Refurbished OLED Steam Deck Is a Bargain
The Steam Deck is one of my favorite gaming purchases of the last few years, it has quickly replaced the Switch as my portable device and has made me feel better about buying PC games because I know I can still play them. portable whenever I want.
Still, I’m not without some buyer’s remorse. That’s because, just over a year after the release of the original Steam Deck, Valve released the Steam Deck OLED, which looks sharper and offers better battery life. I couldn’t quite justify the upgrade since my current Steam Deck works fine, but thanks to the new Steam Deck OLED Refurbishment Program, you can now buy a Steam Deck OLED for only $40 more than a new LCD. model.
Vale sells two different refurbished Steam Deck OLED displays
Valve today announced that it is now selling two certified refurbished versions of the Steam Deck OLED: one with 512GB of internal storage and the other with 1TB. Sales are currently open to buyers in the US, Canada, UK and EU. As of this writing, OLED is actually the only way to get a refurbished Steam Deck from Valve, as cheaper refurbished LCD models are out of stock (they may be on sale). only $279 when available).
While I don’t personally have a Steam Deck OLED, I have used one and can say that the upgrade is worth it, especially if you don’t already have a Steam Deck. The OLED model doesn’t show much of a performance boost, relying largely on the same internals but with slightly faster RAM, but its screen is so much better that you’ll feel like the graphics have taken a generational leap. Plus, there’s a 10Wh larger battery, helping this notoriously power-hungry laptop last 1-4 hours longer, depending on what you’re playing.
Buying a used OLED Steam Deck for just a little more than what a new LCD model costs means you’ll have to make a few compromises. Valve promises that certified refurbished devices must pass “more than 100 tests” before shipping and that they all “meet or exceed the performance standards” of new devices, but may have some “minor cosmetic imperfections.” However, your purchase will include a new carrying case and the same one-year warranty as a new Steam Deck, although its power supply will be refurbished.
At the time of writing, both refurbished Steam Deck OLED variants are in stock, with the 512GB variant selling for $439 and the 1TB model selling for $519. So your discount for not buying a new one will be between $110 and $130, depending on which one you choose. It’s a stupidly good deal.