Valve has been selling its Steam Deck portable gaming PC for some time now. With a couple of exceptions for limited-time sales events, prices for the Steam Deck have remained constant. Today, Valve announced a way to get a cheaper Steam Deck, but only if you are willing to accept a few surface issues.
Valve has begun to sell Certified Refurbished Steam Deck units on its Steam site. They are all have lower prices than the "new" versions of the same models, with savings of up to $130, depending on which version you buy.
Valve claims that these used units have been put through a ton of testing and can match, or even exceed, the performance of new Steam deck models.
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.
Valve adds that the refurbished units have the same one-year warranty that new Steam Deck units have. It claims that the only real difference between a real unit and a refurbished one is that the used Steam Deck could "have minor cosmetic blemishes".
The used models from Valve also have refurbished power supplies that have been "fully tested". Each model also comes with a carrying case and a Quick Start guide.
The 64GB Refurbished Steam deck sells for $319, compared to $399 for a new unit. The 256GB Refurbished version sells for $419, compared to $529 for the new model. Finally, the 512GB Refurbished Steam deck sells for $519, compared to $649 for a new model.
Valve adds that select GameSpot retail stores are also selling authorized refurbished Steam Deck models to members of their Pro program.