*ALL* Deck owners benefit when more people are able to afford the Steam Deck
I just feel like a lot of posts on this sub today are overly focused on whether you already have a Steam Deck. As in, the price hike is only a problem if you don't already have a Deck or have a Deck that's old and in need of being replaced. But, that's not the main reason today's hike sucks.
We as Deck owners benefit when the install base of the Steam Deck grows because developers pay more attention to making sure their their game runs on Steam Deck and SteamOS. I've been very impressed with how much attention the Deck has received from large and small game studios alike, even with an install base that's less than 10 million. However, that becomes less likely if growth in Steam Deck sales grinds to a halt.
*Edit*: Several commenters seem to think I'm implying Valve is bad for raising the price. That's not my point. I'm sure Valve would not have raised prices if they didn't feel it was necessary. Lost sales are bad for Valve as well. I just think a lot of the comments I've seen today are overly focused on the poster's own situation, and, as a result, many are missing one of the larger implications of today's news.