Valve (Steam Deck hardware)
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
US games company running Steam and making the Steam Deck and Steam Machine.
There's no proof Valve (Steam Deck hardware) pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries and untraced high-risk mined materials. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and Malaysia, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Traces its cobalt, gold and other conflict minerals to the mine
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights
- Red flag: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't traceShown to explain the grade. It isn't one of the 2 red flags that set it.
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From press and retailer reports; Valve (Steam Deck hardware) doesn't say where its products are made. The rest is shown as where electronics are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| TaiwanUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| South KoreaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: cobalt, tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold mining carry child and forced labour risk (DR Congo, Indonesia), and assembly overtime is widespread.
- Relies on metals such as cobalt, gold and tin from artisanal mines where miners, including children, face toxic dust, mercury exposure and deadly tunnel collapses. It hasn't shown any steps to trace these materials to the mine, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes The Steam Deck is assembled in China, and import records reported in 2026 show Valve's console shipments, including for the new Steam Machine, arriving from China, but Valve does not name its contract manufacturers or factories. As a private company it publishes no supplier code of conduct, audit results, conflict minerals report or modern slavery statement, and is not an RBA member. No labour abuses at the factories making its hardware have been reported, but there is little public information to check against.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not listed | Not rated in the last Baptist World Aid Electronics Industry Report (2016, series ended). View |
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | Not assessed in the 2025 KnowTheChain ICT benchmark, which covers large listed companies. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not listed | No Australian modern slavery statement found for Valve. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Steam Deck: Here's who makes them and where they're manufactured (BGR, 2026) · search the archive · Steam Deck made in China; no manufacturer named
- Who makes the Steam Deck and where does it build them? (SlashGear, 2025) · search the archive · Valve manufactures the Steam Deck in China; contract manufacturer not named
- How to buy a Steam Deck in Australia (PC Gamer) · search the archive · Valve ships Steam Deck to Australians from a local warehouse since Nov 2024; no official physical retail
- Steam Machine: Valve ships 70 tons of hardware (Notebookcheck, June 2026) · search the archive · ImportGenius records show Valve's 'game console' shipments arriving from China in June 2026
- Steam Machine ready for Australia but you can't simply buy it (Pickr, 2026) · search the archive · Steam Machine sold to Australians through Valve's own reservation system from 29 June 2026
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Valve (Steam Deck hardware) ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/valve, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded laptops and computers
No laptops and computers brand selling new goods is Good yet. This is the strongest so far. Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Valve (Steam Deck hardware).