкурентами?
- Цена Steam Deck сопоставима с Lenovo Legion Go 2 и Asus ROG Ally, но слухи о грядущей Steam Machine предполагают стоимость от $1000 из-за роста цен на память.
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