Last week, a discussion emerged around the apparent decline in Steam Deck sales, as highlighted by PC Gamer’s Andy Edser. The analysis, conducted by Boiling Steam, has raised eyebrows, particularly regarding its mathematical accuracy. Regardless of the numbers’ validity, the sentiment reflects a growing unease about Valve’s hardware trajectory and its future prospects.
In a surprising twist, Gabe Newell’s million donation to OpenAI in 2018 seems to have inadvertently cast a shadow over Valve’s hardware ambitions. The anticipated Steam Deck OLED saw a significant price hike in May, with the 1TB model jumping from 9 to 9, while the 512GB version surged from 9 to 9. This steep increase has left many potential buyers reconsidering their options.
As Edser noted in his June review, the Steam Machine has become “the biggest victim of the RAMpocalypse to date.” What was once projected to retail around 0 by November 2025 now carries a hefty starting price of ,049. For those who were eagerly awaiting the device, like myself, the current pricing has become a deterrent, likely shared by many others in similar situations.
In the gaming landscape, the recent release of Mistfall Hunter, a “dark fantasy extraction ARPG,” has quickly climbed to the third spot on the live concurrent players list, showcasing the dynamic nature of the market.
Last week’s Steam deep cuts
<table tabindex="0" class="tablewrapper tablewrapper–inbodyContent tablewrapper–sticky tablewrapper–divider”>
<thead class="tablehead”>
<tr class="tableheadrow”>
<th class="tableheadheading tableheadheading–left” colspan=”1″>Rank
<th class="tableheadheading tableheadheading–left” colspan=”1″>Game
<tbody class="tablebody”>
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>1
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Counter-Strike 2
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>2
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Dota 2
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>3
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Palworld
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>4
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Halo: Campaign Evolved
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>5
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Apex Legends
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>6
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>DragonSword: Awakening
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>7
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>8
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Battlefield 6
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>9
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Shift at Midnight
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>10
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>PUBG Battlegrounds
Despite the release of a new Halo title and the 1.0 launch of Palworld, Counter-Strike 2 continues to maintain its stronghold at the top of the rankings. Meanwhile, DragonSword: Awakening, a non-gacha alternative to Genshin Impact, has garnered attention, and Shift at Midnight has emerged as an indie title blending retail simulation with horror elements, now featuring online cooperative play.
Steam review of the week
“I now understand why people push people in front of trains. It’s super funny.” This intriguing sentiment comes from a review of Alien Kink VR, which seems to have taken a rather unconventional approach to its narrative.
