The skyrocketing prices for flash memory have already affected RAM sticks, SSDs, laptops, pre-built PC desktops, phones, and many other devices. Now, you can add the OrangePi Neo to the list—a handheld gaming PC using Linux that was supposed to be released soon.
The OrangePi Neo was first announced in early 2024, from the same company that sells single-board computers like Orange Pi 5 Ultra. It has a Steam Deck-like design, with an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U chipset and 7-inch 1920×1200 display. The specs list also includes 16 or 32 GB RAM, 512 GB or 2 TB of NVMe storage, a 50 WHr battery, and two USB4 ports.
The main selling point for the OrangePi Neo is that it’s built from the ground up to run Manjaro Linux, instead of the SteamOS, Android, or Windows operating systems found on other similar handhelds. The main interface is built around gamepad controls and launching games, but it can also switch to a standard Plasma desktop. It’s also designed around Flatpak applications and an immutable system structure.
Unfortunately, the OrangePi Neo is now on indefinite hold. An update on the Manjaro Forum explained, “Due to high prices of DDR5 RAM and SSDs the project is currently on ice. Certifications for CE and FCC are now complete. Also a lot of improvements around the Manjaro Gaming Edition had happened. We are now waiting for a good time to launch the product.”
There have been many, many, many other products affected by rising flash memory prices, so it’s not a surprise that the OrangePi Neo is dealing with it as well. In just the Linux hardware world, most Raspberry Pi boards have increased in cost over the last few months—first in December 2025, then again in February.
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Unfortunately, there’s no end in sight for the ongoing supply chain problems. Most of the demand is coming from new and upgraded datacenters designed for generative AI workloads, and that’s not slowing down. If the OrangePi team is waiting for lower prices to release the Neo, it’s probably going to be a long wait.
The Steam Deck OLED is currently the best Linux-powered gaming handheld, but all models are currently out of stock “due to memory and storage shortages,” at least for the moment. The cheaper Steam Deck LCD with 256 GB storage is no longer in production.
Source: Manjaro Forums via TechPowerUp
