A recent post made on the r/SteamDeck subreddit appears to indicate that Valve may be stopping the production of replacement parts for the Steam Deck LCD, a potential indicator that the company is quietly working towards sunsetting the original Steam Deck.
This is not a terribly surprising move, as the cost of components related to technology and gaming continue to rise, and the advent of the Steam Machine gives Valve another device with which to focus their production efforts.
What We Know
The post, from user Zok-Felswyn, shows a support email from iFixIt stating that the company would no longer stock the original replacement batteries for Valve’s handheld console. The email states that the batteries for the Steam Deck LCD are out of stock and that “…it is looking less likely that we will continue receiving OEM Steam Deck LCD batteries…”
A comment from iFixIt staff on the post clarified that “It’s not that we’re choosing to not stock these anymore. Unfortunately, Valve is just starting to sunset these parts.” This seems to indicate that the issue isn’t a lack of stock on the part of iFixIt, but a lack of production on the part of Valve. Stopping production for replacement parts for the Steam Deck LCD is a potentially strong indicator from Valve that the company may be moving towards discontinuing the device as a whole.
Looking Forward
Again, given the rising cost of components in the current market, and the allocation of resources towards the Steam Machine, a discontinuation of the Steam Deck LCD feels nearly inevitable at this point. However, discontinuing production of replacement parts right when they are likely to be most needed (remember, the Steam Deck LCD was released in 2022) has many members of the PC gaming community rightfully frustrated at the timing.
If you currently own a Steam Deck LCD, or have any plans to buy one in the near future, know that additional or replacement components for the device could become scarce in the very near future.
