Portable Gaming at Its Peak: Steam Deck Sells 4 Million Units

In just three years, the portable gaming PC industry has experienced a remarkable surge, with total sales exceeding 6 million units. The market leader is Valve's Steam Deck, commanding over 60% of the market share. Experts note that this isn't just a product success—it's the dawn of a new era in mobile gaming.

Before 2022, portable gaming PCs were a niche market mainly for enthusiasts, with companies like GPD releasing devices in limited quantities. Everything changed with the launch of the Steam Deck. According to IDC, Valve sold around 4 million units in just two years. Even with limited retail availability and almost no advertising outside the Steam platform, Valve's creation outperformed all competitors, from ASUS ROG Ally to MSI Claw. However, analysts are skeptical about sustained growth: after peaking at 2.87 million units in 2023, sales dropped to 1.49 million in 2024, with a modest recovery to 2 million expected in 2025.

Despite competitors announcing more powerful hardware, Valve is postponing the release of Steam Deck 2. The company is waiting for a “generational leap” in energy efficiency to avoid launching a device with just two hours of battery life. For now, Valve's strategy is focused on expanding SteamOS: the open-source operating system is already available for third-party devices, which could strengthen Valve's influence without directly entering new markets.

The portable gaming PC market stands at a crossroads. On one side, there’s growing competition and rapid technological advancements; on the other, the risk of market saturation looms. However, the fact that millions of gamers chose compact devices over traditional formats in just three years speaks volumes: gaming is becoming more flexible, and the lines between platforms are increasingly blurred.