Valve has made an exciting move by adding the Steam Deck OLED to its certified refurbished lineup, offering gamers a chance to snag this model at a significant discount. If you’ve been eyeing the OLED variant, now might be the perfect time to jump on it, as refurbished units are being sold at a 20% discount compared to their brand-new equivalents.
Currently, you can choose between the 1TB OL and 512GB models in the refurbished program. The 1TB version is available for $519, while the 512GB version is priced at $439. To put this into perspective, purchasing a new 1TB model would set you back $649, and the 512GB model costs $549. That’s a savings of $120 and $110, respectively. In fact, picking up the refurbished 1TB OLED model will cost you $30 less than buying a 512GB OLED model brand new.
Among the Steam Deck options, the only new version cheaper than the refurbished OLED models is the older 256GB LCD variant, priced at $399. While Valve offers certified refurbished LCD Steam Decks, all models — the 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB — are currently out of stock. New purchases for the 512GB and 64GB LCD models are off the table as well.
The OLED version of the Steam Deck is more than just a simple screen upgrade; its enhancements are substantial. The display shifts from the original LCD to a stunning OLED, which includes a 90Hz refresh rate and a larger 7.4-inch size, complete with HDR support. It boasts 400 nits of brightness and can peak at 1000 nits in HDR mode, a significant leap from the LCD model’s 7-inch screen with a 60Hz refresh rate and no HDR support.
There are also improvements under the hood, where the battery sees an upgrade from a 40Whr unit to a robust 50Whr unit. According to Valve, this means you can enjoy gaming on the OLED Deck for anywhere from 3 to 12 hours, varying by the game, whereas the LCD version offers 2 to 8 hours of playtime. The OLED model’s RAM has also been upgraded from 5500MT/s LPDDR5 to faster 6400MT/s LPDDR5, and the AMD APU enjoys a process node shrink from 7nm to 6nm.
Currently, refurbished Steam Deck OLEDs are being sold in selected regions, which include Canada, the EU, the UK, and the US. If you decide to grab one, you’ll enjoy the same one-year warranty as with a brand-new unit, although it might be longer based on where you live.
