Portable gaming PCs once felt like the easy way to run big releases anywhere; in 2026 that convenience is getting pricey. A memory supply crunch has nudged device costs upward and is steadily eroding the cheap end of the market.
According to PC Gamer, the cheapest sensible portable right now is the Asus ROG Ally Xbox X — about $1,000 (yes, really). The Steam Deck, long the default pick for many, isn’t immune: after LCD models were dropped the base OLED 512 GB climbed from $549 to $789, and the 1 TB bumped from $649 to $949. Both variants sold out quickly in North America despite the higher tags.
Analysts — e.g., market researchers tracking DRAM and NAND — say this won’t flip back fast; memory costs are expected to keep rising and sizable cuts aren’t likely before 2028. The squeeze has reached consoles too: over the past few years the PlayStation 5 has seen multiple price hikes and now starts around $650.
If you were planning a handheld purchase, FYI, you might need to wait or rethink priorities; for many, that aspirational portable is suddenly a premium choice.