HANDHELD GAMING'S GOLDEN AGE ENDS AS PRICES SOAR

The handheld gaming landscape has shifted dramatically since 2022, when the Steam Deck made PC gaming genuinely portable for under $400. That brief window of accessible power is shutting. Steam Deck prices now start at $789—nearly double the original launch price. Nintendo's Switch 2 similarly reflects rising costs, with the company citing manufacturing expenses and market changes. This pricing surge marks a turning point. For a fleeting moment, gamers could play console-quality experiences like Elden Ring on pocket-sized devices without premium markups. That affordability advantage has evaporated. The shift reflects broader industry pressures: component costs, supply chain inflation, and market consolidation. What once seemed like a democratization of gaming hardware is reverting to exclusivity. Portable gaming remains powerful, but no longer cheap. The golden age, it turns out, was golden precisely because it was temporary.