Valve has announced that it is now selling Steam Deck refurbished units via its official channel – Steam. These ‘Certified Refurbished’ Steam Deck units are cheaper than brand-new ones, obviously. Interestingly, the discount is higher for the most expensive SKUs.
The Steam Deck refurbished 64GB unit is priced at €339, €80 less than the regular €419 price; the Steam Deck refurbished 256GB unit is priced at €439, €110 less than the regular €549 price, and the Steam Deck refurbished 512GB unit is priced at €539, €140 less than the regular €679 price.
Valve also provided a detailed explanation of the refurbishing process and also listed everything that’s included with these Steam Deck units.
Each Certified Refurbished Steam Deck has been thoroughly tested to the same high standards as our retail units. Every device goes through a complete factory reset, software update, and an extensive examination involving over 100 tests at one of Valve’s facilities. Among the tests are all controller inputs, the audio system, the screen, and internals. Battery health is also assessed to ensure proper functionality and longevity.
All refurbished units meet or even exceed the performance standards of new retail units. Although they may have minor cosmetic blemishes, they provide a reliable, high-quality gaming experience at a lower cost. All Certified Refurbished Steam Decks include:
- The same one-year warranty as a new Steam Deck (unless longer as determined by your country of residence)
- A refurbished power supply – fully tested (may have minor cosmetic marks)
- Carrying case and Quick Start guide
These units could be seen as a way to combat the increasing competitiveness in the PC handheld market. Following the success of Valve’s device, even ASUS joined the market with its ROG Ally, which comes out on top in a direct comparison with the Steam Deck in nearly all respects.
Valve already confirmed they want to release a new iteration of the device. However, they also said they’re waiting for a significant performance gain to be available through technology advancements. In short, we might have to wait another two or three years before a Steam Deck 2 materializes.
