logo
The Steam Deck OLED is back in stock

The Steam Deck OLED is back in stock

The Verge4 hours ago

If you've been itching to get a handheld, but the Switch 2 isn't quite up your alley, now you can get your hands on a Steam Deck OLED. As spotted by @Wario64, Valve has started selling the device on its online store again after it was out of stock in the US and Canada for over a week.
Earlier this month, Valve cited 'recent supply chain constraints' for the Steam Deck OLED's unavailability, adding that it expects the device to come back in stock by the end of the summer. It looks like Valve may have resolved its supply chain issues — at least for now — as the 512GB Steam Deck OLED is currently on sale for $549, while the 1TB version is available for $649.
Both devices come with a 7.4-inch HDR OLED display, up to a 90Hz refresh rate, a carrying case, and battery life ranging from three to 12 hours, depending on content. The 1TB version adds a 'premium anti-glare etched glass' display, a removable liner with the carrying case, and an exclusive startup screen and virtual keyboard theme. However, neither model includes the Steam Deck Docking Station, which is available separately for $79 (there are plenty of third-party options out there, too.)
But if you're still holding out for a Switch 2, the $450 console has been popping up intermittently at retailers like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Audit questions Sacramento's homeless spending, motel program under scrutiny
Audit questions Sacramento's homeless spending, motel program under scrutiny

CBS News

time23 minutes ago

  • CBS News

Audit questions Sacramento's homeless spending, motel program under scrutiny

There is new scrutiny over Sacramento's spending on homeless programs. A city audit reveals some inaccurate charges and questionable invoices from Step Up, the operator of the city's motel room program that helps keep families in crisis off the streets. Nicia Mars is surviving as a single mom living with her three children in a Sacramento motel room. "So I'm a basic single mom of three kids," Mars said. "I have a 17-year-old and then my two little ones. We got involved with the Step Up program. They've been helping us." Mars is one of thousands who have enrolled in the Sacramento city-funded program. This year is better than last year. "We were in our car waiting to get help," Mars said. "It took us a minute. It was hot last year. Car. Hotel. Car. Hotel." "It really is a crisis to get our most vulnerable off the streets," City Councilmember Lisa Kaplan said. Kaplan is concerned that a new city audit shows only 32% of enrollees in the city motel program go on to find permanent housing. The city auditor compared it favorably to programs like it. Kaplan wants better "Thirty-two percent that enter exit into positive housing," Kaplan said. "Now you and I, as we grew up, that's an 'F.' That says you're not succeeding." The city auditor also found in a sampling of receipts that the program host invoiced one charge for furniture delivered to Los Angeles, not Sacramento motels — the total cost was $4,760. The audit also identified over $50,000 in invoiced furniture and rental assistance expenses that were questionable. "How do we put controls in place so we don't have these mistakes?" Kaplan said. The city auditor will be presenting this audit to the full council on Tuesday. The council will then have the opportunity to put new rules in place, possibly tying funding to outcomes of permanent housing. "If this wasn't available, I don't know where I would be," Mars said. "It's hard."

$30 Minimum Wage Has L.A. Hotel Owners in Revolt
$30 Minimum Wage Has L.A. Hotel Owners in Revolt

Wall Street Journal

time27 minutes ago

  • Wall Street Journal

$30 Minimum Wage Has L.A. Hotel Owners in Revolt

Hotel owners are in open revolt against Los Angeles's new $30-an-hour minimum wage, the latest blow to one of the country's poorest-performing lodging markets. This was supposed to be a great time to own a hotel in L.A. The area will soon be at the center of the globe's premier sporting events, first as a host city for eight World Cup soccer games next year, and then the Super Bowl the following year. In 2028, L.A. hosts the summer Olympics.

The Retail Strategy Helping Canadian CPG Brands Win In The U.S.
The Retail Strategy Helping Canadian CPG Brands Win In The U.S.

Forbes

timean hour ago

  • Forbes

The Retail Strategy Helping Canadian CPG Brands Win In The U.S.

Blume's Superbelly product will be a $20 million product line this year. Canadian consumer brands have long seen the U.S. as a critical market for growth. However, as direct-to-consumer models mature, many consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies find their most impactful traction through strategic physical retail partnerships. Rather than casting a wide net, these brands leverage highly curated U.S. retailers to establish credibility, gain trial, and unlock national expansion. For emerging Canadian names like Blume, Mid-Day Squares, and Nuts For Cheese, retailers such as Whole Foods, Sprouts, Erewhon, Wegmans, and more are proving to be more than just distribution points; they're brand-building partners. The Case For Focused Retail The U.S. offers scale, diversity, consumer appetite, and steep competition for Canadian brands looking to expand beyond their borders. Many brands have succeeded not by entering every primary market at once, but by starting small, learning quickly, and scaling intentionally. Nuts For Cheese chose to launch first in California, a market known for early adoption of wellness and plant-based products. "Our U.S. expansion mirrored our successful brand-building approach in Canada: sustainable, regional growth driven heavily by physical retail. As an artisan plant-based cheese brand, establishing a presence in stores was crucial for building both awareness and credibility in the highly competitive U.S. market," said Margaret Coons, founder of the company. This regional approach allowed them to fine-tune their messaging and formats in a receptive region before expanding nationally. Nuts For Cheese is in over 5,000 U.S. retail stores. Blume, which crafts superfood lattes and gut health drinks, took on a similar strategy. Karen Danudjaja, co-founder of Blume, echoed the need for restraint. "One of the biggest mistakes I think CPG brands can make, especially ones that don't have a lot of outside customers, is going too wide too fast. We're saying no to a lot of new distribution to really focus on Whole Foods and Sprouts." This region-first approach allows brands to build operational knowledge and local brand affinity before chasing national scale. It also allows them to support in-store performance through events, demos, and regional marketing, creating a feedback loop between direct-to-consumer awareness and brick-and-mortar results. Retail As A Growth Driver Across the board, physical retail has helped Canadian brands achieve something that digital alone can't: credibility and growth. While direct-to-consumer allowed many to gather early insights and build loyal customer bases, being on-shelf in well-regarded U.S. retailers has accelerated trial and trust. Mid-Day Squares co-founder Jake Karls explained the effect, "Retail has played a massive role in growing our U.S. presence. Today, we sell in thousands of stores across the country, and the U.S. now represents over 60% of our total business. That growth wouldn't have happened without physical retail." Karls said the team started by leaning into Erewhon, then quickly scaled through an unplanned but welcome opportunity with Sprouts, which brought them into over 20 states. That unexpected acceleration required the brand to build new capabilities in field marketing and paid media around store locations. Luckily, the founders have been recognized for their social media strategy and were able to replicate that for stores. Mid-Day Squares first launched in Erewhon's retail stores, but has since expanded into over 20 ... More states with Sprouts. ©LaChance 2025 - All Rights Reserved Blume saw a similarly rapid leap from direct-to-consumer to retail success with SuperBelly's probiotic hydration line. After launching online, the product entered Whole Foods and Sprouts within its first year, outpacing the six-year journey its latte blends had taken to land in physical retail. According to Danudjaja, sales have been robust in natural channels, aided by a format strategy that adapts product sizing for each channel. Meanwhile, Nuts For Cheese leveraged strong early results in natural grocery stores to expand into conventional retailers like Wegmans. "Our U.S. retail presence has had a measurable and significant impact on brand awareness, sales growth, and customer acquisition. Since launching in the U.S. in 2020, our total business has more than doubled in size, largely due to our expanding retail footprint,' said Coons. All three brands point to a clear pattern of physical shelf space driven by real-world engagement. It turns online fans into trial users, and trial users into long-term customers. Learning The U.S. Retail Market The move into physical retail also forces Canadian brands to understand U.S. consumer behavior at a deeper level. Each region can differ dramatically regarding taste preferences, price sensitivity, packaging size, and merchandising. Rather than national launches, these brands are taking a localized playbook approach. Mid-Day Squares, for example, started by geo-targeting Meta ads around Sprouts locations and producing content highlighting the ups and downs of building a CPG business. Karls said these efforts, combined with what they call "bars to bellies" demoing, made the brand feel personal and authentic to new audiences. Blume's Superfood Latte products on shelf at Target. Blume also treats the U.S. as a learning lab. "We have people who are subscribers online, and they also pick it up in store. It's really like consumers are becoming more and more omnichannel, said Danudjaja, adding that "the awareness we build online supports retail." The strategy is paying off. Blume's SuperBelly reached over 11,000 subscribers in its first year and will be a $20 million product line this year. It's also distributed in over 6,000 retail stores across the U.S. and Canada. Nuts For Cheese now spans over 5,000 retail doors across Canada and the U.S., and Mid-Day Squares reports that 70% of its business is now through retail. Though each brand has followed its own path, their playbooks share core elements, including leading with regions that match brand values, selecting retailers that support education and trial, and balancing physical presence with digital storytelling. For Canadian CPG brands, entering the U.S. isn't about blanketing every state, but about showing up where the right consumers already are and building slowly but deliberately. Through partnerships with various retailers, these brands aren't just landing shelf space; they're writing new cross-border playbooks. And in doing so, they're proving that when approached strategically, retail is not just a distribution channel but a long-term growth engine.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store