David Bridges
Valve isn’t waiting for the beginning of its Steam Summer Sale to kick off the festivities. On Monday, the company posted 15 percent off deals on two discontinued Steam Deck LCD models, offering the 64GB variant for under $300 and the 512GB edition for under $400. The sale lasts until July 11 at 10AM PDT or — the key bit — “while supplies last.”
Valve
The star of the fire sale is the 512GB (NVMe SSD) LCD Steam Deck model. Initially, it was $449, but the handheld is available for only $381.65. Its OLED equivalent retails for $549, letting you save big if you can live with the cheaper (but still high-quality) LCD screen technology. Meanwhile, the 64GB (eMMC SSD) LCD model, which initially sold for $349, is on sale for $296.65.
Both devices have seven-inch displays with 1280 x 800 LCDs, 60Hz refresh rates and 400 nits brightness, but the 512GB model includes anti-glare etched glass. They have 40Wh batteries with a theoretical eight-hour runtime, but they will likely average around 4.5 hours. Each model ships with a standard carrying case.
Engadget re-reviewed the LCD Steam Deck last fall after the OLED variants launched. Although the handheld’s chunky size, weight and mediocre battery life hold it back to a degree (especially for those with smaller hands), it’s still a solid choice for home-based gamers invested in Steam’s ecosystem. The bottom line: “If you have the extra cash, go ahead and grab the OLED version,” as Jessica Conditt wrote, but “compared with the wider handheld sector, the Steam Deck LCD offers a fantastic return on investment.”
You can check out the sale for all the details. Meanwhile, to save on games galore, you can mark your calendar for the Steam Summer Sale, which begins on Thursday.
Daniel Mercer
