There's the very real fact that Nintendo could upend the handheld market next year when it finally unleashes the Nintendo Switch 2 on the gaming world. But before you hand over between $419 and $524 that the device is predicted to cost, take a look at this Steam Deck OLED news from Valve.
The company has started selling certified refurbished Steam Deck OLED consoles in for over $100 off in the U.S., U.K., Canada and the EU. This brings what is an incredibly versatile and performant gaming machine down to $439 for the 512GB model and $519 for the 1TB model (down from $649). In the U.K., a 512GB refurbished model is now down to £389 while the 1TB option is £459.
That's an absolute steal for a machine that made one former TG staffer fall back in love with PC gaming.
Happy Tuesday! We've officially added Steam Deck OLED to our Valve Certified Refurbished program today, and refurbished Steam Deck OLED units are now available for sale in the US, Canada, UK, and EU. Learn more here:https://t.co/oVedF5MDU8 pic.twitter.com/TPXPE8aS0zDecember 10, 2024
Of course, not everyone wants to opt for a refurbed device and that's fine — but it's worth pointing out that buying directly from Valve should give you some peace of mind when it comes to second-hand durability.
The company says it puts each unit through an "extensive examination involving over 100 tests at one of Valve’s facilities." Perhaps most importantly, that includes the battery which is always going to be a point of concern. According to Valve, the battery health checks it performs can on occasion "meet or even exceed the performance standards” of brand-new units. What's more, every refurbed Steam Deck OLED will come with a carry case, power supply and a one-year warranty. The only downside you may see are "minor cosmetic blemishes" inherited from their prior life.
I don't need to repeat here the importance of limiting e-waste but in this instance there's a pretty substantial cost saving you can benefit from if you've been on the fence about getting a Steam Deck OLED. The $519 price for the refurbished 1TB model is cheaper than the $549 you'll pay for a brand-new 512GB version.
Even though the Steam Deck OLED is over a year old at this point (it was released in November '23, it's still one of the best gaming devices out there. My colleagues have picked it over newer rivals like the Asus ROG Ally X due to ease-of-use and price to performance.
It goes without saying that even the non-OLED Steam Deck blows the Nintendo Switch OLED out of the water when it comes to both performance and the amount of games you can play on it. And since you can buy a compatible dock from reputable brands like Anker ($39, Amazon), you can even get that Nintendo Switch-like experience by playing on your TV with Valve's handheld.
I don't doubt the Nintendo Switch 2 will sell like wildfire when it eventually touches down in 2025 — but I'm not convinced it'll be a better bang-for-buck experience than what you'll get from a refurbished Steam Deck OLED at these prices.
