Valve has just rolled out the Steam Deck OLED as part of its certified refurbished lineup. This is great news for gamers who can now grab the OLED version directly from Valve at a significant discount. These refurbished OLED models are available at a 20% lower price compared to their brand-new counterparts.
Both the 1TB and 512GB OLED versions are available within this refurbished program. The 1TB model comes in at $519, while the 512GB version is priced at $439. To put this in perspective, the brand new 1TB model costs $649, and the 512GB model costs $549. This translates to savings of $120 for the 1TB model and $110 for the 512GB version. With Valve’s pricing strategy, gamers can nab the 1TB OLED model for $30 less than a brand-new 512GB model.
Currently, the only Steam Deck you can purchase new that beats the price of the refurbished OLED models is the older 256GB LCD version, which goes for $399. Valve also sells certified refurbished LCD versions, but they’re out of stock across all three models: the 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB. You can’t buy the 512GB and 64GB LCD models new anymore either.
It’s easy to overlook just how substantial the upgrade is with the Steam Deck OLED. The change from an LCD to an OLED screen isn’t just about the type of display; the new version boasts a 90Hz refresh rate and a larger 7.4-inch screen with HDR support. It also shines brighter with 400 nits and can ramp up to 1000 nits in HDR mode. In contrast, the older LCD model featured a 7-inch screen, no HDR support, and topped out at 60Hz with the same 400 nits brightness.
Beneath the surface, there are more upgrades. The battery has been beefed up from a 40Wh unit to a 50Wh unit, with Valve suggesting the OLED Deck can run between 3 to 12 hours, depending on what you’re playing. The older LCD version offers a 2-8 hour battery life. The RAM has also seen an upgrade, jumping from 5500MT/s LPDDR5 to faster 6400 MT/s LPDDR5, and there’s an improvement in the AMD APU as well, with a process node reduction from 7nm to 6nm.
If you’re considering a refurbished Steam Deck OLED, they’re only available in specific regions right now, like Canada, the EU, the UK, and the US. The good news is, these refurbished units come with a one-year warranty just like new ones. Depending on where you live, this warranty could be even longer.
