The Register warns that exploding rockets and exploding hardware prices are converging into a lousy new normal. The publication questions whether the Steam Deck is a canary in the coal mine for future hardware costs, while also examining the fallout from Blue Origin's recent blowout on NASA's Moon missions.
This dual crisis threatens both consumer electronics affordability and the timeline for lunar exploration. The Steam Deck, a portable gaming PC, could signal broader price pressures across the hardware sector as component costs spiral upward. Meanwhile, the Blue Origin incident adds fresh uncertainty to NASA's Artemis program, which already faces delays and budget constraints.
No specific dollar figures or percentage increases were provided for hardware price trends. The article did not cite exact costs or timelines for the Blue Origin failure's impact on NASA missions, leaving the scale of the disruption unquantified.
The Register's analysis suggests that consumers and space agencies alike face a period of heightened volatility. For hardware buyers, this may mean longer waits for deals; for NASA, further slippage in its Moon schedule appears increasingly likely.
Some industry observers might argue that the Steam Deck's pricing is an isolated case, not a market-wide indicator, and that Blue Origin's issues could be resolved faster than anticipated.